V
I have been studying church history as I take my courses for a preaching degree. I thought I would share with you all.
Catholics’ (Roman Pope 1054 AD) The word "Catholic" simply means "worldwide" and indeed the first organized group of Christian churched were worldwide. During the early years of Christianity, there weren’t denominations and therefore no need to refer to a church by a particular tag: Lutheran, Catholic, etc. The Church was unified and each congregation generally denoted by its geographic location. i.e. the church at Ephesus, the church at Antioch, etc. Each region was led by a Bishop.Writings of Ignatius and Iraneus (Against Heresies) would begin to extol the Apostle Peter as the first Bishop of Rome and the preeminence of the Roman See over all other regions.
The term "Pope" derived from the Greek word "Papa" or "Pappas" was not used until the late 2nd and early 3rd centuries to denote the premier Bishop or "Father" over all Bishops. The idea of an emerging, strong, and centrally governed church was taken even further by Augustine, a Bishop of Hippo. Augustine believed a strong Church government was necessary for survival and ultimately defeating heresy. Unfortunately, this introduced abuse by the hierarchy of the governing church against those that would question doctrines introduced by various church leaders. i.e. immaculate conception and assumption of Mary, prayer to the saints as intermediaries, etc. John Hus, and others would be labeled "heretics" and would be martyred for their boldness. To further assert authority over the masses the doctrine of Papal Infallibility would be added to this list of error. Papal infallibility was introduced primarily (and surprisingly) by theologians like Theodore Abu-Qurrah, Thomas Aquinas, and John Peter Olivi, and not by the Popes themselves, as many assert today. During the Vatican I council in 1870, the dogma of the infallibility of the pope was officially codified and is still preached and practiced today.
Eastern Orthodox Church
(Antioch Pope or Patriarch Michael Cerularius,1054AD) First to break from the "Worldwide" Church due to the disputed authority of the Pope, liturgical practices, and political issues. There was a Pope/Patriarch ‘crowned’ at Antioch in 1054 AD named Michael Cerularius. He was immediately excommunicated by Pope Leo IX of the Western (Roman) Church. Cerularius returned the favor by excommunicating Leo which resulted in an irreparable split between the Eastern (Orthodox) and Western (Roman Catholic) church referred to as the "Great Schism". Today, the Eastern Orthodox church still has a large number of congregations or "parishes" throughout the world. Widely known as the Greek, Russian, and Serbian Orthodox churches, they do not recognize the authority of the Pope of Catholicism, however, both are considered "high church" and resemble Catholicism in liturgy. Orthodox priests can marry, Catholic priests cannot. Both believe in the practice of Seven Sacraments which are Baptism, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick.
Unity of Brethern and Moravian Church
(John Hus 1410-15)The Unity of the Brethren actually pre-dates the Lutheran movement in that it can trace its roots back to John Hus’ teachings prior to his execution in 1415 (Hus began a small secret gathering of believers prior to this time). Hus was one of the early 15th century dissenters of Roman Catholic authority and as such, was burned at the stake for his objections to the authority of the Pope. Despite Hus’ martyrdom, the small group continued to practice apart from Catholicism and enjoyed some growth long after Hus’ death. The group officially formed as the Unity of the Brethren in 1457. The Unity of the Brethren churches in the Czech lands actually acted as a safe haven for the Anabaptists. Under intense persecution from the Czech monarchy themselves, many of the UOB movement fled the country and eventually joined the "Moravian" movement. The Unity of the Brethren and Moravian Churches have congregations throughout the world today and both trace their roots to John Hus.
Luthern Church
Martin Luther 1517 A.D.) Martin Luther was a staunch Catholic Monk that became fed up with the Catholic practice of indulgences (donating to the Church in order to relieve or remove a soul from purgatory). Luther posted his 95 thesis on the Castle Door at Wittenberg, Germany in 1517. Denouncing this and other practices whereby the authority of the Church and the Pope were seen to tread on the authority of God Almighty and of the Believer. Today, the liturgy would be considered "high church" or "orthodox" in practice, however, in America there is a movement among many Lutheran churches to provide a contemporary worship - with guitars, drums, and contemporary worship music. Ultimately, the main differences between this and the Catholic church is the authority of Scripture superseding the authority of the Pope and Catholic Church (both of which hold no authority in the Lutheran Denomination), the absence of "Icons" (religious statues - often given a sort of "mediator" status whereby they can receive honor and prayers on behalf of the Saint they (the statues) represent.), Lutheran Ministers can marry, Salvation to the Lutheran is by Grace through Faith as opposed to Sacramental observation and adherence to Church authority.
Church of England or Anglican Church
(Henry VIII 1534 A.D.) The Christian church existed in England long before the Christian Church throughout civilization became known as the "Roman Catholic Church". The patriarchal authors and apologists Origen and Tertullian write of a Christian contingency in the far isles of Breton. Bishops from these small churches managed to attend the councils of Arles and Rimini in 314 and 359 respectively. However, with the invasion of the pagan Germanic tribes - Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, much of this small Christian establishment was disbursed or lost altogether until a mission was sent from the Catholic church in 597. The Germanic Breton, soon to be called "England" or "Land of the Angles" would be part of the Catholic Empire until the English Reformation of the 16th century. The churches of the Anglican Communion have their historical beginning when King Henry VIII (r. 1509-1547) wished to obtain a divorce from Anne Boleyn that the pope would not grant. Seizing upon the spirit of emancipation sparked by the boldness of Hus and Luther, the King of England would make an historic proclamation.
Through the Act of Supremacy of 1534, the king made himself the "supreme head" of the Church of England in place of the Pope.When Henry’s daughter, Mary Tudor, ascended the throne, she brought the English country back into the Roman Catholic fold. By this time there were many in England that opposed the idea of going back to papal authority and when they raised their voice in protest, many of them lost their lives. This internal martyrdom earned Queen Mary the title of "Bloody Mary".In 1558, Mary grew ill and eventually died. Henry’s other daughter (under Anne Boleyn) Elizabeth succeeded her and restored the Church of England as the official church for England, never to return to Catholicism. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 meaning the "English Church". The liturgy of the Anglican church closely resembles that of Catholicism in that it is considered ‘high’ church or a church of orthodoxy. Today, there is a move within the Anglican church to modernize worship and interaction resulting in a greater appeal to a younger generation in the UK.
Reformed Church
(Switzerland 1522 , Ulrich Zwingli) Broke from the Catholic Church as a result of a sausage eating event that was scheduled during a "holy fast" decreed by the Catholic Church. It was from this arguement that man is to obey "Divine Law" over "Man’s Law" that the concept of Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) was advanced. Zwingli, a Catholic Priest, was a contemporary of Martin Luther and had a sharp division with Luther on the meaning behind the Lord’s Supper. Zwingli contended that when Jesus declared "This is my Body, take from it and eat." He was speaking symbolically of the bread and that the Lord’s supper is a memorial as opposed to the Catholic (and to some extent Lutheran) understanding that the bread is transformed literally into Jesus body and the wine transformed into Jesus blood (transubstantiation). One of the most famous Reformers of all time is a man named John Calvin from Geneva, France whose idea of double predestination has spurred theological debate regarding God’s role in the salvation of man, and man’s role in his own salvation. From the Reformed Church came denominations known today as Presbyterian, Church of Scotland, and Evangelical Free.
Church of Scotland
(Founded 1560 in Scotland by a pupil of John Calvin named John Knox) John Knox was a Catholic Priest that embraced the teachings of his friend and teacher, the Reformist John Calvin. Constantly engaging the Catholic Mary Queen of Scots, in debate, Knox was finally brought to trial whereby the Scottish nobles acquitted him and ultimately deposed the Catholic Queen. Thus setting up Presbyterianism in Scotland. Truly, the Church of Scotland is a branch from the Catholic line that joined with a branch from the Reformed Church line in a single man named John Knox. The Church of Scotland is simply the Reformed or Presbyterian Church in Scotland.
Anabaptists- Mennonites, hutterites, and the Amish
Founded in Switzerland by Georg Blaurock, Conrad Grebel, and Felix Manz 1525) This movement began with the birth of a baby to Conrad Grebel. Even though, in Zurich there was reformation everywhere, still Blaurock, Grebel, and Manz could not understand how a baby could choose to be a member of a church when all it could do was cry, eat, and dirty its diapers. This line of thinking was considered rebellious in the eyes of the newly reformed church and these three preachers were ordered to stop such "heretical" teaching or leave Zurich. Blaurock asked to be baptized in the apostolic manner and all others were baptized the same. They were called the "Anabaptists" which means "re-baptizers" by their detractors. Indeed the preachers did leave Zurich and met for the first time in a church free from government influence. The Mennonites, Hutterites, and the Amish are all direct descendants of this group. The Anabaptist belief emphasized: Sola Scriptura, Seperation of Church and State, Baptism of the Believer (not the auto-infant sprinkintile), Freedom of Conscience, and Holiness of Life. It is this last tenant that gets a little legalistic in that they flatly rejected Luther’s Salvation by Faith Alone in Christ alone and felt that it did not emphasize the believer’s responsibility to live a holy life.
Baptist Church
(founded by John Smyth in 1609) Started as a Puritan "Seperatist" movement from the Church of England or Anglican Church in Lincolnshire and then moved to Holland. With his colleague, Thomas Helwys chose to be "Baptised" as adults into Christ. Smyth then moved back to England and joined the Waterlander Mennonites and was thereafter identified with the Radical Reformation movement. His colleague Helwys was disillusioned with Smyth’s choice not to break with the past and Helwys moved back to England and formed the first Baptist gathering on English soil in London in 1612. The earliest Baptists can trace their roots to the teachings of John Wycliffe and were referred to as General Baptists. They were staunchly Arminian in theology - making it a core belief that Christ died for ALL and not just the Elect. However, approximately 30 years after Helwys return to England, a branch of his Baptist congregations emerged with Calvinistic theology (Christ died only for the elect) under the leadership of Richard Blunt, who went to Holland to confer with a group that stressed baptism by total immersion. He returned to England and baptized himself and 53 others in like manner. It is from this branch of Baptists that many of the American Baptists owe their Calvinistic beginning.
Perhaps the most famous of Baptist preachers is John Bunyan (1628-1688) who was arrested on a number of occasions in England for "preaching without a license". Bunyan is responsible for writing the second best-selling book in history called "Pilgrims Progress" - an allegory about the journey of discipleship for the everyday Christian. Bunyan believed in water Baptism as a consenting Christian but had a sharp disagreement with many in the Baptist movement in England over this same issue. He refused to "make an idol" of Baptism and fully accepted any who were pedobaptists (believed and practiced the baptism of infants) i.e. Presbyterians, and other Calvinists of the day. This was sharply contested by two Baptist leaders named Kiffin and Paul who contended that the Lord’s Supper should be refused to any who practice the baptism of infants. Bunyan was not formally educated, but like the disciples, he knew the Bible front to back better than any of his time. Bunyan died in London in 1688 of a severe cold but Pilgrim’s Progress remains a widely read primer on Christian discipleship to this day.
Quakers
(Leicester, England - Founded by George Fox 1647) This movement, first called the Society of Friends, broke from the "Puritan" movement within the Church of England and coincided with the "Dissenters" movement of England. The term "Quaker" was a derisive term by the detractors of the FRIENDS movement because some would "Quake" while preaching under the power of God. They met with tremendous persecution by the Puritans and the Church of England which eventually forced a great number of them to immigrate to the New World in 1656. Primarily they settled in Pennsylvania, wherein Sir William Penn declared the colony to be a "safe haven" for Quakers.
History of the Church
Roman Catholic ChurchCatholics’ (Roman Pope 1054 AD) The word "Catholic" simply means "worldwide" and indeed the first organized group of Christian churched were worldwide. During the early years of Christianity, there weren’t denominations and therefore no need to refer to a church by a particular tag: Lutheran, Catholic, etc. The Church was unified and each congregation generally denoted by its geographic location. i.e. the church at Ephesus, the church at Antioch, etc. Each region was led by a Bishop.Writings of Ignatius and Iraneus (Against Heresies) would begin to extol the Apostle Peter as the first Bishop of Rome and the preeminence of the Roman See over all other regions.
The term "Pope" derived from the Greek word "Papa" or "Pappas" was not used until the late 2nd and early 3rd centuries to denote the premier Bishop or "Father" over all Bishops. The idea of an emerging, strong, and centrally governed church was taken even further by Augustine, a Bishop of Hippo. Augustine believed a strong Church government was necessary for survival and ultimately defeating heresy. Unfortunately, this introduced abuse by the hierarchy of the governing church against those that would question doctrines introduced by various church leaders. i.e. immaculate conception and assumption of Mary, prayer to the saints as intermediaries, etc. John Hus, and others would be labeled "heretics" and would be martyred for their boldness. To further assert authority over the masses the doctrine of Papal Infallibility would be added to this list of error. Papal infallibility was introduced primarily (and surprisingly) by theologians like Theodore Abu-Qurrah, Thomas Aquinas, and John Peter Olivi, and not by the Popes themselves, as many assert today. During the Vatican I council in 1870, the dogma of the infallibility of the pope was officially codified and is still preached and practiced today.
Eastern Orthodox Church
(Antioch Pope or Patriarch Michael Cerularius,1054AD) First to break from the "Worldwide" Church due to the disputed authority of the Pope, liturgical practices, and political issues. There was a Pope/Patriarch ‘crowned’ at Antioch in 1054 AD named Michael Cerularius. He was immediately excommunicated by Pope Leo IX of the Western (Roman) Church. Cerularius returned the favor by excommunicating Leo which resulted in an irreparable split between the Eastern (Orthodox) and Western (Roman Catholic) church referred to as the "Great Schism". Today, the Eastern Orthodox church still has a large number of congregations or "parishes" throughout the world. Widely known as the Greek, Russian, and Serbian Orthodox churches, they do not recognize the authority of the Pope of Catholicism, however, both are considered "high church" and resemble Catholicism in liturgy. Orthodox priests can marry, Catholic priests cannot. Both believe in the practice of Seven Sacraments which are Baptism, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick.
Unity of Brethern and Moravian Church
(John Hus 1410-15)The Unity of the Brethren actually pre-dates the Lutheran movement in that it can trace its roots back to John Hus’ teachings prior to his execution in 1415 (Hus began a small secret gathering of believers prior to this time). Hus was one of the early 15th century dissenters of Roman Catholic authority and as such, was burned at the stake for his objections to the authority of the Pope. Despite Hus’ martyrdom, the small group continued to practice apart from Catholicism and enjoyed some growth long after Hus’ death. The group officially formed as the Unity of the Brethren in 1457. The Unity of the Brethren churches in the Czech lands actually acted as a safe haven for the Anabaptists. Under intense persecution from the Czech monarchy themselves, many of the UOB movement fled the country and eventually joined the "Moravian" movement. The Unity of the Brethren and Moravian Churches have congregations throughout the world today and both trace their roots to John Hus.
Luthern Church
Martin Luther 1517 A.D.) Martin Luther was a staunch Catholic Monk that became fed up with the Catholic practice of indulgences (donating to the Church in order to relieve or remove a soul from purgatory). Luther posted his 95 thesis on the Castle Door at Wittenberg, Germany in 1517. Denouncing this and other practices whereby the authority of the Church and the Pope were seen to tread on the authority of God Almighty and of the Believer. Today, the liturgy would be considered "high church" or "orthodox" in practice, however, in America there is a movement among many Lutheran churches to provide a contemporary worship - with guitars, drums, and contemporary worship music. Ultimately, the main differences between this and the Catholic church is the authority of Scripture superseding the authority of the Pope and Catholic Church (both of which hold no authority in the Lutheran Denomination), the absence of "Icons" (religious statues - often given a sort of "mediator" status whereby they can receive honor and prayers on behalf of the Saint they (the statues) represent.), Lutheran Ministers can marry, Salvation to the Lutheran is by Grace through Faith as opposed to Sacramental observation and adherence to Church authority.
Church of England or Anglican Church
(Henry VIII 1534 A.D.) The Christian church existed in England long before the Christian Church throughout civilization became known as the "Roman Catholic Church". The patriarchal authors and apologists Origen and Tertullian write of a Christian contingency in the far isles of Breton. Bishops from these small churches managed to attend the councils of Arles and Rimini in 314 and 359 respectively. However, with the invasion of the pagan Germanic tribes - Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, much of this small Christian establishment was disbursed or lost altogether until a mission was sent from the Catholic church in 597. The Germanic Breton, soon to be called "England" or "Land of the Angles" would be part of the Catholic Empire until the English Reformation of the 16th century. The churches of the Anglican Communion have their historical beginning when King Henry VIII (r. 1509-1547) wished to obtain a divorce from Anne Boleyn that the pope would not grant. Seizing upon the spirit of emancipation sparked by the boldness of Hus and Luther, the King of England would make an historic proclamation.
Through the Act of Supremacy of 1534, the king made himself the "supreme head" of the Church of England in place of the Pope.When Henry’s daughter, Mary Tudor, ascended the throne, she brought the English country back into the Roman Catholic fold. By this time there were many in England that opposed the idea of going back to papal authority and when they raised their voice in protest, many of them lost their lives. This internal martyrdom earned Queen Mary the title of "Bloody Mary".In 1558, Mary grew ill and eventually died. Henry’s other daughter (under Anne Boleyn) Elizabeth succeeded her and restored the Church of England as the official church for England, never to return to Catholicism. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 meaning the "English Church". The liturgy of the Anglican church closely resembles that of Catholicism in that it is considered ‘high’ church or a church of orthodoxy. Today, there is a move within the Anglican church to modernize worship and interaction resulting in a greater appeal to a younger generation in the UK.
Reformed Church
(Switzerland 1522 , Ulrich Zwingli) Broke from the Catholic Church as a result of a sausage eating event that was scheduled during a "holy fast" decreed by the Catholic Church. It was from this arguement that man is to obey "Divine Law" over "Man’s Law" that the concept of Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) was advanced. Zwingli, a Catholic Priest, was a contemporary of Martin Luther and had a sharp division with Luther on the meaning behind the Lord’s Supper. Zwingli contended that when Jesus declared "This is my Body, take from it and eat." He was speaking symbolically of the bread and that the Lord’s supper is a memorial as opposed to the Catholic (and to some extent Lutheran) understanding that the bread is transformed literally into Jesus body and the wine transformed into Jesus blood (transubstantiation). One of the most famous Reformers of all time is a man named John Calvin from Geneva, France whose idea of double predestination has spurred theological debate regarding God’s role in the salvation of man, and man’s role in his own salvation. From the Reformed Church came denominations known today as Presbyterian, Church of Scotland, and Evangelical Free.
Church of Scotland
(Founded 1560 in Scotland by a pupil of John Calvin named John Knox) John Knox was a Catholic Priest that embraced the teachings of his friend and teacher, the Reformist John Calvin. Constantly engaging the Catholic Mary Queen of Scots, in debate, Knox was finally brought to trial whereby the Scottish nobles acquitted him and ultimately deposed the Catholic Queen. Thus setting up Presbyterianism in Scotland. Truly, the Church of Scotland is a branch from the Catholic line that joined with a branch from the Reformed Church line in a single man named John Knox. The Church of Scotland is simply the Reformed or Presbyterian Church in Scotland.
Anabaptists- Mennonites, hutterites, and the Amish
Founded in Switzerland by Georg Blaurock, Conrad Grebel, and Felix Manz 1525) This movement began with the birth of a baby to Conrad Grebel. Even though, in Zurich there was reformation everywhere, still Blaurock, Grebel, and Manz could not understand how a baby could choose to be a member of a church when all it could do was cry, eat, and dirty its diapers. This line of thinking was considered rebellious in the eyes of the newly reformed church and these three preachers were ordered to stop such "heretical" teaching or leave Zurich. Blaurock asked to be baptized in the apostolic manner and all others were baptized the same. They were called the "Anabaptists" which means "re-baptizers" by their detractors. Indeed the preachers did leave Zurich and met for the first time in a church free from government influence. The Mennonites, Hutterites, and the Amish are all direct descendants of this group. The Anabaptist belief emphasized: Sola Scriptura, Seperation of Church and State, Baptism of the Believer (not the auto-infant sprinkintile), Freedom of Conscience, and Holiness of Life. It is this last tenant that gets a little legalistic in that they flatly rejected Luther’s Salvation by Faith Alone in Christ alone and felt that it did not emphasize the believer’s responsibility to live a holy life.
Baptist Church
(founded by John Smyth in 1609) Started as a Puritan "Seperatist" movement from the Church of England or Anglican Church in Lincolnshire and then moved to Holland. With his colleague, Thomas Helwys chose to be "Baptised" as adults into Christ. Smyth then moved back to England and joined the Waterlander Mennonites and was thereafter identified with the Radical Reformation movement. His colleague Helwys was disillusioned with Smyth’s choice not to break with the past and Helwys moved back to England and formed the first Baptist gathering on English soil in London in 1612. The earliest Baptists can trace their roots to the teachings of John Wycliffe and were referred to as General Baptists. They were staunchly Arminian in theology - making it a core belief that Christ died for ALL and not just the Elect. However, approximately 30 years after Helwys return to England, a branch of his Baptist congregations emerged with Calvinistic theology (Christ died only for the elect) under the leadership of Richard Blunt, who went to Holland to confer with a group that stressed baptism by total immersion. He returned to England and baptized himself and 53 others in like manner. It is from this branch of Baptists that many of the American Baptists owe their Calvinistic beginning.
Perhaps the most famous of Baptist preachers is John Bunyan (1628-1688) who was arrested on a number of occasions in England for "preaching without a license". Bunyan is responsible for writing the second best-selling book in history called "Pilgrims Progress" - an allegory about the journey of discipleship for the everyday Christian. Bunyan believed in water Baptism as a consenting Christian but had a sharp disagreement with many in the Baptist movement in England over this same issue. He refused to "make an idol" of Baptism and fully accepted any who were pedobaptists (believed and practiced the baptism of infants) i.e. Presbyterians, and other Calvinists of the day. This was sharply contested by two Baptist leaders named Kiffin and Paul who contended that the Lord’s Supper should be refused to any who practice the baptism of infants. Bunyan was not formally educated, but like the disciples, he knew the Bible front to back better than any of his time. Bunyan died in London in 1688 of a severe cold but Pilgrim’s Progress remains a widely read primer on Christian discipleship to this day.
Quakers
(Leicester, England - Founded by George Fox 1647) This movement, first called the Society of Friends, broke from the "Puritan" movement within the Church of England and coincided with the "Dissenters" movement of England. The term "Quaker" was a derisive term by the detractors of the FRIENDS movement because some would "Quake" while preaching under the power of God. They met with tremendous persecution by the Puritans and the Church of England which eventually forced a great number of them to immigrate to the New World in 1656. Primarily they settled in Pennsylvania, wherein Sir William Penn declared the colony to be a "safe haven" for Quakers.