Church History Summary  by Tod M. Kennedy

   1. The Apostolic Period, AD 30-100.

   1.1. Review of the apostles James, Peter,Paul, and John. See Bible
Survey.

   1.2. Missionary expansion in Acts. See Chronology of Acts. 1.3. The
NT canon was written. See Bible Survey.

   1.4. Persecution was local and sporadic until c. 250. Nero (r.
54-68), Domition (r. 81-90).

   1.5. Church organization in the first century (elder=overseer=P/T,
local. See doctrines) was different from the church which soon
developed (overseer over elders).

   1.6. Beginning, foundation, documentation, spread of church. 2. The
Post-Apostolic Church And The Struggle +For Survival, AD 100- 313.

   2.1. Persecutions and the martyr complex. Causes: exclusiveness in
political, religious, social, economic life. Edict of Milan
(Constantine, 313).

   2.2. Doctrinal and philosophical controversies. Ebionites,
Gnosticism, Marcion (c. 150), Manichaeism, Neoplatonism, Montanism
(Montanus c. 150), Monarchianism.

   2.3. Doctrinal developments. Monarchial bishop, primacy of Rome in
dignity and honor by 250, then in jurisdiction and authority. Formation
of canon (c. 175). Theology proper and Christology beginning to be
thought out and formulated.

   2.4. Important persons of this period. Fathers, Apologists,
Polemicists. Clement of Rome (c. 95), Ignatius (d.c. 110), Polycarp
(d.c. 155), Tertullian (c. 150-240), Justin Martyr (c. 100- 166),
renaeus (b.c. 120), Cyprian (c. 200-258), Origen (c. 185- 254).

   3. The Imperial Church consolidates And Expands, AD 313-590.

   3.1. The political scene and some emperors. Constantine (r. 306-337)
legalized Christianity. Theodosius (r. 379- 395) made it illegal to
depart Nicene faith.

   3.2. Church councils. Nicea in 325, essence and trinity.
Constantinople in 381, restate Nicene and add HS. Ephesus in 431,
Nestorian/Pelagian. Chalcedon in 451, the Person of Christ.

   3.3. Canon of NT was officially closed by end of fourth century. In
the east Athanasius' Easter letter (367) lists all 27 books. In the
West through Jerome and Augustine at two African councils (Hippo 393,
Carthage 397) and then ratified by the Roman bishop.

   3.4. Doctrinal developments. Theology proper, Christology,
Anthropology, Donatist.

   3.5. Monasticism. Stages: Aceticism, hermit life, cloister life,
orders. Poverty, celibacy, obedience. Misunderstood priorities in the
Christian Way of Life.

   3.6. Missions. Migrations of peoples. Ulfilas (c. 311-383) to Goths.
Martin of Tours (c. 316-396) to Burgundians. Clovis, king of Franks
(d.511), to Franks. Soldiers, merchants to British Isles. Patrick (c.
389-461) to Ireland. Columba (c. 521-597) to Scotland.

   3.7. Important persons. Arius (d.336), Athanasius (c.296-373),
Jerome, (c. 340-419), Augustine (354-430), Eusebius of Caesarea (c.
260- 340), John Chrysostom (347-407). Leo the Great, Bishop of Rome
from 440-461, preeminence of Roman Bishop as Peter's successor,
administrator, enforced church uniformity, protected Rome.

   4. The Rise Of The Church Empire And Its Missionary Expansion, AD
590-800.

   4.1. The growth of the papacy and its relationship to the Holy Roman
Empire. Leo I (p. 440-461). Gregory the Great (p. 590- 604), true pope
in fact, maintained Roman bishop had jurisdiction over whole church,
conflict with Eastern bishops, civil duties, great doctor of RCC in
moral theology. RC Franks (Charles Martel, 689-741, Pepin the Short,
714/15-768, Charlemagne, 742-814. Charlemagne controlled France,
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain) and popes cooperated to defeat the
Barbarians and rule Europe. Charlemagne crowned Emperor of the Romans
by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800. Re- established old Roman Empire in
the West.

   4.2. Missionary expansion. Islam (Mohammed, 570-632). Expansion in
British Isles resulted in Whitby (663) and Roman Christianity. Germany
(Boniface 680-754).

   4.3. Doctrinal controversies. Monotheletic (690), Saint and Image
Worship (787), Filioque (9th), Adoptionism (9th), Predestinarian (9th),
Eucharistic (9th and 11th).

   5. Movements Within The Church And Between The church And State, AD
800- 1054).

   5.1. The Holy Roman Empire. Charlemagne died 814. His son, Louis the
Pious ruled 814-840. Sons of Louis the Pious divided the kingdom in
Treaty of Verdun (843). Charles the Bald (France), Louis (Germany),
Lothair (Central Corridor). Treaty of Mersin (870). Germany. Otto I
(912-973), A German king and emperor of Saxon dynasty. Crowned Emperor
of the Holy Roman Empire in 962 by Pope John XII. Holy Roman Empire
extended from 962-1806.

   5.2. Feudalism. System of government based upon land. Manor, lord,
feudal knight, serf, priest. Beneficial to society. Church entered
feudalism.

   5.3. Decretals and Transubstantiation. Decretals are papal letters
with the force of law. False decretals were forgeries used in 9th-11th
centuries to strengthen papal supremacy. Transubstantiation developed
by Radbertus in 831. 5.4. Separation of Roman and Greek Church 1054.
Began in 330 with Constantine.

   5.5. Monastic reform began in Cluny, Eastern France in 910.

   6. Papal Supremacy And The Rise of Scholasticism, AD 1054- 1305.

   6.1. The rise and fall of papacy. Hildebrand became Pope Gregory VII
in 1073. College of Cardinals, dictatus papae, Investiture Struggle.
Innocent III (p. 1161-1216) was zenith of papacy. Henry IV (1077),
Philip (1200), John (1213) were goats. Boniface VIII (p. 1274-1303) low
point. Clericis Laicos (1296), unam sanctum (1301).

   6.2. The Crusades, 1095-1291. Holy Wars against enemies of cross to
recapture Palestine for Christianity. Seven major crusades. Religious
failure. National changes.

   6.3. Scholasticism. An intellectual movement to strengthen faith by
reason through rationalizing theology. Rationalize, arrange existing
content. RCC. Summa Theologica. Universities c. 1200.

   6.4. Sacraments. Developed in twelfth- thirteenth centuries. Contain
and cause grace. Baptism, confirmation, eucharist, penance, extreme
unction, ordination, marriage.

   6.5. Monastic reform. Reform, new orders (Dominicans), military
monasticism.

   6.6. Lay reform. External forces of reform. Albigenses, Waldenses.

   7. Preliminaries To The Reformation, AD 1305-1517.

   7.1. Roman Catholic Church. Abuse of authority and power, Babylonian
Captivity (1309- 1377), Great Schism (1378-1417), decline in clergy and
spiritual life.

   7.2. The Renaissance and Humanism. The period of accelerated
transition from medieval to modern life in Europe (fourteenth-sixteenth
centuries). Humanism was the rebirth of classical learning within this
transition. Northern (Erasmus) and Southern (Petrarch). Involved
classical learning and languages, man centered, secular,
individualistic world view. Emphasized confidence in human nature and
education, theological skepticism, natural religion.

   7.3. Mysticism. Movement by man to experience presence of God.
Subjective experience without objective authority. Faith active.
Minimized Bible Doctrine.

   7.4. Forerunners of Reformation. John Wycliff (1329-1384), Jan Hus
(1373-1415), William Savonarola (1452-1498). Bible the central force.

   7.5. Other factors. National consciousness, printing press (John of
Guttenburg c. 1456), world exploration.

   8. The Reformation And The Counter Reformation, AD 1517-1648.

   8.1. Causes. Indirect causes were political, economic, intellectual,
moral, social, theological. Direct cause was sale of indulgences in
Germany. Albert of Mainz. Tetzel.

   8.2. German. Martin Luther (1483-1546). 95 theses, 31 October 1517
in Wittenberg. Heidelberg, Augsburg, Leipzig, Worms, Wartburg,
Wittenberg, Diets of Speyer, German Bible. Katherine Von Bora (1525).
Strong leader, student, writer, preacher. Bible, faith, priesthood.
Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560). Theologian. Wrote Lutheran creeds.

   8.3. German Swiss. Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531). Priest, patriot,
student. Zurich. Disputations. Second Battle of Kappel. Heinrich
Bullinger (1504-1575). Pastor.

   8.4. French Swiss. John Calvin (1509-1564). Universities of Orleans,
Bourges, Paris. Lawyer. Basal, Geneva. Student, thinker, exegete,
theologian, writer, teacher. Institutes (four editions), commentaries.
Reformed Theology. TULIP. Theodore Beza (1519-1605). Good exegete,
theologian.

   8.5. Anabaptist Tradition. Conrad Grebel (1498-1526), Felix Manz
(1498-1527), George Blaurock (1491-1529), Menno Simons (149601561).
Maligned , three disputations in Zurich, many martyrs. Bible, faith,
believer's baptism, gathered church. Separation of church and state,
many pacifists. Some radicals (Munster). Most moderate.

   8.6. English Reformation. Lollards, William Tyndale (1494- 1536).
Henry VIII (r. 1509-1547) wanted male heir. Edward VI (ruled 1547-
1553), Book of Common Prayer, 42 Articles. Mary Tudor (r. 1553-1558),
RC, martyrs. Elizabeth (r. 1558-1603), Settlement of 1559, 39 Articles,
Church of Middle Way. Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556). Church of England.
Puritans.

   8.7. Roman Catholic Counter Reformation. Internal/external.
Authority of Pope, orthodox, change moral and religious life. Spain
(Ximenes c. 1436-1517). Theologians, reforming orders (Jesuits,
Ignatius of Loyola 1491-1556, authorized 1540), reforming popes (Paul
III, p. 1534-1549). Index, inquisition, writing, anti-Protestant.
Council of Trent (1545-1563), official RC theology and papal authority.

   Tod M. Kennedy, 1980* *Periods 1-4
completed 1979, revised 1980. Periods 5-8 completed 1980. Periods 9-11
to be added at a later date.