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70
The Fall of Jerusalem
The fall of Jerusalem happened in 70 ad, because Emperor Titus began a siege on Jerusalem, wanting to destroy the christians completely. The significance of the fall of Jerusalem is that it pushed the church outward and continued its separation from Judaism. It also forced the church to re establish their foundation, which consisted of establishing a canon, leadership, and creeds. -
313
Edict of Milan
The Edict of Milan in 313 AD was an official order made by Emperor Constantine that granted legal status for christians throughout the Roman empire. This was important because christians had been persecuted throughout centuries, and this made it legal to be a christian. -
325
The Council of Nicea
The council of Nicea was the first worldwide gathering of the church that made a final decision on Jesus' divinity, and it was called by Constantine. The decision came down to this: Christ was true God from true God, Christ became human for us humans and for our human nature, Christ was consubstantial with God, and Christ was not made, but begotten. This was important because it brought the church elders together. -
451
The Council of Chalcedon
At the council of Chalcedon, the decision was made about how Jesus' two natures work together. The three views that they discussed were: Christ has only one nature, Jesus is 1 person with 2 natures, and Christ has two separate and distinct natures that are only loosely conjoined. The first view I mentioned was Oriental, the second catholic, and the third Eastern. This was significant because it furthered the knowledge and solidified the church, and helped make important decisions. -
530
Benedict's Rule
Saint Benedict's rules were his book for a monks life, describing how they should live. His rules were later known as the rules of Monasticism. Monasticism was the state of being secluded from the world in order to fulfill religious vows. The rise of these monks was caused by persecution in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, and it was a response that was concerned with the success of the Church. This was significant because it helped the church survive and spread at a time when times were tough. -
800
Coronation of Charlemagne
The coronation of Charlemagne was when the pope crowned the next emperor, technically making him have higher status than the emperor. This was significant because the Pope provided a crown to the most powerful ruler in Europe, showing synthesis between church and empire. Also, the pope became theoretically more powerful than the Emperor, as the main spokesperson for God. -
1054
The Great Schism
The great schism of 1054 marked the first official split in the church. While there were various issues, the big issue that split things was the question of papal authority. To make things worse; after the schism, the Crusades would take place and only further drive a wedge between Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. This was significant because the main church, that had founded by the original disciples and other important figures, split into two parts; and would never join again. -
1096
The Crusades
The spiritual reason for the crusades was to take back Jerusalem from muslim occupations. The political/economic reason for the crusades was the need for land. The crusades took place in 1096 and lasted till 1492. Despite ultimately negligible results, by the end of the Crusades, the Church had grown in its wealth and power in the Roman Empire. They were significant because they united people to fight for a good cause, whether it be for God or for land. -
1521
The Diet of Worms
In 1521, Martin Luther would not recant on his writings in front of the emperor and others gathered at Worms. These writings changed the Christian faith because they were a powerful reassertion of grace, specifically of grace communicated through the self-giving life and sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. This was significant because if Luther had decided to give in to the pressure of the court, then we would not be where we are today, our church would be different. -
The Great Awakening
During this time, the Gospel is taken from the church into the world. The Great Awakening helped reform society by focusing on world issues like education and starting campaigns against slavery. The Wesleys and Whitfield became the forefathers of outdoor evangelism, and the Church in America has its first “awakening” due to the work of the Wesleys and Whitfield. This is significant because the nobodies on the streets got to be included in the large preachings, and many people came to know Jesus. -
Edinburgh Missionary Conference
The Edinburgh Missionary conference marked the expansion of missions and a renewed focus to bring the Gospel to the world. This did not come without the cost of thousands of christians martyred. During this time, the church also begins to take on different forms and cultures. This is important because it shows how the church is branching out and reaching new places that it never did before.
