Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Church
A 2,000-Year Journey
History of the Catholic
Church
Course
As Description
an institution established by Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church
has a divine origin. But as an institution led by and populated with
human beings, it is also subject to the faults of humans.
During the long history of the Catholic Church, many of its members
and some of those who led it have certainly erred, making poor
decisions that resulted in sin and suffering.
But many more of its members and leaders were also saints, men
and women who lived and died for Jesus Christ and His One, Holy,
Catholic and Apostolic Church.
And during that same long history, the Church has not only
preserved intact the deposit of faith, but has also brought about the
development and preservation of much of civilization as we know it.
This is what we will study in this course.
2
Macaulay on the Church
(1840)
“There is not, and there never was on this earth, a
work of human policy so well deserving of
examination as the Roman Catholic Church…No
other institution is left standing which carries the mind
back to the times when the smoke of sacrifice rose
from the Pantheon, and when camelopards and tigers
bounded in the Flavian amphitheatre. The proudest
royal houses are but of yesterday, when compared
with the line of the Supreme Pontiffs…The papacy
remains, not in decay, not a mere antique, but full of
life and youthful vigor. The Catholic Church…may still
exist in undiminished vigor when some traveler from
New Zealand shall, in the midst of a vast solitude, Thomas Macaulay
take his stand on a broken arch of London Bridge to
Scottish statesman
sketch the ruins of St. Paul’s.”
& historian
- Edinburgh Review (1840)
3
Why Study Church
History?
To come to know Jesus better through his
Church and its teachings
To gain a better sense of our identity as
Catholic Christians
To be able to address many of the common
errors and inaccuracies about the Church
and its history
To learn how best to express God’s Word in
today’s world
4
Vatican II: Lumen
Gentium
“This is the unique Church of Christ
that in the Creed we avow as One,
Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. After
His Resurrection our Savior handed
the Church over to Peter to be
shepherded, commissioning him and
the other Apostles to propagate and
govern it. And it was this Church that
He erected for all ages as ‘the pillar
and foundation of truth’.” (1 Tim 3:15)
– Constitution on the Church 9
5
Vatican II: Sacrosanctum
Concilium
6
Course Outline
“…it is impossible to
understand the past
unless we understand
the things for which the
men of the past cared
most.”
- Christopher Dawson
(Catholic Historian)
8
History of the
Catholic Church
Part 1
The Early Church
(30 – 330 AD)
From a historical
perspective, we realize that
the Church is…
Based on the life and teachings of
an historical person, Jesus of
Nazareth
Shaped by how Christians have
lived out the Gospel message over
the centuries in the world
The story of the relationship of
Jesus and the believers who have
followed him over the centuries
Filled with God’s presence
throughout history
10
Ultimately, Church is
MYSTERY
11
The Early Church –
Overview 1
The early Church was obliged
to live in a pagan and alien
world
In addition to its main task of
conversion and
evangelization, it focused on
protecting its members from
pagan errors and vices
For two centuries the Church
was largely defensive toward
the world, standing firm in the
face of fierce opposition and
persecution
12
The Early Church –
Overview 2
Once Christianity It still faced and
became the religion endured theological
of Rome (319 A.D.) it disputes and
assimilated the barbarian invasions
Empire’s culture in all It overcame heresy
its diverse forms through the
Although the Church teachings of the
adapted itself to the Church Fathers, and
culture, it never blunted the fury of
relinquished any of invaders by having
its essential its missionaries
teachings convert them
13
The Early Church –
Overview 3
Estimates of the early Church’s growth:
500,000 members by end of 1st
Century
2 million members by end of 2nd
Century
5 million members by end of 3rd
Century
10 million members by the first half
of the 4th Century (350 A.D.)
Christendom became an integral and
accepted part of the world,
contributing to the religious and
secular lives of the people. Constantine the Great
14
The Early Church –
Overview 4
The Church’s incredible spread
during its first three centuries is
one of the proofs of its Divine
origin
This religion was preached by
Jesus Christ, a carpenter, in
tiny Palestine in a remote
corner of the Empire Eucharist depicted in the Catacombs
This Jesus chose twelve humble men to carry His message to the
world
These men, and the thousands they converted, would rather die
horrible deaths than apostatize
In 300 years it became mightier than pagan Rome
15
The Beginnings: Jewish
Sources
Judaism, a historical religion – God
intervened in history and personally
directed the life of the Israelites
Covenant & Patriarchs: Abraham (c.
1850 BC), Isaac, Jacob
Freedom & Law: Moses (c. 1300-1200
BC), Passover, Exodus
Promised Land to Kingdom to Exile:
Joshua to David to Ezekiel
God is personal and transcendent,
unlike the pagan gods
Jews: independent, insistence on
history, monotheism, adaptability
Moses
16
(by Michelangelo)
Influence: Jewish Sources
21
Influence: Roman Sources
24
The Beginnings: Christian
Sources
The Gospel was preached long before it was written down by the four
evangelists
Read the sermons of Peter and Paul in Acts and note the similarities
St. Luke
28
The Beginnings: Gospel of
Luke
Much of what we know and
understand about the early
church comes from Gospel of
Luke and the Acts of the Apostles
These two books form a
continuous story depicting
Christ’s life through the crisis of
the Crucifixion, to the
Resurrection, and into Acts where
we see the apostles, empowered
by the Spirit, going about the St. Luke
business of spreading the Gospel
29
The Beginnings: Christian
Sources
The Words of Christ
Tend to take three forms:
Pronouncement stories (e.g., Mk 12:13-17)
Proverbs (e.g., Mt 5:3-11)
Parables (e.g., Lk 10:29-36)
Pronouncements don’t rely on context;
have a religious concern; elicit a response
Proverbs – Jesus brings to this usually
secular wisdom a religious dimension, or
expands traditional religious ideas
Parables – startle people into thinking
Jesus Teaches about the Kingdom – understanding is a
product of one’s faith
30
The Beginnings: Christian
Sources
The Deeds of Christ (largely miracles)
Jesus often reticent about performing and
publicizing miracles; often refuses to work
them and castigates those who seek them
Jesus uses miracles not so much to prove
his Divinity, but for purposes directly related
to his ministry; for example…
Jn 9:35-41 – Curing the blind man symbolic
of spiritual sight which comes from faith
Luke 5:1-11 – The large catch of fish
symbolic of how Christ will “catch” people
John 11 – Raising the dead Lazarus
prefigures Christ's own Resurrection
Jesus Heals the
Paralytic
31
(Mk 2:1-12)
The Beginnings: Christian
Sources
Response to miracles
Some (rationalists, secular humanists) reject
them out of hand:
“The great objection to miracles is that they do
not occur.” – Matthew Arnold
Modern apologists (Lewis, Chesterton…) show
unreasonableness of blanket denials
Chesterton: Christians are the ones who look at
all the evidence and accept it; those who reject
miracles do so a priori based on their biases
and doctrines against them
Many modern Christians argue against
miracles, accepting the big ones (the
Incarnation) while illogically denying the little
Jesus Heals Bartimaeus ones
(Mk 10:46-52)
32
Who do you say that I
am…
Jesus’
prophecy
Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.“ Jesus said
to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not
revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and
upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail
against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on
earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in
heaven.“ – Mt 16:16-19
33
Petrine Primacy –
Scripture
In addition to Mt 16:
Jesus selects Simon first (Mt 4:18; Mk 1:16; Lk 5:1-11)
Peter given primacy throughout Gospels (Mt 10:2)
Jesus accustomed the jealous apostles to Peter's
singular position among them
Sequence of three closest to Jesus: Peter, James,
John
Peter regularly given special instructions and
admonitions;
Peter trained above the others in humility, patience and
trust in God
Peter’s faith declared essential, to strengthen the
others
Recognized as apostolic spokesman, only because the
Lord had chosen him for leadership from the moment
he was called to the apostolate
34
The Rock: Biblical
Foundation
The image of the Rock, long used in both
Biblical and extra-Biblical sources, implies
permanence
Qumran earlier hymn: “And I rejoiced in your
truth, my God, for you lay a foundation upon a
rock…to build a strong wall that will not be
shaken and all who enter shall not falter.”
Parables (Mt 7; Lk 6): building a house on rock
foundation to withstand every storm
Jesus’ final promise: “And behold, I am with you
always, until the end of the age.” (Mt 28:20)
The Church will continue to exist until the end of
time: “As often as you eat this bread and drink
this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He
comes.” (1 Cor 11:26) Statue of St. Peter
St. John Lateran,
35
Rome
The Rock: Biblical
Foundation
The Church will abide in the
Truth:
“And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you
another Advocate to be
with you always, the Spirit
of truth…” (Jn 14:16-17)
“The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my
name, he will teach you everything and remind you of all that
I told you.” (Jn 14:26)
“…the household of God, which is the church of the living
God, the pillar and foundation of truth.” (1 Tim 3:15)
36
The Prophecy Fulfilled
39
The Beginnings: The
Apostles
Their witness brought Christ to the world
Ordinary men: fishermen, tax collector,
seemingly chosen for the ordinariness
Normal men who would ask normal
questions; common-sense men, not
gullible; not the kind to invent, but the kind
to doubt
Despite all their confusion and doubt, they
come to believe
What they do is just as important as what
they say; their lives convert the world –
suffering and dying to spread the Good
The Apostles
News (Who knowingly dies for a hoax?)
40
The Beginnings: The
Apostles
Apostles had a tremendous
impact on the early Church
Provided the first interpretation
St. Peter of Christ’s message, along with
his life, death and Resurrection
They celebrated the first liturgies
They make the first disciplinary
and doctrinal decisions
Their initial interpretive acts are
the beginnings of Christian
tradition
St. Paul
41
The Great Commission
Gamaliel Teaching
50 (Acts 5:34-39; 22:3)
The Word Spreads
Carried by the Jews of the
Diaspora and the early
missionaries, the Gospel
message soon spread far beyond
Jerusalem and throughout the
Jewish communities in the
Roman Empire
Those spreading the word
preached first in local
synagogues because the Jews
understood the messianic
prophecies and could more They soon discovered that the
readily accept Jesus as the message of the Resurrection
fulfillment of their religious hopes struck a universal chord in the
51
Empire
Christianity Spreads
Favorable Material Conditions in the
Mediterranean World
God willed it
52
The Jewish Persecution
Just as Jews so eagerly accepted the
Good News, so also were the Jews the
first persecutors of Christians
Jesus was regarded as a blasphemer
and the disciples as apostates and
usurpers
Apostles were persecuted in Jerusalem
from the start
After the deacon Stephen was stoned to
death, Christians were actively and
systematically persecuted
Paul suffered on numerous occasions
James (Greater, Zebedee) martyred in
44 – Herod Agrippa’s persecution Martyrdom of St. James,
James (Less) Bishop of Jerusalem Bishop of Jerusalem
martyred in 62 (Acts 12:1-2)
53
The Word Spreads: St.
Paul
Born a Jew, from Tarsus in
Asia Minor, Paul was a
Pharisee and rabbi under the
tutelage of the respected
Gamaliel
Roman citizen through his
father
Persecutor of Christians
(present at St. Stephen’s
stoning)
On the road to Damascus to
arrest Christians there when
he is struck down and
St. Paul’s Conversion miraculously converted (Acts
54 (Acts 9:1-9) 9)
Paul’s Conversion
Some Critical Ramifications
Jesus equates Himself with the
Church: “Saul, Saul, why are
you persecuting me?...I am
Jesus whom you are
persecuting.”
Paul’s conversion from
persecutor to eager Christian
made others suspicious
Barnabas had to introduce
Paul to the 12 to assure them
The “Street Called
of Paul’s sincerity
Straight” in Damascus
(Acts 9:11) Early Relations a bit testy with
Paul
55
Paul, God’s Choice
Paul’s Unique Qualifications
Familiar with the worlds of
Rome & Jerusalem, with the
cultures, languages, thought
patterns – spoke with
authority to either group
Paul embodied the Church
at the time – his very person
was a tension between Jew
& Greek
His final trip to Rome was
symbolic of Church’s
Basilica of St. Paul ultimate break with
Outside the Walls, Jerusalem
56 Rome
Paul’s Mission
Among Paul’s tasks was the unification
of scattered Christian communities
Made three missionary journeys through
Asia Minor and Greece on which he:
Spread the Good News of Jesus Christ
Instructed Christians on Christian living
Passed on news from other communities
Explained points of doctrine
Ensured the catholicity of the Church
Addressed disciplinary issues: how to
dress; how to fast; whom to follow; rules
for deacons, bishops, presbyters
Ease the tension between Greek and
Jewish Christians
St. Paul
57
Early Church
To be or not to be…Jewish
The early followers of
Jesus considered
themselves Jewish and
Christian.
Their movement was
known as The Way.
We first encounter the
term Christian when it
was applied to the
believers at Antioch in the
early 40’s.
58
Paul’s Challenge: Jews &
Gentiles
At first, Church was exclusively
Jewish
Pentecost brought change as
new (Jewish) Christians returned
to their homes throughout the
Empire with a message that also
attracted Gentiles
Question immediately arose:
St. Paul preaching to Must Gentile converts follow the
Gentiles in Athens Law of Moses (circumcision, dietary
(Acts 17:15-34) restrictions, cleansing, etc.)?
Some said, “Yes” (See Acts 15:1,5)
Paul said, “No” (Gal 2)
59
Council of Jerusalem: a
Turning Point
Through the early missionary activity of
Paul and Barnabas, the Christian faith
was brought to the Greek-speaking
communities far beyond Jerusalem.
Problems and challenges arose at the
baptism of Gentiles in the new faith
Up to this point [around 49-50 A.D.],
Christians were perceived as just
another Jewish sect
Now, they were faced with an issue that
could lead to the eventual separation of
the Christian sect from Judaism proper
Sts Peter & Paul
60
Council of Jerusalem
The synagogues no
longer welcomed the
Christian sect. In the
year 90 the Jewish
leadership settled on
the canon of the
official Jewish sacred
Scripture – the break
was final.
71
The Word Spreads: Peter
in Rome
Ultimately, St. Peter
went from Jerusalem
to Antioch and finally
to Rome, which from
that time forward
became the seat of
the Church’s
governance
Tradition holds that Peter spent more than 20 years in
Rome as bishop before his martyrdom under Nero
He was buried on the Vatican hill, in a pagan cemetery;
Constantine built the first St. Peter’s Basilica over his
grave.
72
Preserving the Tradition
A major responsibility (2
Thes 2:15)
Deposit of faith preserved
orally (2 Tim 1:13-14)
Didache – early teachings of
the Apostles put in writing
Episcopate – authoritative
teaching office needed to
ensure these Apostolic
traditions are passed down
intact
This remains the role of the
bishops: to teach, to govern,
73
and to sanctify
One Turning Point
Resurrection of Jesus,
foreshadowed the
resurrection of all believers,
the day of the Lord
Many early Christians
thought that the second
coming would occur within
the lifetime of those who had
heard Jesus preach,
continually admonishing his
audience to be alert and
ready (Mk 13:32-37, Lk
12:35-37)
74
One Turning Point
Christians also began to
question fate of those who
had already died; to worry
when and if the end would
ever come [1 Cor 15:51-52]
Passing of Apostles
accelerated the change from
oral to written tradition
Church developed more
permanent structures; roles
more clearly defined
Scripture canon formalized
75
The Early Church
They also met in private
homes for the “breaking of
the bread” and the prayers.
Eventually some houses
were specifically designated
for worship.
A house-church in Dura-
Europos [Iraq] was built c. 250
A. D. and still stands.
76
The Good News: Public to
“Private”
The ministry of the apostles, as
presented in the New Testament, was
conducted in public
After the first persecutions in 64 A.D.,
Christians continued to preach the
Gospel publicly, despite the risk
The Church also maintained its
organization (39 of 1st 40 popes
martyred)
In the post-apostolic Church
conversions came via the nascent
Church organization, apologists,
“street evangelizers”, ordinary
77
Christians, and martyrs Catacombs of Callistus
Evolution of Church
Organization
From Acts and Paul’s letters
we know that a hierarchal
Church emerged very early
during Apostolic times
The Apostles at first sent our
Apostolic delegates (e.g.,
Titus, Timothy) with authority
from the Apostles
This naturally evolved into
bishops with responsibility for
local Churches
78 Early Church Fathers
Ignatius of Antioch (106
AD)
“Jesus Christ...is the will of
the Father, just as the
bishops, who have been
appointed throughout the
world, are the will of Jesus
Christ. Let us be careful, then,
if we would be submissive to
God, not to oppose the
bishop.”
86
The Catacombs
94
Christianity’s New Status
Dramatic change – from
persecuted to favored religion
almost overnight
Between 250 and 311 over 60,000
Christians were put to death
During the same period their
numbers rose from three to seven
million and now represented 15%
of entire population.
The persecutions had made people
take notice and ask: “Why would so
many people of all social classes
willingly go to their deaths?”
95
Early Church: The
Eucharist
Jesus teaching in the
synagogue in Capernaum:
He announced the Eucharist, telling
the people that unless they ate the
flesh of the Son of Man and drank
His blood, they would have no life in
them.
Consequently many of disciples left
Him complaining, "this is a hard
saying. Who can listen to it?"
Yet instead of correcting a possible
false impression or qualifying the
mystery of faith, He turned to the
Twelve and asked them, "Do you
also wish to go away?"
96
Early Church: The
Eucharist
Jesus at the Last Supper:
Made the Eucharist a permanent
institution
The Eucharist and the priesthood
are instituted together
The Apostles would be the ones
through which the graces of
redemption would flow from Jesus
Christ to all of humanity
“My Blood of the New Covenant”
underscores the continuity
between the two Laws and the
perfection of the Christian over the
Jewish dispensation
97
History of the Eucharist
Eucharist first called the
“Breaking of the Bread”
Soon necessary to
separate the rite from a
meal, because of abuses
at meals (1 Cor 11:17-22)
and to ensure a more
prayerful setting
By the year 150, St. Justin
Martyr tells us, the basic
structure of the Mass had
98
already long been in place
History of the Eucharist
The first-century document, the Didache or “Teaching
of the Apostles” shows the development of the
Eucharist
Eucharist celebrated on Sunday in memory of
Christ’s resurrection
The early Christians created a Liturgy of the
Word somewhat modeled after synagogue prayer
that included readings from Scripture, singing of
psalms and an instruction
Around the words of Eucharistic institution they
added prayers of thanksgiving, praise and
intercession (today’s Eucharistic Prayer)
99
History of the Eucharist
How did the first Christians experience
the Eucharist?
A Sacrament
A Sacrifice
The new Passover
The re-presentation of the Paschal Mystery
The Communion of God with man
The revelation of heavenly worship
The source and summit of the Church’s life and
unity
Although the Mass has changed in external forms from age to age, the
“Mass of all ages” remains the same, recognizable in the Church’s
100
doctrine and in the details of the ritual.
History of the Eucharist
Early Mosaic of
Eucharist, Tabgha,
Galilee
104
Early Church: The
Eucharist
In the same place (not far from
Capernaum) facing the Sea of
Galilee is a well watered land in
which lush grasses grow, with
numerous trees and palms.
108
Early Heresies [30 -250
A.D.]
Marcionism
Outgrowth of Gnosticism begun by
Marcion (c. 85-160)
Made a distinction between the creator
God of the Old Testament and the
redeemer God of Jesus Christ
Denied relationship between Old and
New Testaments, the Incarnation, and
rejected validity of most of the New
Testament
The Marcionite heresy was certainly
the greatest threat to the Catholic Marcion (C. 85-160)
Church during the 2nd Century
109
Early Heresies [30 -250
A.D.]
Montanism
Montanus (d. 175) considered himself a prophet
Rejected the Church in favor of direct prophecy
from God - Montanus claimed to be possessed
by God and spoke as God
Claimed to be voice of “the Father, the Word,
and the Paraclete”
Advocated fasting, chastity and martyrdom;
serious sinners could never be restored to a
state of grace
Perhaps due to his extreme personality, the
famous Tertullian joined and defended the
Montanists.
The sect survived the death of Montanus for a
few centuries, but eventually became small and
secretive before disappearing altogether. Montanus (d. 175)
110
Early Heresies [30 -250
A.D.]
Modalism
Heresy started by Sabellius, a Libyan priest
Held that the Trinity was not three distinct
Persons, but simply modes or
manifestations of one Divine Person
Ignored the words of Jesus regarding the
Father and the Holy Spirit
Modalism quickly died out; it was too
contrary to the ancient Christian faith to
survive for long
A modern form exists among some
Pentecostals – Jesus Only doctrine --
claims that Jesus is the only person in the
Godhead and that the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit are merely names, modes,
or roles of Jesus
111
Early Heresies [30 -250
A.D.]
Novationism
Novatian (d. 258), a 3rd century Roman
priest, held that serious sinners were
excommunicated and could never be
readmitted
Denied that the Church has the
power to grant absolution in certain
cases
St. Cyprian said the Novatians no
longer believed in the creed by
rejecting belief in the remission of
sins, and everlasting life through Holy Pope St. Cornelius
Church
Novatian set himself up as antipope to
St. Cornelius; eventually established his
112 own church
Early Heresies [30 -250
A.D.]
Subordinationism
Teaches falsely that the Son is not eternal
or divine (Arian Subordinationism)
Son is therefore not equal with the Father
in being or in attributes
Another form of the heresy teaches that,
though the Son is divine, he is not equal
to the Father in being, attributes, and
rank
Essentially in all its forms it states that
the Son is not equal to the Father
Error rejected by the Council of Nicaea
and strongly attacked by St. Athanasius
116
The Second Age of the
Church (330-650 AD)
1. The Fathers of the Church
2. The Papacy
3. The first Christological Council
A. The Council of Nicea
4. St. Augustine
5. Veneration of the Saints
6. The Rise of Monadticism
117