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40 BCE
Herod the Great: Rome appoints him vassal ‘King of the Jews’
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20 BCE
Herod the Great rebuilds the temple
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5 BCE
Jesus' Birth
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6
Rome takes direct control of Palestine
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Period: 26 to 36
Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judaea
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Period: 29 to 33
Jesus' Ministry
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33
Jesus' Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension
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36
Paul agrees to Stephen’s death: persecution in Jerusalem
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37
Paul becomes a Christian
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40
Paul consults with Peter in Jerusalem
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44
James, brother of John, executed by Herod Agrippa
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Period: 48 to 49
Council of Jerusalem – what to do with Gentile believers
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60
James martyred in Jerusalem. Gospel of Luke written
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64
Great fire of Rome – Nero blames the Christians
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64
Gospel of Mark written in Greek
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Period: 65 to 150
The Didache – early church handbook – written
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Period: 66 to 70
Jewish revolt against Rome
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67
Paul (beheaded) and Peter (crucified) in Rome
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70
Centre of Christianity moves to Antioch, Alexandria and Rome
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70
Fall of Jerusalem to Rome. The temple is destroyed
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Period: 80 to 85
Gospel of Matthew written
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Period: 81 to 89
Emperor Domitian demands to be worshiped as "Lord and God." Book of Revelation written.
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84
Christians driven out of synagogues
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90
Synod of Jamnia – fix the Jewish canon (our OT)
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Period: 90 to 100
Gospel of John written. Hebrews written.
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Period: 95 to 150
Writings of the Apostolic Fathers (Clement, Ignatius, etc.)
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100
Assyria converted to Christianity - it is still illegal in the Roman Empire
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144
Marcion (bishop) rejects the authority of the OT, Jesus wasn’t truly human – excommunicated – first main ‘heretic’
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156
Growth of Montanism heresy – an eccentric prophetic group
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160
Polycarp of Smyrna (apparently student of John) martyred aged 86
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180
Irenaeus (student of Polycarp) plays big role in defending Christianity against Gnosticism
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190
Church council to determine official date of Easter
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200
Mishnah (Oral tradition) written/edited – to prevent their loss with persecution and the passage of time
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230
Earliest known public churches built
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Period: 249 to 251
Decius, Roman Emperor, persecuted Christians for not sacrificing to his gods
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250
First documented reference to the 27 books of the NT - Origen
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Period: 250 to 336
Arius: son of God did not always exist/half God (Arianism) v Athanasius
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Period: 253 to 260
Valerian, Emperor of Rome: executed bishops, priests and deacons
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264
Church council: Adoptionist heresy – Jesus was only human until the Holy Spirit descended at his baptism
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280
Gregory (CF) took Christianity to Armenia
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285
Diocletian, Emperor of Rome, persecutes Christians
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303
Emperor Diocletian tries to eradicate Christianity: “The Great Persecution”
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311
Emperor Galerius: edict tolerating Christian religion and allows them to reconstruct their buildings
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313
Emperor Constantine declares Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire
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321
Constantine: makes Sunday the official Roman/Christian day of rest
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324
Constantine becomes a Christian
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325
Jerome translates scriptures into Latin (Vulgate)
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325
Council of Nicea to clarify what Christianity is – Nicean creed written to deal with Arian heresy (Jesus is inferior to God???)
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367
Athanasius lists all 27 books of the New Testament
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380
Emperor Theodosius: Christianity the state religion
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381
Council of Constantinople - to clarify what happened at Nicea. Holy Spirit is God too, and Jesus was fully human. Some had thought he had a human body but not a human mind.
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Period: 412 to 444
Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria, expels the Jew
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431
Council of Ephesus: the nature of Christ. Nestorius believed Mary was only mother of Human Jesus not God Jesus. Nestorius gets kicked out.
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449
Council of Ephesus: Jesus – one has one nature
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451
Council of Chalcedon: Jesus – two natures in one person. Fully man fully God. Not 50/50. You cannot mix or separate his natures
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476
End of the Western Roman Empire: Odoacer of the Germans killed Emperor Romulus and became King of Italy
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Period: 484 to 519
First schism between east and western Churches – Because of Nestorius and his views of Jesus’ nature
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500
Incense introduced into Christian church services
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550
Monk Dionysius: established church dating “Anno Domini” (AD)
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550
Byzantine Greek text becomes the standard Bible of the Eastern church
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550
Crucifix became the Christian icon
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563
Columba founds a monastery on Iona
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570
Birth of Muhammad
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596
Augustine sent as missionary to Britain
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Period: 610 to 629
Muhammed begins the religion of Islam, which begins to supplant Christianity across the Middle East and North Africa
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638
Islamic capture of Jerusalem
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664
After conflict between the original Celtic church and the Roman missionaries, England adopts the Roman Catholic faith at the Synod of Whitby
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732
Spain is invaded by the Moors, Muslims from North Africa; Charles Martel defeats them at the Battle of Tours, a decisive juncture in Christian resistance to Muslim advance
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771
Charlemagne becomes sole King of the Franks; later is crowned "Holy Roman Emperor," establishing dream of a kingdom with a Christian king
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Dec 25, 800
Charlemagne (Charles the Great, c. 742-814) is crowned the first "Holy Roman Emperor" by Pope Leo at St. Peters in Rome
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993
Saints begin to be officially canonized by the Roman church
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1000
Many fear the end of the world and the Last Judgment
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1009
Muslims sack Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusale
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1050
Polyphonic singing replaces Gregorian chant. The first German Christmas carol is written
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1054
Eastern and Western Churches schism. Pope (West) says the spirit proceeds from the son. The East disagree so they split
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1095
Pope Urban II proclaims the First Crusade to reclaim Jerusalem from the Muslims
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1099
Crusaders take Jerusalem but its not easy…
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1147
Second Crusade (supported by Bernard of Clairvaux) fails, with most Crusaders dying in Asia Minor. They wanted to support Jerusalem and capture more territory - they did neither. Lots of infighting
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1182
Notre Dame Cathedral built
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1187
Loss of Jerusalem by the Crusaders (as it had not been reinforced)
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Period: 1189 to 1192
Third Crusade to recapture Jerusalem led by Richard the lionheart. They failed, but negotiated Christians were allowed to access the city
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1204
Fourt crusade was to capture Jerusalem. But the Western Christians changed their mind and sacked Constantinople (the Eastern equivalent of Rome). Furthe ruined the relationship there
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1220
Dominican Friars established as a teaching order, later entrusted by the Pope with the Inquisition
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1271
Thomas Aquinas summarizes Scholastic Theology in his Summa Theologica, writing, intelligo ut credam "I understand, in order that I may believe."
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Period: 1418 to 1427
Thomas a' Kempis' classic “Imitation of Christ” written - a devotional book
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1431
Joan of Arc burned as a witch at Rouen
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1453
Johann Gutenberg develops his printing press and prints the first Bible
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1453
Turks recapture Constantinople
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1492
Columbus' voyage and a new age of exploration and Christian expansion begin
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1506
Rebuilding of St Peters in the Vatican. Partly funded through indulgences. The renaissance was funded by corruption!
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1517
Martin Luther posts his 95 theses
The theses questioned the authority of the pope, emphasised that salvation is achieved through faith alone (sola fide), and criticised the idea that monetary contributions could secure salvation -
1520
The Scriptures become more available for the common person as Luther translates into German and Tyndale into English
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1533
John Calvin's ministry in Geneva and his Institutes begin a Scriptural reexamination of theology and society. Calvinism is still very strong today
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1534
Henry VIII's quest for dynastic security causes him to separate from Rome and establish himself as head of the Church of England. ‘Ends up as via media.’
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1567
Forced the ‘Counter-reformation’ – Catholic Church making changes to itself (buying indulgences was banned)
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The Protestant Reformation begun in the last century continues to affect the religious and political life of Europe
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England begins to establish colonies in North America, many with the purpose of spreading Christianity or establishing more Biblical Christian governments
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King James Bible is written
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Period: to
n central Europe, the Thirty Years' War brings destruction as Protestants and Catholics vie for power
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In England the Puritan Revolution removes King Charles and executes him while attempting to establish a Puritan Commonwealth
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"Enlightenment" writers question Christianity and seek to base knowledge on human reason--Leibnitz, Hobbes, and Descartes
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Christians Handel and Haydn write classical music, including masterpieces of religious art, while Isaac Watts and the Wesleys write hymns for congregational singing
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Pietism brings new life to German Lutheranism
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Period: to
An Evangelical Awakening spreads throughout England and America under the preaching of George Whitefield, the Wesley brothers, and Jonathan Edwards. This emphases relationship and experience over knowledg
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Voltaire, one of many “Deists”, further develops the rationalism of the "Enlightenment," attacking Christianity and finding in man the centre of all things
Essay on the Customs and the Spirit of the Nations -
Period: to
The French Revolution overthrows the traditions of the Church and briefly establishes the goddess of Reason. Enlightenment is questioning God, Church, and everything
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Second Great Awakening in America as people try to do religion for themselves
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Period: to
Protestants established missions throughout the world: e.g. the British and Foreign Bible Society (1804), the American Bible Society (1816).
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Enlightenment is the biggest challenge to Christianity, as it waters it down
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Revival leader Charles Finney establishes "new measures" in his revival meetings, believing conversions can be achieved if the right approaches and techniques are used
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Period: to
In America, many sects including Mormons (1840s), Jehovah's Witnesses (1879), and Christian Science (1879) are established
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Period: to
New philosophies such as Darwin's evolution (1859), Marx's communism (1848-), and Freud's psychology, attack the traditional Christian view of life and history. German "higher critics" attack the historical validity of the Scriptures
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David Livingstone and others open the African continent to missions, while workers with Hudson Taylor's China Inland Mission spread throughout China
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Pope Pius IX proclaims the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. The First Vatican Council declares the Pope infallible
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Dwight L. Moody and Ira Sankey hold large revival meetings on both sides of the Atlantic, while thousands hear Charles Spurgeon preach in London's Tabernacle
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Missions reach virtually every region of the world
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New translation methods put the Bible into the languages of 95% of mankind, but about 1,500 small tongues, representing 5% of mankind, lack scriptures
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Period: to
Emergence of charismatic Christianity, through the Azusa Street Revival
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Period: to
World War I : nominally Christian nations of Europe fight against each other
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Period: to
World War II : nominally Christian nations of Europe fight against each other
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Explosive growth of Chinese Christianity
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Kenn Gulliksen, a soft-spoken, unassuming leader with a passion to know and walk with God, started a church in West LA, sent out by Calvary Chapel. This would be known as the first Vineyard church
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John Wimber becomes the leader of the Vineyard Church in Anaheim
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The Vineyard Churches become established as a movement and continue to plant churches across America.
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Rise of internet and mass media lead to wide dissemination of the gospel by new means
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The Vineyard church was established in the UK by John and Eleanor Mumford. After visiting John Wimber in the US, the Mumfords returned to the UK to establish the first British Vineyard church, South West London Vineyard
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John & Debbie Wright Plant Trent Vineyard
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More Christians are said to have been martyred in the 20th century than in all earlier centuries combined. This is as it spreads to places where it is dangerous to be Christian
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Decline of church attendance becomes marked in much of the Western world
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Fear of the world ending