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100
(49 CE) Council of Jerusalem
In 49 CE, The council of Jerusalem held a conference with Jesus’ disciples. It was decided that Gentile Christians did not need to follow the Mosaic law of the Jews. This means that they could decide whether they wanted to follow the Mosaic custom of circumcision or not, and it is no longer compulsory. -
100
(30 - 300 CE) Movement in Judaism
After Jesus' death, his disciples and followers fled to Galilee and regrouped in Jerusalem. They considered themselves to creating a movement in Judaism. This group initially followed the rituals of the normal Jewish teachings, but practiced the teachings of Jesus how they interpreted them. These followers of Jesus were known as the Jewish Christians. These times were also full of persecution. In Palestine, if any Jews remained after 135 CE, they were driven away, enslaved, or killed. -
325
The Council of Nicaea
In 325, the council of Nicaea held a gathering with Emperor Constantine and a group of bishops and other leaders. In the conference, they were trying to settle the confusion about officially defining the nature of God. They declared that the Father and the Son were “of one substance”, and affirmed that the Trinity (The Father, Son and Holy Spirit) consisted of three co-existing, eternal and equal persons. -
451
The council of Chalcedon
In 451 CE, a conference was held in the council of Chalcedon to further discuss the nature of Jesus and God. They decided that Jesus is both divine and human, in one person. While this solves the controversy about the nature of Jesus and God, the answer cannot be understood by humans, as we do not know how one being can be of two opposite natures. -
Jul 6, 1054
The Great Schism
The Schism started in 1054 and was the final separation that divided Christianity into Western Catholicism (Led by Pope Leo IX) and Eastern Orthodoxy (Led by Patriarch Michael I). In 1054, Pope Leo IX and Patriarch Michael I both excommunicated each other, causing the official split in the church. The cause of the dispute was due to many different cultural, economic, political, and mainly theological views that originated prior to the Great Schism. -
Jan 1, 1095
The Crusades
The crusades started when Pope Urban II decided to war against Muslim forces in the Holy Land. The first crusade, an army of Western Europe Catholics, successfully took over Jerusalem in 1095, but the Muslims vowed they would take back their land. Up to eight different crusades happened during this time period, and the Catholics finally got defeated and were driven away in 1291. -
Jan 1, 1347
The Black Plague
The black death was a deadly plague that ravaged through cities and spread like wildfire, lowering the populations of the cities affected by it. Many Christians misjudged the plague and thought that God was punishing the world because of their sin. Because of this, people went around inflicting pain to people as a form of penance, trying to please God. People couldn’t figure out why God was doing this, and even after the plague was killed, they questioned how God became so angry. -
Oct 31, 1517
Protestant Reformation - Martin Luther
When People Leo X started to use the money made from indulgences to pay for a building, it prompted Martin Luther to start to object against it. He created the 95 Theses, containing 95 statements about belief and indulgences, which the Pope disagreed upon. Luther was excommunicated, before being banished. By this time, he had a great amount of support on his side, and the princes signed the Augsburg confession. Luther taught us that eternal life can be gained by faith alone. -
Jun 25, 1530
Augsburg Confession
On June 25, 1530, the Augsburg confession was made and given to emperor Charles V. The confession consisted of 28 articles that present the ideas created by Martin Luther. The purpose was to protect people who believed in Luther’s theology and make their beliefs accepted by all Roman Catholics. -
Jan 1, 1545
(1545 - 1563) Catholic Reformation Council of Trent
After many years of the rejection of Luther’s rebellion, it was decided that there needed to be a general Council of the Church. In 1545, Pope Paul III finally made the Council of Trent, whose purpose was to address the issues of the reformation. As a result, the council met many times throughout 1545 - 1563, and made many laws and rules regarding the reformation, including a law saying that all abuses of indulgences were forbidden. -
(1869 - 1870) First Vatican Council
The Vatican Council was held between 1869 and 1870, and was attended by over 744 bishops. It questioned, reviewed and discussed Catholic faith and the Pope’s authority. The Pope was declared to have supreme power over the whole church. The motivation and goal of the first Vatican Council was to discuss and decree the beliefs of Catholics. -
(1962 - 1965) Second Vatican Council
The second Vatican Council was a major step in the history of the church as it started to look at modern problems. This council was announced by John XXIII, who said that it’s goal was not to deal with crisis, but to promote peace and unity among humanity and the churches. Since the last councils focused on other issue and crises, the second Vatican council focused on what was most needed, mercy, understanding, and the ability to listen to the Holy Spirit.
