Recap on the Kingdom

What is it like? What actions does it involve? Who is a part of it? When it is/does it happen? What characterises it? Anything unusual for us? How do we know that we are Kingdom builders?

Church in history

How does the Church respond to changing cultures? The Church in the world

4 main contextsThe early Church – 100ad -

Constantine

The Orthodox Schism – 11th C

The Reformation – 16th C

Modernity – late 18th C – late 20th C

The New Church: ClementClement of Rome AD 96? A pope-

like role?Shows an extensive knowledge of

the NT writings except JohnBut also Stoic influence perceptibleMentions deacons; presbyters;

bishopsMinistry received from Jesus ChristClear apostolic successionUnambiguous Trinitarian speech

The New Church: Ignatius of Antioch

Bishop, martyred at Rome 98-117 AD

Wrote 7 letters on his way to Rome

No sense of apostolic successionAuthority and sacraments upheldA sense of orthodoxyFirst mention of ‘catholic’ church

The New Church: DidacheDate: ?135-165?But possibly earlier than NT writings?Eucharistic prayers closely follow

Jewish form of grace 9/10

Breaking bread/Messianic banquetNo mention of Cross/Last SupperMaybe 2 traditions at the beginning?-became later Eucharist and Agape?

Didache - ministryApostles (not just the 12)ProphetsTeachersBishops and deacons

Very strong eschatological emphasis

The new communities

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/maps/christ.html

MonasticismThe Desert Fathers - Anthony 251-

356

Basil of Caesarea - 330-379 monastic community in Jerusalem

Rule of St Benedict Monte Cassino - 540

Cluny - 910 Citeaux - 1098

Clairvaux - 1115

Constantine 313......380adThe accepted religionThe trappings of stateChurch now modelled on secular

authority‘ordo’ – church now part of a

socio-political worldConstantine’s search for unity –

an imperial religion - theological impact

Separated non-Orthodox Oriental Churches - 5th centuryAssyrianArmenianCopticEthiopianSyrianSyrian church of IndiaRejected teachings of Ephesus

431 or Chalcedon 451

Dark AgesCarolingian renaissance: Alcuin of York –

first Catechism

The period of the Holy Roman Empire in which the subsidence and reordering of culture and education, and the creation of hierarchical organisational patterns, dominate the Church.

 

The Great Schism – 11thCBetween Rome and ConstantinopleSplit existed at Chalcedon 451Continued in theologyIconoclasm (8th C) caused a deeper riftWestern Church no longer spoke GreekEastern Church did not aid Pope in 753858: row between Emperor, Pope and

Patriarch.....it all fell apart

1054 ishPolitics + Religion = messMichael Cerularius (d 1058)

Patriarch of Constantinople – rift with Papacy

Row over Latin v Greek in liturgy

◦AND FINALLY -1965 Pope John 23rd and Patriarch

Athenagoras mutually lifted anathemas!

The Orthodox ChurchesRussia GreeceThe Middle EastCentral EuropeEastern EuropeNorth America

The Reformation: 1519 – 1560s

Luther’s 99 propositions 1519

Luther; Calvin; Zwingli; Knox

[Renaissance - Printing]

Counter Reformation: 1534-64

The Council of Trent

The Council of TrentReactive/defensive and boundary markingPriestly formation crucial -

seminariesImportance of sacraments and

uniformity of presentationChurch hierarchy: laity

subordinateTransmission: the CatechismIndex of forbidden books

Trent – not representative

40 bishops attended mostly Italian

Formation of Jesuits: the Society of Jesus

Retention of Latin for liturgyAccess to scripture restricted

Europe in 1600s - Christianityhttp://go.hrw.com/hrw.nd/gohrw_r

ls1/pKeywordResults?ST9%20Eur%20Religions%201600

The Catholic ChurchChurches in communion with the

Bishop of Rome with different liturgical rites –

Armenian; Byzantine; Coptic; Ethiopian; East Syrian (Chaldean); West Syrian; Maronite.

We are the Roman Catholic Church or the Latin rite within the worldwide communion of Catholic churches

Modernity - late 18th C – late 20th C

The ultramontane and Papal Infallibility (First Vatican Council: 1870s)

For Roman Catholics a return to Biblical scholarship (early 1930s)

For all Christians throughout the 20th century a diminution of members (nuanced).

Struggle with advancing science and technology.

‘Modernism’ – looking backwardsA response to ‘modernity’A rejection of the new; of change; of

uncertainty; of ideas; of thinking / scholarship

A clinging to uniformity; to tradition; to a non-academic character;

A denial?

Modernity

Struggle with democracy (and facism and communism)

Struggle with gender issues

Struggle with changes in social mores / wealth / education

Church and Culture

Slavery: accepted in the Early Church

Capital punishment accepted until 1990s

Male priesthood now questionedHomosexuality queriedContraception alsoWhat can history teach us?

Spirituality

Is our present day Church ‘spirit-filled’?