Top Ten "Peak Moments" in Church History

Top Ten
“Peak Moments”
in Church History
First Period:
The Apostolic Age
1. PENTECOST: Birthday of the Church
 I will ask the Father, and he will give you
another Helper, who will stay with you forever,
the Spirit who reveals the truth about God
(John 14:16-17).
 Another word for helper is the Greek
paraclete, which we use to refer directly to the
Holy Spirit.
1. PENTECOST: Birthday of the Church
 The Holy Spirit was already at work in the
world before Christ was glorified.
On Pentecost, the Spirit came to be with the
Church forever. On that day the Church was
publicly revealed to the multitude.
The gospel began to be spread among the
nations by means of preaching.
-- Second Vatican Council, decree ad gentes
(“To the nations”), n. 4.
2. The Conversion of Saint Paul, c. 40 AD
 “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?...
I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting”
(Acts 9:4-5).
 After Saul/Paul’s baptism at Damascus (in
Syria), he began to preach.
 Many went to Antioch (also in Syria) to
proclaim the good news (good spell= Gospel )
about the Lord Jesus. And the Lord’s power
was with them. (11:20-21).
2. The Conversion of Saint Paul, c. 40 AD
Second Period:
Imperial / Post-Imperial
The Roman Empire, circa 300 AD
3. The Edict of Milan: Constantine frees the
Church from persecution (for a while)
 Emperor Nero began persecuting on a wide scale,
circa 64 AD.
 Hebrew nero q’sr = 666 (John’s “beast”)
 “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”
 Christianity grew in spite of fierce opposition,
intolerance and martyrdoms.
 Enter Constantine and his rival, Maxentius.
 Both men and their forces clashed at the Battle of the
Milvan Bridge in 313.
 A vision appeared to Constantine:
Ecce, in hoc signo vinces
(Behold, in this sign, victory).
Constantine the Great (circa 274 – 337)
The vision of Constantine
The Chi Rho sign seen by Constantine
 The victorious Constantine met with officials of the
Eastern empire in 313 at Medianola (Milan) in Italy.
 Both East and West agreed upon religious tolerance,
de-criminalizing Christianity.
 This act was borrowed at Vatican II (1962-1965) for
its Decree on Religious Liberty (Influenced largely by
Rev. John Courtney Murray, S.J. - an American!)
 Other persecutions against the Church took place
afterward, but stopped after 391 AD.
4. Christ as Man and God – The Church and
the Council of Chalcedon, 451 AD
 The Church had long felt the end of the Apostolic Age
(the time when the original disciples lived).
 Christian communities devised basic statements of
belief, known as a creed (from credo=“I believe”).
 The Church also set up a system of leadership,
through what is now known as the Holy Orders –
Overseers (bishops), Elders (priests) and Servants to
the Poor (deacons).
 With leadership and freedom taking root, much
needed to be done regarding belief.
 Alternate theories about the nature of Christ and His
relationship to God began to take form. These were
examined and condemned, later known as heresies
(from the Greek word for “choice” or “faction”).
 Bishops gathered in 325 at Nicaea (in Asia Minor,
now Turkey) to develop a fuller Creed.
 Enter a priest named Arius, who misinterpreted
Proverbs 8:22 (“the Lord begot me”).
 Arius argued thus: “There was a time when the Son
was not.” Ergo, Jesus was lesser than the Father.
Council of Nicea, 325 AD
 Arius drew a huge following.
 The Arian Heresy (of Jesus being
subordinate to the Father) had
spread rapidly throughout
the Empire.
 As a result, the unity of the
entire Church was under a
very great threat.
 The bishops who met at Nicaea reasserted the divinity
of Jesus, condemned Arianism and began to restore
unity in Christianity.
 Not long afterward, an opposite heresy – this time
overemphasizing Christ’s humanity – broke out.
 The major agreement at Chalcedon was that Jesus had
one divine person in two natures, human and divine.
 Other councils meet later to “fine tune” Church
teaching and work to preserve unity.
 Most other heresies take on one of two forms:
 Christological – altering the relationship between Christ
and the Father/Holy Spirit
 Ecclesiological – altering the relationship between Christ
and the Church
 Yes, heresies keep coming, even today, and it’s up to
the Magisterium (the teaching body of the Church) to
help the faithful know what’s correct and what isn’t.
5. How the Monks Saved Civilization
 In 410 AD, the Goths sacked Rome. Panic ensued
throughout Europe.
 The Roman Empire fell – or stopped falling – by 476
AD, with the barbarian invasions and the collapse of
the order provided by the Empire.
 By that time, collectives of men and women religious
known as cenobites (from Greek koinos + bios =
“common life”) had spread into northern Africa and
many parts of Europe.
 The major player of monasticism in Europe was St.
Benedict of Norsia, who devised a monastic Rule.
Benedict of Norsia (480 – 550 AD)
Third Period:
Early Modernity
6. From Monte Cassino to Assisi
 By the 12th Century, European commerce sparked the
widespread growth of cities and the rise of the “middle class”
 Thousands left agricultural-based livelihoods and pursued
trades and jobs not based upon the land
 Widespread wealth and literacy contrasted with crushing
poverty and destitution, both in rural areas as well as in cities
 Monastic life, centered around monasteries in rural areas, were
useful to barbarians and farmers, but not these growing urban
areas – many were left underserved as a result
 Enter Giovanni Francesco di Bernardone (1181-1226)
 Born from a wealthy family, he embraced a life of poverty
and mobility in order to serve
the poor wherever they lived
 Established the Order of
Friars Minor (The “Little
Brothers”)
 This form of life was not
monastic, but mendicant –
like that of a roving beggar
 Dominicans, Carmelites, and
Augustinians also follow this
“rule” of life and service
 The Mendicant friars
 Took vows not to a “house” or Abbot (religious superior),
but to their particular order
 Were far more flexible in their ministries than their
monastic brethren, who remained tied to their communities
 Established the first major universities of Europe: Oxford,
Cambridge, Paris, Padua, etc.
 Developed devotions for the laity – the Stations of the
Cross, the Christmas Creche, the Rosary
 And when Church and State got too close..
 The Crusades:
 The Inquisition:
7. Reform to Revolt to Reformation
 An Augustinian priest, Martin Luther, had several problems
with numerous misuses and abuses of Church authority and
teaching, and wanted to bring reform to the Catholic Church
 Corruption indeed ran rampant in many parts of the Church:
 Formation for priestly ministry was deficient
 The practice of indulgences – works of prayer and charity –
had been abused beyond recognition
 The popes were far too involved in secular politics than in
spiritual matters
 31 October 1517: Luther posts on the
“bulletin board” of the day – the doors of
the church in the university town of
Wittenburg , Germany – his 95 Theses
 Luther’s calls for reform and renewed
consideration for scripture were largely
ignored by the Church, but were received
by the laity and top secular leaders with
enthusiasm
 Luther was questioned and debated…and later
excommunicated (separated from the Church and Sacraments)
 Church/State ties were called into question, and many regions
of Europe fought with each other as a result
 Other philosophers and thinkers (Calvin, Zwingli, Knox, etc.)
took the momentum of reformation to an entirely new level
 Not only did the issues questioned by Luther fall under
suspicion, everything held by the Catholic Church was
rejected (as “Romish,” “Popish,” “Papist,” etc.) except what
later became known as the three solas:
 Sola Scriptura: Only scripture has any real ultimate authority
 Sola Fides: Only by faith can one respond to God and be saved
 Sola Gratia: Only by the grace of God can one find salvation
 October 31, 1999: Leaders of the Catholic Church and the
Lutheran World Federation sign a document declaring their
differences in most of these matters were over. The United
Methodist Church signed the agreement in 2003
 Various degrees of reformation took hold, leading to various
“national” churches and thousands of denominations…
 Lutherans:
Missouri Synod and the ELCA are biggest in the U.S.A.
 Calvinists:
Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Church of Christ, etc.
 Anglicans:
C of E, TEC, Methodists, Wesleyans, Quakers
 Anabaptists:
Mennonites, Amish, Baptists
 Restorationists:
Disciples of Christ, various “mega-churches”
 Humanists, Spiritualists, Ecstatics
8. Point-Counterpoint: The Council of Trent
1545 – 1563 (18 years!)
Pope Pius V (1556 – 1572)
The Church begins to tend toward “isolationism”
Response to Luther and other reformers (1517 forward)
 Henry VIII (1534)

Failed inquisitions
Final East/West Schism (1484)
Persecutions of dissenting Roman Catholics

Tridentine Missal (Tridentine = “of Trent”)
Tridentine Catechism (In the U.S.A., the “Baltimore”)
Forms of sacred music were canonized

8. Point-Counterpoint: The Council of Trent
 There have been 21 Ecumenical Councils
 Catholics and Orthodox churches jointly recognize the first
seven only
 The last three councils were:
 Council of Trent (1545 – 1563)
 First Vatican Council (1869 – 1870)

 Second Vatican Council (1962 – 1965)
Fourth Period:
Recent History
(Vatican I and II)
9. The First Vatican Council (1869-1870)
9. The First Vatican Council (1869-1870)
 Summoned by Pius IX, “Pio Nono,” (1846 – 1878)
 Only two other popes in history reigned longer:
Saint Peter (~31 years) and Pope John Paul II (28 years).
In other words, the first one and the last one!
 Reaffirmation of the Word of God (Bible)
 Reaffirmation of the primacy and infallibility of the Pope…
in matters of faith and morals
 Pius IX – Immaculate Conception (1854)
 Pius XII – Assumption of Mary (1950)
 Interrupted by Franco-Prussian War, followed by
the unification of modern Italy
 Adjourning Vatican I took place…at Vatican II!
Almost there…
But first - Break Time!

10. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)
 In 1959, Pope John XXIII calls
for a new Ecumenical Council
 The entire Church hierarchy
was taken by surprise
 Pope John oversaw the opening
of the First Session of the
Council in 1962…
and died the following year.
 The Council halted in order to
call a Conclave, where a new
Bishop of Rome is elected
 Cardinal Giambattista Montini,
a career diplomat, was chosen
and took the name Paul VI
 Pope Paul restarted the Council
which has sessions from
September through November of
1963, 1964 and 1965
 Pope Paul died in 1978, the
“year of three popes,” himself,
John Paul I and John Paul II
 Critics say that because of Vatican II:
The Liturgy became corrupt and profane
Numbers of priests and religious declined as a result
Authority was undermined and eroded
Teachings became ambiguous

Morals have eroded
Missionary activity was confused and unorganized

Dissent was rampant
 Others, including supporters, say that because of Vatican II:
 The Church was re-energized and made more “relevant”
 Women and laity were empowered for service to the Church
 Liturgical ministers (lectors, etc.)
 Parish Pastoral Councils and other advisory groups

 Parish Administrators and Lay Ecclesial Ministers
 A renewed Permanent Diaconate

 Marriage/family was emphasized as a vocation
 Annulment process was clarified and made better
 Attention to society and the poor increased vastly

 Why was the 21st Council necessary?
 Dozens of technological and scientific advances had changed
the very way we think
 Improved communication highlighted global problems
(example: “have” vs. “have-not” nations)
 The exuberance that followed the reconstruction of Europe
after World War II
 The Cold War: Communism, Socialism Humanism
 The “Population Explosion”
 Continuing Protestant scholarship
 Church became rigid and authoritarian in many places
 Women’s issues began to surface
 Just in the United States…
 “Hippies” and “Beatniks” (such as
TV’s Maynard Krebs, pictured)
 The rise of the “drug culture”
(Timothy Leary, etc.)
 The rise of pornography in print
(Playboy, etc.) and in film
 An explosive growth of
evangelicalism and non-Christian
“cults,” especially from the East
 The growing threat of nuclear
proliferation and “Mutual Assured
Destruction”
 Why was it thought not necessary by some?
 Attendance at Mass was high
 Abundance of priests and religious, as well as vocations
 Catholic schools flourished on all levels
 Catholic education thought to be best in nation
 Liturgy was beautiful and holy
 The faithful understood the hierarchy (Church leadership)
and were faithful to it
 A clear-cut understanding of what was – and wasn’t –
considered a “sin,” be it mortal, venial or otherwise
• Attended by nearly 2500 “Council Fathers”
• Mostly bishops and heads of male religious orders
• Many periti (theological experts) also attended and would
influence the Church long afterward, including Congar,
deLubac, Wojtyla, Rahner, Ratzinger, Schillebeeckx, etc.
• Many other groups were represented:
There were nearly 20 Orthodox representatives
A significant number of Protestants
Two dozen Catholic women “auditors,” including three from
the U.S.A. (Mary Luke Tobin, notably)
All these groups contributed to discussions
 Dogma = established belief or doctrine… authoritative and
not to be disputed, doubted or diverged from. The term comes
from the Greek δόγμα, "that which seems to one, opinion or
belief” and from δοκέω (dokeo), "to think, to suppose.”
 Vatican II was not set up to be another dogmatic council, but
rather a pastoral one. NO changes were made to any
Christian dogma of any kind.
 Instead, 16 major documents were produced and approved
by the Council Fathers (with healthy input from others) to
guide the Church in the years to follow, addressing all aspects
of Catholic life and pastoral practice, on the universal (global),
local (diocesan) and particular (parish) levels.
 Not a dogmatic council, but a pastoral one!
 Four Constitutions:
 Lumen Gentium (Light of the Nations) –
Constitution on the Church
 Dei Verbum (Word of God) –
Constitution on Divine Revelation
 Sacrosanctum Concilium (This Sacred Council) –
Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy
 Gaudium et Spes (The Joy and Hope) –
Constitution on the Church in the Modern World
 Three Declarations:
 Gravissimum Educationis –
Declaration on Christian Education
 Nostra Aetate (In Our Day) –
Declaration on our Relationship to Non-Christian
Religions, with special emphasis on the Jewish People
 Dignitatis Humanae (The Dignity of the Human Person) –
On Catholic Social Teaching: The Right of the Human
Person and Communities to Social and Civil Freedom in
Religious Matters
 Nine Decrees:
 Ad Gentes (To the Nations) –
Mission Activity of the Church
(The source document of what is now the R.C.I.A.!)
 Presbyterorum Ordinus (The Order of Priests) –
On the Ministry and Life of Priests
 Optatam Totius (Desired of the Whole Church) –
On the Training of Priests
 Apostolicam Acuositatem (To Intensify the Apostalate) –
On the Apostolate of the Laity
 Perfectae Caritatis (Perfection of Charity) –
On the Renewal of Religious Life
 Nine Decrees:
 Christus Dominus (Christ the Lord) –
On the Pastoral Office of Bishops
 Unitatis Redintegratio (The Restoration of Unity) –
On Ecumenism
 Orientalium Ecclesiarum (Churches of the East) –
On the Eastern Catholic Churches
 Inter Mirifica (Among the Wonderful Things) –
Decree on the use of Mass Media
 Of all the documents deliberated and voted on by the Council
Fathers, those with the greatest impact were:
1. Lumen Gentium (On the Church)
2. Dei Verbum (On Scripture)

3. Sacrosanctum Concilium (On the Liturgy)
4. Gaudium et Spes (On the Church in the Modern World)

5. Apostolicam Acuositatem (On the Laity)
Lumen Gentium (On the Church)
 The “hub” of the entire Council!
 The Mystery of the Church (the Communion of Saints)
 The People of God are foundational
 Four Marks of the Church: One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic
 The Council builds on tradition, and does not conflict with it
 The Deposit of Faith must be preserved
 Provisions made for the Permanent Diaconate (Thanks, Karl!)
 The special devotion the church has for the Virgin Mary
Dei Verbum (On Divine Revelation and Scripture)
 God invites us into a personal relationship with Him
 Through Sacred Scripture we come to know God with “ease,
with solid certitude, and with no trace of error.”
 The Bible is “the Word of God in human words”
 “The Church, in her teaching life, and worship, perpetuates
and hands on to all generations all that she herself is, all that
she believes” (Sacred Tradition)
 Sacred Tradition grows and becomes richer as our leaders,
guided by the Holy Spirit, lead to a deeper and fuller
understanding of the truth.
 Nothing in Sacred Tradition can contradict Sacred Scripture
Dei Verbum (On Divine Revelation and Scripture)
 Most importantly:
Christians should read the

Bible and use modern
methods of scholarship
and interpretation!
Sacrosanctum Concilium (On the Liturgy)
 The “source and summit” of all Church activity is the Liturgy
 Only in worship do our good works make sense
 All our sacrifices are offered to God with the Lord’s body
 We get access to the fountain of grace that flows from the font
of the Cross of Jesus Christ
 The Church exists primarily to worship God
 Streamline by “Noble Simplicity”
 Emphasize Scripture and promote love for the Word of God
 Conduct the liturgy in the language of the people
 Restore the Catechumenate (RCIA)
 Open up the Church for all peoples everywhere
 End the isolationism of the past 400 years
Sacrosanctum Concilium (On the Liturgy)
 It is possible to participate in the Liturgy without living out its
grace and teaching in everyday life, so…
 We must come to the Mass with the proper disposition
 We must follow through with prayer
 We must fully and consciously participate in the Liturgy
 Increase involvement by the laity
 Introduce prayers to increase participation such as “Prayer of
the Faithful”
 Replace Extreme Unction with Anointing of the Sick
 Renew directions for music, art, and furnishings, and…
 Emphasize the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist!
Gaudium et Spes (The Church in the Modern World)
 Man is inherently good and dignified – we are created by God
 Christ died to save each and every individual human being
 We are given free will but sin reduces our options
 Christians should not judge persons but their actions

 Basic Human Rights of each person
 Denunciations of all threats to human life (abortion,
euthanasia, murder)
 Denunciations of all threats to human dignity (slavery,
prostitution, pornography)
Apostolicam Actuositatem (Laity)
 Apostolate : To carry on the mission of Christ
 First ecumenical document on the laity
 Vatican II is often called “the council of the laity”
 The laity are members of God’s “Royal Priesthood” and thus

offer “priestly sacrifices” in their daily lives and witness
 Lay people are in the world not just Church
 Vatican II attempts to renew zeal and love
 We should be nourished in the Liturgy
 Gifts of the Spirit are to be manifested for the common good
 Bishops must develop lay ministries and services and systems
to train lay ministers (caution: ordained clergy are still the
authorities)
Had enough?
Me, too. Go in peace!!

Top Ten "Peak Moments" in Church History

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 Henry VIII (1534)

Persecutions of dissenting Roman Catholics

Forms of sacred music were canonized

 First Vatican Council (1869 – 1870)

But first - Break Time!

Teachings became ambiguous

Missionary activity was confused and unorganized

 Parish Pastoral Councils and other advisory groups

 A renewed Permanent Diaconate

 Attention to society and the poor increased vastly

2. Dei Verbum (On Scripture)

4. Gaudium et Spes (On the Church in the Modern World)

Christians should read the

 Christians should not judge persons but their actions

 The laity are members of God’s “Royal Priesthood” and thus

Me, too. Go in peace!!

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