Chapter 5 The Story of Christianity

1. Chapter 5The Story of Christianity

2. Christianity in Canada • Christians from around the world live in Canada. • New Christian immigrants to Canada join those who have a long history in this country (Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox). The History of Christianity The Following of Jesus • Christians in Canada are part of a long and varied tradition dating back to Jesus of Nazareth in the 1st century CE. • All Christians believe Jesus is true God and true man, like us in all things but sin. • All Christian churches turn to Jesus for inspiration and the meaning of life. Christianity’s Roots in Judaism • Christianity is deeply rooted in the covenant faith of Judaism. They tell the same stories of Abraham, Moses, David, and the exile as their own. • To Christians, the new covenant of Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Israel. • Jesus is the Messiah promised by God. • Rabbinic Judaism and Christianity parted ways toward the end of the 1st century. • At the same time, Christians were excluded from synagogue services.

3. Christianity Spreads around the Mediterranean • Christianity spread to lands around the Mediterranean Sea and took root in Greek cities and the Roman Empire. • St. Peter and St. Paul formed Christian communities and established the Church in Rome, establishing it as the centre of Christianity. • St. Peter and St. Paul were put to death as martyrs for refusing to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ. The Foundation Stones of Christianity • The early Christian Church was built on four major foundation stones: 1) Keeping alive the memory of Jesus: the disciples, the Gospels, and Letters of Paul 2) Professing the one faith: the creeds 3) The ministers of the Church: the role of bishops 4) Ecumenical Councils

4. Foundation Stone 1: Keeping Alive the Memory of Jesus • Jesus did not write down his teachings. • His disciples told the story of Jesus to the peoples of the Roman Empire, based on their memories of him. • During the 1st century, the Apostles wrote down these memories, which became the New Testament. The New Testament • The New Testament has 27 books. • These books were added to books accepted by Judaism (Old Testament) to become the Christian Bible. The Gospels • The Gospels are stories of faith. • Each Gospel writer wrote about Jesus from a different perspective. • The Church accepted four gospels as authentic accounts of Jesus, even though each tells the story differently.

5. The Letters of Paul • Paul’s 13 Letters were written in the 50s CE, before the Gospels. • Paul was born as Saul of Tarsus in Asia Minor. • Saul came to Jerusalem to study Torah because, as a Pharisee, he was interested in Jewish law. • He heard about Jesus there, but never knew Jesus personally. • He found the Christian proclamation of the crucified Jesus as the Messiah offensive. • On his way to arrest Jesus’ followers in Damascus, he was surrounded by a light. • The Lord spoke to him, and Saul realized Jesus was the Lord. • Blinded by the light, he was brought to Damascus, where he was baptized and regained his sight. • Years later, Saul (known as Paul) visited Peter and James and began a life of preaching the Gospel to non-Jews. • Paul wrote letters to various churches he visited, and the letters became part of the New Testament. • Paul was martyred around 64 CE.

6. Foundation Stone 2: Professing the One Faith: The Creeds • Creeds are belief statements, almost like summaries of the Gospels. • Early Christians developed these professions of faith to use in baptism and Eucharist. • The same creedal statements were used in all churches to ensure that wherever Christians went, they professed the same faith. Foundation Stone 3: The Ministers of the Church • Within 30 years of the death of Jesus, churches were founded in Jerusalem, Syria, Turkey, Greece, Italy, and Spain. • Each church had a bishop at its head—an episcopos,or overseer. • Bishops were seen as the successors of the Apostles, responsible for preaching the Gospel and keeping people faithful to the creeds. • This structure still exists today. • Many bishops and famous teachers gradually won over many people to the Christian faith and led many to give up the Roman state religion. • These bishops and theologians are known as the Church Fathers.

7. Foundation Stone 4: Ecumenical Councils • Disagreements and conflicts arose occasionally in the history of Christianity. • In the early 4th century, Arius proclaimed Jesus was not God, but only the first and highest creature of God. • Conflict over the issue became so intense that Roman Emperor Constantine feared for the unity of his empire. • This controversy led to the establishment of Ecumenical Councils. • The first one took place in 325 CE to deal with Arius. • Emperor Constantine wanted the bishops to clarify the divinity of Jesus. • The Nicene Creed, still prayed today, came from this council. • Ecumenical Councils bring together bishops of all churches. • There have been 21 Ecumenical Councils in the history of the Church.

8. The Development of the Western Church in the Middle Ages • In 313 CE, Roman Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan. • The edict declared that Christians were free to worship without interference. • Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. • The Roman Empire underwent great change: • By 330 CE, the capital had moved from Rome to Constantinople, and was the centre of the eastern empire and the centre of Eastern Christianity. • In the West, the empire declined. In 410 CE, the Visigoths invaded and destroyed Rome. • Rome’s population decreased from 500 000 to 50 000. • Islam developed, and the southern shore of the Mediterranean came under Islamic control. • The West’s economy, which depended on the Mediterranean trade routes, plunged. • Without a clear political and economic centre, a period of poverty began. • Christianity became the common bond that unified Western Europe.

9. 1. The Structure of the Church • After the collapse of the Roman empire, the Church’s organizational structure remained: • Each bishop was head of a local church. • The bishop of Rome was the leader of all bishops and called “Pope.” • Local churches, led by the pope in Rome, became a source of continuity and stability. 2. The Role of the Scriptures • The Bible unified the European communities and helped them cope in difficult times. • Christians made and distributed copies of the Bible and biblical commentaries to tie European communities together and connect churches. • A unity of teaching and doctrine developed in the Church.

10. 3. The Theology of St. Augustine • The teaching of St. Augustine helped the church become a stable force in Europe. • Augustine became one of the most prolific writers in the history of the Church. • He wrote about his vision of God and the Church and addressed the controversies of his day. • In The City of God, he outlined how Christianity could continue without the protection and customs of the Roman Empire. • It explained how Catholic teachings could form the basis for a way of life for all believers. 4.Monasteries in the West • Monasteries greatly influenced how Christianity sees holiness and spirituality. • They created a form of Christian life that centered on prayer, work, and learning. • Monks spent many hours each day tending the fields and caring for the animals they raised. • In times when Christianity was weak and needed reform, monasteries were often places of stability and dedication to the Gospel.

11. Schism: The Church East and West • Christianity in the West and the East developed differences over key issues about how they lived their faith. Icons • In early times, Christians decorated their worship spaces with paintings or mosaics of Jesus, angels, and saints. • In the East, people began giving greater devotion to the images, sometimes using them in processions and praying to them for protection. • Some Christians agreed with the Jewish and Muslim prohibition on images of God. • This belief led to iconoclasm: the destruction of icons. • The controversy was settled in favour of icons and confirmed by the Second Council of Nicaea in 787 CE. • The Western Church felt the East had gone too far in “worshipping” icons.

12. Creed • The second controversy developed when the Western Church added the phrase “and the Son” to the Creed. • The East believed this addition theologically unacceptable. • In 1054, this and other conflicts led to a break between the Eastern and Western Church that has not healed to this day. Conflict • Eastern Christians felt the threat of Muslims armies around Constantinople. • In the Fourth Crusade. against the will of the pope, the Christian armies attacked Constantinople. • In 1453, the Byzantine Empire fell to the Muslim empire of Ottoman Turks, and Christianity in Constantinople went into decline. • Christians often faced persecution, and taxation penalties, conscription to the army, and forced conversions to Islam weakened Orthodoxy.

13. Orthodox Christianity • Eastern Christianity developed its own structure of churches, liturgical traditions, and customs. • The Eastern Church does not have a leader in a position similar to the pope. • It has a number of self-governing churches. • For the Orthodox Church, Jesus is the head of the Church, and the Church is the body of Christ.

14. Traditions of Western Christianity: Catholic and Protestant • During the Middle Ages, Christianity united Europe and pervaded all aspects of life. • In the 15th century, the unity in Europe began to break apart: • Trade was increasing, and a new class of people emerged—tradespeople. • Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press and the Bible was the first book printed. • Now, more people could own books and read the scriptures without the influence of the Church. • People began to question the power and authority previously held by nobility and leaders of the Church. • At that time, a number of popes sought too much power and luxury, clergy were poorly trained, and monasteries had become too powerful and wealthy. • A reform movement began that broke the unity of the Western Church.

15. Martin Luther and Lutheranism • In 1517, Dominican friar John Tetzel began to sell indulgences in Germany. • Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk, protested against this practice. • In 1517, Luther posted his criticisms in the form of 95 Theses. • He set off a series of events that led to the development of a new movement in Christianity known as Lutheranism. • By 1520, he recommended a rejection of the authority of the Catholic Church. • The pope condemned 41 propositions from Luther’s writings, insisting he recant them (take them back). • In December 1520, Luther publicly burned the papal document. • In the spring of 1521, Luther was asked again to recant, but he refused. • He was declared an outlaw. • Under the protection of Prince Frederick of Saxony, Luther began to translate the Bible into German. • He continued his writing and work in reforming the churches of Germany • Luther died in 1546, and his notion of freedom became one of his legacies. • Gradually, individual freedom from the authority of the Church became freedom from authority of tyrannical rulers, and freedom from laws over which people had no say.

16. Other Reform Movements Calvinism • John Calvin was another reformer. • His key beliefs are the main teachings of the Reformed tradition. • Calvinism, or Reformed theology, has had an impact in Holland, Scotland, France, Northern Ireland, and has spread to the U.S, Canada, South Africa, and Indonesia. Anabaptists • Anabaptists were reformers who did not identify with Luther or Calvin. • Anabaptists include the Mennonites. • The Mennonite faith was founded by a priest named Menno Simons. • He rejected Catholicism in favour of adult baptism only. • He also rejected the militancy of some Anabaptists and promoted pacifism. • Mennonites have faced persecution for their separate ways. • They are very devoted to the Bible and to social justice. • Approximately 200 000 Mennonites live in Canada.

17. Anglicanism • During the early years of the Protestant Reformation in Europe, the ideas of the Reformers did not take a firm hold in England. • But in 1530, King Henry VIII wanted his marriage to Catherine of Aragon declared invalid so he could marry Anne Boleyn. • The pope denied his request, so Henry declared himself the head of the Church of England, breaking away from the authority of the Catholic Church. • The religious climate under Henry VIII and his successors, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I, was volatile . • Catholics were often persecuted and there were many English martyrs. • Christians on both sides suffered or were killed in the conflict.

18. Anglicanism (cont’d) • Henry VIII was not ideologically Protestant, but many of his advisors were more radical. • Under Henry’s successor, Edward VI: • Protestantism became more firmly established. • Latin Catholic Mass was replaced with an English service structured by the Book of Common Prayer. • Church images were dismantled, vestments were forbidden, and stone altars were replaced with wooden communion tables. • Edward was king for only a short time before he died. • His Catholic half-sister Mary assumed the throne, dismantled Edward’s reforms, and re- established England as a Catholic nation. • She died five years later, and Elizabeth became Queen of England and ruled for 45 years. Under her rule: • Protestant control of the Church of England became permanent. • Edward’s reforms were re-established, including the Book of Common Prayer. • Many ancient traditions of the Church were kept. • Anglicanism sees itself as a middle way between Catholicism and Reformed Protestantism.

19. The Catholic Reformation • In response to Protestant Reformation, Catholicism began to renew itself. • Pope Paul III called the Council of Trent between 1545 and 1563. • The Council of Trent clarified Catholic teaching on important issues and addressed how to prevent abuses of church offices. • The Council • affirmed the importance of the teaching tradition in the Church as a necessary interpretation of the scriptures. • affirmed the importance of the seven sacraments. • responded to Luther’s insistence that people need faith for salvation, but rejected his idea that faith “alone” without good works was all that was needed. • insisted that priests needed improved education so they would be better equipped to instruct and serve the people. • The Council of Trent and the reform of the Catholic Church did not succeed in restoring unity in Christianity. • The main effort was to convince the Protestants of their error and bring them to conversion. • Sometimes this worked, but in many countries Catholics and Protestants fought each other.

20. From Intolerance and War to Tolerance • Catholic–Protestant conflicts in England during the 16th century were sometimes bloody. • During the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648), nearly one-third of the population of the German states died. Religious Tolerance Begins • The idea of religious tolerance started to become popular with the Enlightenment. • The tolerance was twofold: • tolerance between religions, and • tolerance by governments for the different religions practiced in their countries. • The Enlightenment also led to opposition toward religion in general. • Catholic and Protestant conflict settled down as nations began to develop laws of religious tolerance. • Not until the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) did official dialogue and openness between Catholics and Protestants become a reality.

21. Recent Movements • Churches of the Protestant Reformation eventually lost enthusiasm. • They had to deal with day-to-day issues and they needed to address changing times. Evangelicalism • By the 18th century, Protestants felt a need for reform. • In England, John and Charles Wesley tried to revive the evangelical fervour of early Protestant Reformation spirituality. • The Methodist Church was established to break away from the Anglican Church. • Similar movements occurred in Lutheran and Reformed traditions. • In the U.S., this movement (the Great Awakening) gave rise to Evangelicalism. • Evangelicalism involves a call to personal conversion as a conscious experience—“being born again.” • Some characteristics of Evangelicalism are: • Renewed emphasis on the authority of the Bible • Emphasis on righteous behaviour • Baptism for adults only • De-emphasis on official church membership and formal creeds • The spread of the Gospel through missionary activity

22. Fundamentalism • Protestant Fundamentalist churches teach that the Bible is without error, Christ is God, and Jesus died for our sake on the cross. • They reject Darwin’s theory of evolution in favour of the biblical story of creation. Liberalism • In Christianity, Liberalism means finding some common ground with modernity and its search for reason, with science, technology, and modern political structures. • Some churches disagree with the union of Christianity and the modern world. • One of the largest movements against liberal Christianity is Pentecostalism. Pentecostalism • The Pentecostal movement accepts the Bible as the Word of God without error. • Pentecostals believe the Holy Spirit guides them in how they should live. • This movement • preaches God’s judgment of the world and that the message of Christ and the modern world will not last. • waits for the Second Coming of Christ at the end of history. • believes people can seek to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. • believes in signs of the Holy Spirit’s presence, such as speaking in tongues and slaying in the Spirit.

23. Christianity Today • Christian churches have many things in common, but many contradictions. • Contradictions can lead to ambiguity and confusion. • In its efforts to bring about unity, Christians recognize the need to do away with contradictions and conflict while maintaining the richness of their diversity. The Ecumenical Movement • Ecumenism is the movement toward unity among churches. • 20th century: churches of the Protestant Reformation realized that divisions within Christianity were hurting the mission of the church. • 1910: the World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, started the modern ecumenical movement. • 1948: the World Council of Churches was formed. • Almost all Christian churches agreed that divisions went against Jesus' desire for unity among his followers.

24. The Goal of Ecumenism • At first, the Catholic Church refused to participate in the World Council of Churches (WCC). • 1965: during the Second Vatican Council, the Church passed a Decree on Ecumenism and committed the Catholic Church to dialogue with other Christians. • Now, the Catholic Church participates in all the WCC’s commissions, even though it is not a full member of the WCC. Communion • Ecumenism’s goal is to unite all Christians through dialogue. • Two things bind all Christian churches together: • Confession of Jesus Christ • Baptism • The biggest differences are in how the churches confess Jesus Christ, how they view Eucharist, baptism, and leadership in the Church.

25. Dialogue • Dialogue means living, studying, and working together in solidarity, and overcoming the divisions that separate churches. • A universal church of Christ will not be identical to any existing church. • The Catholic Church believes: • In the Catholic Church, the fullness of the Church of Christ continues to exist. • This is a wounded fullness as long as there is division among Christian churches. • Important elements are present in other churches. • Other churches do not have the Catholic Church’s fullness of the Church of Christ. • For Catholics, full communion must have: • A consensus on the core doctrines as found in the scriptures and the Creed • Acknowledgement of the importance of the sacraments, especially Eucharist • The ministry of priests, bishops, and pope • Not all churches see what it means to be church the same way Catholics do, nor do they want to be church in the same way. • Ecumenical dialogue’s goal is to clarify what it means to be the church of Jesus Christ.

26. Dialogue of the Churches East and West • During Vatican II, after 1000 years of separation, the Catholic Church of the West and the Orthodox Church of the East began to see themselves as “sister churches.” • There are differences between the churches: • different liturgies and Church orders • different theological opinions on the role of the pope as being first among equals • However, these churches have accepted each other’s Eucharist. • Their differences are both obstacles and a source of enrichment. • Through those differences, the Western Church has gained a new awareness that unity can exist with a lot of diversity.

27. Dialogue among the Churches of the West • Dialogue can be between the Catholics and churches of the Protestant Reformation, or among churches of the Protestant Reformation. • Dialogue has begun to build unity: • In Canada in 1925, the Methodists, Congregationalists, and 70% of the Presbyterians joined to become the United Church of Canada. • Catholics and Anglicans have reached a high level of agreement on most questions centered on the Church, such as: • the role of the Church and bishops in our salvation • the role of the pope and bishops • the meaning of Church and its mission • Major issues that separate Catholics and Anglicans are: • the ordination of women and homosexuals (some Anglican dioceses began ordaining women in the 1970s) • ethical issues such as divorce, remarriage, artificial birth control, abortion, and in vitro fertilization • Dialogue has not yet led to a shared Eucharist. • But, people are coming together to talk about their faith, pray together and address issues of social justice.

28. Ecumenism: A Difficult Task • Christianity is the fulfillment of God’s desire to gather together all of humanity to do God’s work. • Therefore, the divisions in Christianity must be healed. • This reconciling and healing is very difficult because: • It is difficult for people to let go of their lifelong beliefs. • Each person’s convictions inform that person’s identity. • It is hard to listen to other people’s convictions when people feel their own convictions are the truth.

29. A Renewed Ecumenism • Sustaining the ecumenical movement has become more difficult because: • Most Christians do not understand why the churches separated to begin with. • Many feel these battles are not theirs or the issues no longer matter. • Christians today focus on issues such as war and peace, poverty, economic justice, and the environment. • Young people can be impatient with the slow pace of arriving at agreements. How can Christians contribute to ecumenism? • Study the scriptures, which are the foundation of Christian life and the Christian churches. • Pray always, especially the Lord’s Prayer; take part in the week of Prayer for Christian Unity. • Bring people together. Always be hospitable, never exclude anyone, always be in solidarity with the poor and the oppressed, and be a friend to all. • Take part in local ecumenical activities involving Catholics and other Christian groups, such as meetings, retreats, or volunteering. • Visit churches and talk to people who belong to them to find out what they believe and how they live.