Danzalan Jeremy A.

BSIT-2A

The various ages of the church.

Early Jesus movement (30-325 A.D): the first age.).
The early years are distinctive. The earliest stage of it, the apostolic age, is
considered the model of apostolic creativity and exists in a sense outside the timeline of
the church's history. The acts of the apostles and other New Testament writings provide
descriptions of its architects, Peter and Paul, who served as its principal figures. Through
evangelization, they made the ground-breaking decision to expand the apostolate from
the Jewish community to that of the Gentiles. The Christians were able to infiltrate the
dominant urban roman Greek (Hellenistic culture) during the first and second centuries.
Despite facing persecution, they emerged as the dominant force in roman culture.
Martyrdom put an end to this period. Like Justin Martyr, Polycarp of Smyrna, and
Ignatius of Antioch. Additionally, it has given rise to outstanding educators and
philosophers like Irenaeus, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and cyprian. Other
advancements include a different discipline, like a life of renunciation and contemplation.
In the centuries that followed, monasticism was significant to Christianity.
Second age: Christian empire (325–640 A.D).
With the conversion of emperor Constantine (312) and the establishment of
Constantinople as the new capital of the Christian empire, the church's situation took an
unexpected turn. As soon as he relocated to the east, Constantine took charge of the
church's affairs and assembled the bishops for the first general council (Nicea 325). The
growth of the papacy is explained by the increasing authority the bishop of Rome
assumed over the west. Christendom officially began in 380, when emperor Theodosius
declared Christianity to be the official religion of the empire. It found its unifying
principle in the open confession of the Christian faith in the sense of a political society.
Restoration of the papal world is the second goal of the church. The Constantinian
alliance between the church and the state brought about a conflict of interest between
popes and emperors, who fought for independence and autonomy. This alliance was both
a blessing and the source of vehement strife. The church developed into a powerful and
wealthy institution where the nobility frequently seized clerical positions in search of a
new source of income and power. The clergy began to adopt imperial garb, including
"miters" that elevated them above other people. The hierarchy of the pope, bishops,
priests, religious, and laity was established. The hierarchy of the church is what it is
known as.
 The Western Barbarian Conversion Period (640–960) is referred to as the Third
Age.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, a new Christian culture was established in the
West thanks to the cooperation of the apostolic forces, monasticism, and the papacy.
Benedict demanded a vow of "stability of location" from his monks. Gregory the Great, I
sent Augustine of Canterbury to the United Kingdom. The monks expanded their
missionary work to Europe from England by continuing their orbit. St. Germans referred
to Boniface as their apostle. Gregory, I made contact with the Frankish tribe, which
gradually took over Western Europe and took great pride in defending the papacy.
Because of the shift in social structures, Benedict was given the moniker Father of the
West. The barbarian invasion caused the cities to become less important in western
culture. The monasteries, which brought the cross, the book, and the encouragement of
civilization and new settlement to the barbarians, became the new epicenter of Christian
culture. It is astounding to learn how quickly the Germanic tribes came to accept
Christianity. The Frankish monarchy, the papacy, and the Benedictines united as a result
of Pope Gregory's successors' improved relations with the Franks. The papal state, which
lasted until 1870, began when Pepin (d. 768) assumed protection of the Pope's rule over
Italy. Charles, Pepin's son, carried on this policy, unified Western Europe, and was
ultimately given the title "Emperor of the Romans" by Pope Leo III (800). He brought
some measure of welfare and order. Studies were reawakened, monastic life was
strengthened, and liturgical and theological activities were revived. The Carolingian
Empire was instrumental in preserving Latin ecclesiastical culture.

The fourth age (960–1517) saw a united Christian Europe.

One of Christianity's most influential spiritual figures was Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–
1153). He rose to the position of adviser to popes and kings. Some examples include the
monastery's foundations in Cluny, France. As a result, there was a strong spiritual force
against lay investiture. This was a result of the pope and various emperors fighting for
control of the church during the Middle Ages. It concentrated on the power symbol of a
pope, bishop, priest, and abbot) which was the king's or nobility's authority to choose and
install bishops and other prelates. With Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153), one of
Christianity's most influential spiritual leaders, another movement of monastic reform
emerged. He rose to become a pope and king's advisor. Hildebrand, who later rose to
become Pope Gregory VI (1073–1085), is renowned for his disagreement with German
Emperor Henry IV over the lay investiture. At the Canossa castle, the emperor was made
to submit to the pope's authority. Pope Gregory eventually lost the conflict and barely
escaped Henry's soldiers. The Concordat of Worms (1122), a final agreement, freed the
popes and bishops from imperial rule. By establishing the church's judicial systems,
Pope Gregory paved the way for the influential papacy of the following century. With the
pope as its supreme leader, the church evolved into a visible, hierarchically organized
institution. It was at the Council of Trent (1545–1563) that this judicial perspective
became the norm. a new religious movement called the Franciscans (St. Francis of
Assisi) and the Dominicans (St. Dominque de Guzman). Some of the greatest church
theologians have come from these orders, which have infiltrated universities. They
included Franciscan Bonaventure and Dominican Thomas Aquinas. Cities developed
into hubs of affluence economically, culturally, and in education. They created Gothic
architecture, which included cathedrals, city halls, and homes for a new social class
known as the bourgeoisie who made their living through trade.
A Ghetto Church (1517–1830) belongs to the FIFTH AGE.
a reformed church built on decency, adherence to Scripture, and imitation. Christ is still
not finished. Many times, the need for a new church was abandoned. up until the
Augustinian monk Martin Luther, who was consumed by the Inquisitions' bonfire. took it
up in 1517 by publishing his well-known 95 theses. Luther finally accepted the idea that
salvation is after a protracted spiritual journey. by grace through faith (SOLA FIDEI).
This prompted him to protest the sale of. the dispute with the popes over indulgences and
other church abuses. and bishops. He received support from Germany's rapacious
nobility. wanted to be free from Emperor Charles V's control. after a while. After many
years of political and military conflict, the Peace of Augsburg (1555) was finally
achieved. reached whereby Protestant princes were guaranteed the freedom to choose
them. own faith. In Switzerland, a new Protestant movement first emerged under the
leadership. first of John Calvin, then of Ulrich Zwingli. The churches that we have are a
result of it. now call "Reformed" and "Presbyterian". Henry VIII, who had conflicts with
the, began the reformation in England. Pope about his marriage's annulment. Queen, one
of his successors. The Anglicans, a moderate branch of Protestantism, were adopted by
Elizabethan England. Reform was also implemented by the Catholic Church, known as
the. "COUNTER-REFORMATION". Trent Council's (1545–1563) condemnation.
various Protestant stances that supported and adopted Catholic doctrine. Several actions
have been taken to reform the Church's governance and morals. gave the Church new life.
In large part, this reform was made possible. because new religious orders have emerged,
including the Society of Jesus. As the Papacy fought against it, the (Jesuits) became its
right arm of Protestantism.
The sixth era is our time (1830–the present).
The church took a while to recover from the French revolution, which swept through all
of Western Europe. Since her wealth and privileges were taken away, she must adapt to a
new way of life. Land holdings were taken by the State, along with churches,
monasteries, and schools. The European Churches decided to establish the right of
Roman Catholics by creating "CONCORDATS," an agreement between civil and
ecclesiastical authorities because they were not prepared to experiment with a new
system of complete separation of the Church and the State. Invasion of a devotional life
into the churches. Numerous new religious families were established, each of which
supported specific Christian doctrines. Some of these families later evolved into new
missionary groups that traveled to Africa and Asia. When Romanticism first emerged, it
praised the church as the creator of art and the protector of patriotism. To make the
Catholic faith and contemporary teachings more compatible, Catholic revival
organizations and theological institutions were formed. In his Syllabus of Modern Errors,
Pope Pius IX proclaimed papal infallibility and supremacy. Her social doctrine is yet
another novel aspect of churches today. Pope Leo XIII (1903) wrote the first encyclical,
RERUM NOVARUM (On the condition of the Workers), fifty years after the communist
manifesto. The liturgical movement, theological renewal, and the growth of local
hierarchies and churches were a few other movements that opened up new vistas for the
church between the two world wars. A church that had been largely defensive suddenly
presented an opportunity to engage the outside world in fresh conversation.
Summary of church history.
According to Dawson, the six stages, each lasting three or four centuries, follow a similar
progression, except for the fourth age, which is twice as long:
There is a time of growth, where there is intense apostolic creativity as the church faces a
new historical situation.
Next comes a period of execution where the church seems to have conquered the world
and can create a new Christian can. The last period is characterized by withdrawal and
decay. The church is attacked by new enemies from within and without, and its gains are
lost or obliterated. This retreat did not take place during the first age, which is completely
creative.
During these periods in the history of the church, Dawson observes the manifestation of
two dreams. Following the fall of the roman empire in the west in 476, the first dream
began. The church envisioned the glorious roman empire returning. Of course, the empire
never came back to life. A second dream of the revival of the extinct papal world was set
off by the dissolution of united Europe at the start of the reformation (1517). While most
of the laity preferred participatory discipleship to papal authority, the hierarchical church
was the bearer of this dream. Her dream's imprisoned church broke off contact with the
modern world, and a new Europe emerged without her. The first four Ages are when we
see the highest peaks of creativity, but this was only intended. The zenith of the last two
ages was only a painful lift.