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33
Pentecost
Pentecost marked a turning point within the Christian Church. This was when the 12 Apostles were in a house when a very loud and terrifying wind came from Heaven and placed tongues of fire (a.k.a The Holy Spirit). The Apostles spoke in tongues and astonished many crowds with their ability to speak in many languages. -
64
The Great Fire of Rome
This is one of the earliest cases in which Christians began to get persecuted. When a large fire began in Rome, the emperor used that to his advantage to blame the Christians and to keep the trust of his citizens. This led to large, merciless killings of many Christians. Being a Christian at that time was illegal and the consequences were either torture or death. -
313
The Edict of Milan
The Edict of Milan was a letter/ agreement which were signed by the Roman Emperors at the time: Constantine and Licinius. The Edict of Milan stated that there shall be religious toleration within the Roman Empire. This happened shortly after the end of the time of the Christian persecution. -
313
Emperor Constantine becomes Christian
When Emperor Constantine became a Christian, that was a major turning point in Christianity as this was “The Triumph of the Church” and the beginning of the end of persecution of Christians. He managed to convert the majority of the Roman Empire to Christianity. -
325
The First Council of Nicea
The First Council of Nicea took place on the order of Emperor Caesar Flavius Constantine. In this council Emperor Constantine wanted to answer a particular question: Was Jesus Divine, and if so, how? Constantine was the one who came to a final decision and said that God and Jesus are the same and that the "Nicene Creed" be created. The Nicene Creed was the profession of the Christian faith. -
Jan 1, 1054
The Great Schism
The Great Schism was a split which happened within the Church in the 11th Century. The two new groups became the Eastern Churches and the Western Churches. Another factor which caused the split was the different places in which all the Patriarchs were stationed. The West spoke in Latin and the East spoke in Greek. Most of the theologians from the West didn't know how to speak Greek and mainly spoke in Latin, which mean't they couldn't have access to any Greek theologies/ writings and vice versa. -
Jan 1, 1095
The First Crusade
The first crusade was one of many crusades demanded by Pope Urban II. It was an attempt on recapturing the Holy Lands. It was described as a “pilgrimage” for the Christians to show how faithful they were to God. At first it was only to aid the Byzantine Emperor and his people (Eastern Christians) in repelling Turkish invaders, but ended in the bloodbath of many Muslim and Jewish people. The Western Christians regained control of the Holy Lands. -
Jan 1, 1347
The Black Death
The Black Death was an outbreak which spanned from 1347 - 1351. It killed over 25 million people (around 60% of Europe’s population). Various populations of the world looked up to the church for medical assistance because a lot of people believed that this is a punishment from God. This led to people causing self-harm believing that God would forgive them and heal them. When this didn’t work, priests began to lose their reputations in battling the plague. -
Jan 1, 1517
Martin Luther & The Reformation
Martin Luther was a Catholic German Professor of Theology, composer, priest and monk. He founded the Protestant Church and wrote 95 different Theses. He started this religion due to his anger which he felt when he realised that the Catholic church sold indulgences, and that the Pope and other higher ranked members of the church got all the riches. He rejected several teachings, one of which he accused the Pope of not having authority over purgatory. -
Jan 1, 1555
Peace of Augsburg
The Peace of Augsburg determined whether Lutheranism or Roman Catholicism would prevail due to the conflicts started by the Reformation. If you didn't like the religion which your domain supported then you were free to move to another domain where you preferred the religion. This kept the peace within the Holy Roman Empire and basically allowed princes to choose the religion which their domain would represent. -
Pope Paul VI Stops Excommunication
The excommunications created by Pope Leo IX and Patriarch Michael in 1054 AD were finally lifted by Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Arthenagoras who aimed to re-establish any lost and broken relationships throughout the Christian community. This is significant as it is an attempt to bring the Christian community together. -
Establishment of Vatican City
The Vatican City was a major part in the organisation of Catholicism. This is where the Pope is situated and where future Popes get elected.
