Early Christianity: Origins and Development to 600 AD
Primitive Christianity
Primitive Christianity extends from the first century AD to the sixth century. Christianity, a religion that defines who is born of the Roman Empire to the east, extends across it. Religion comes from Religare and means to reunite our relationship with God. Postulates of Christianity:
- Belief in Jesus as the Son of God, and not only Son, but also God. Jesus is the foundation of Christianity to the present.
- The crucifixion (most miserable death) and resurrection of Jesus.
- The lessons that Jesus left, are possible to see in the New Testament, which was canonized in the fourth century AD.
As Christianity was born east of the Roman Empire, it was first in Greek (Christian Greek). It spread very quickly; in two centuries, it was almost established. Another feature of Christianity is that it is syncretistic, that is, it takes elements from other cultures and traditions and makes them its own. It is the most syncretic religion worldwide. The message of Jesus is syncretic; it takes elements of Jewish, Roman, and Greek cultures, always redefining their dogmas. Christianity was not easy to settle, having been persecuted, and after much difficulty, it managed to be the official religion of the Western Roman Empire.
History of Christianity
Jewish Influence
- Monotheism: The belief in a just God incarnate in man.
- Diaspora: The Jews spill into other parts of the Roman Empire.
- Theocentricism: God is the center of human activity.
- Messianism: Belief in a messiah, a savior promised for justice and Jewish society.
Greek Influence
- Influence of Greek philosophy (Plato), union of Faith and Reason, as they can and should be united because there must be harmony between the miracles and the rational.
Roman Influence
- Ecumenism, which comes from the ecumenical, which means universal. It is, therefore, a universal message suggesting reaching everyone because everyone can participate in the Christian religion. The Roman citizen was universal; no one could judge, could only be tried by the courts of Rome.
Historical Evolution of Christianity
50 – 250 AD
The Council of Jerusalem (49-50 AD) was held, the first Christian Church Council, which discussed matters of doctrine as the “Nature of Christianity” where they had two positions:
- Christianity should remain Jewish and must obey the Mosaic Law (circumcision, food item, etc.) even the new converts. Part of this approach was the Apostles, with Santiago as the leader.
- Christianity must be more ecumenical, to be incorporated into other cultures (Greek). An important character of this approach was Saul of Tarsus (a Roman citizen who, through his letters, was an advocate of Christian Doctrine; he is the creator, so to speak, of Christianity, which will be formed over time. Saul of Tarsus joined ecumenism through his writings).
The second position was the winner, the one that managed to convince Peter.
Period 50-250 AD
During this period, Heresies occurred, which are thoughts diverted from the mainstream (Christianity).
a) Gnostic Heresy
It speaks of a “Principle of Duality” where “clear or light (Jesus)” vs. “darkness or darkness (Lucifer)” are present, both in conflict until the end of time.
Darkness: Material, body, body sensations, etc. Corrupt the soul, which is enclosed in this body. This is why self-flagellation starts because the body becomes somewhat neglected.
Light: The spiritual (really important), the human being must be spiritual in nature. This is why celibacy becomes a Gnostic principle. The Light was Jesus, which in this position was never a man and was not crucified, and did not die on the cross because Jesus will never die.
This heresy noted that how something as perfect as God will incarnate in being so imperfect, physical, and corrupt as men.
b) Manichaean Heresy
Created by Manes, a Persian reformer. This heresy took Gnostic precepts but is more extreme. More than a heresy, it was a cult; it is an exclusive group of people. It raises the struggle between light vs. dark, but more radically, there were only these two principles or opposing sides together, the good vs. the negative. Jesus was the great principle of light and clarity. Both principles could not be mixed, or was anti-light or anti-darkness.
c) Marcion Heresy
Created by Marcion. A Christian who studied the Old and New Testaments came to the conclusion that the God of the Old Testament is completely different from the New Testament. What he did was eliminate the punishing God of the Old Testament, who was a jealous God, removing people. That is, he eliminated the God of Jewish influence. He only recognized the God of the New Testament, a God of Love.
(The Church says that in the New Testament, God does what he promised in the Old Testament).
The opposite of Heresy is ORTHODOXY: Thinking about right and proper Christian doctrine. It is against heresies. It posed a reading of the Gospels and the teachings of the Christian communities.
Period 250-400 AD
- In the year 313 AD, through the “Edict of Milan,” established by Constantine the Great, “Religious Tolerance” or “Freedom of Worship.” Constantine is considered the first Christian emperor.
- Later in the year 325 AD, the “Council of Nicea” was developed by Constantine I the Great, who intended to hold together the Roman Empire, which was in grave danger of division. In this council, two common Christological were discussed:
- The first held that the Son of God was equal to the Father, both from the same God, that is, God the Father and Son were of the same essence or substance. This position was defended by Athanasius.
- Arianism, which states that the Son of God who was incarnated in Jesus of Nazareth was distinct from the Father. Distinct from the Father, Jesus pointed out that the Holy Spirit was just a characteristic attribute of God but not God. Position defended by Arius.
Finally, the “Nicene Creed” was set, where it points to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a position defended by Athanasius. (The Creed is a statement or summary of Christian doctrine which is sometimes recited in the services of the Church as an affirmation of Faith).
* The Trinitarian dogma was established in the Councils of Nicea (325) and Constantinople (380), according to which God is a single substance.
- Eventually, Theodosius I (Roman emperor) established, through the “Edict of Thessaloniki” (eastern Greece), Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire in 380 AD, except for the worship of any other. This is why paganism began to be persecuted by Christians (paid in kind), and the Church became involved in public affairs of the temporal power (emperors).
Other religions was Mithraism, who worshiped the god Mithras, a Persian god for the military. It raised almost the same principles as Christianity, the struggle of light vs. dark. Its symbol was the bull, and in baptism, one should bathe with the blood of this animal.
400 AD
Alaric appears, a Visigoth king. He plundered Rome, sacked it, and left. It is because of this fact to the Christian religion.
Period 450-600 AD
In the year 476 AD, the Roman Empire fell in the East. It proceeds from the Germanic invasions and the political, economic, and social crisis of the empire, giving rise to the Middle Ages.
The Church becomes the sole focus of culture in Europe after the Fall of the Roman Empire. Monasteries are established. St. Benedict of Nursia stresses the creator Benedictine Order and implements Western monasticism, which will remain the only center of culture and religious missionary in Europe. In the Monastery of Monte Cassino, he wrote the Rule of Saint Benedict, the most important etiological code in the regular clergy. In Monasticism and Monasteries, they lived under the rules of celibacy, prayed, worked the land, and copied books. They were located far (Ireland); the main feature of these monks is that they were copyists.
Cultural contribution: Through clerical monastic schools, they spread the classical heritage. The monasteries became intellectual education, emphasizing morality as an indispensable element for the study of the Scriptures.
THE GREAT IMPORTANCE OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION IS THAT IT WAS THE SOLE DEPOSITORY OF WESTERN CULTURE. THEN AFTER THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE, THE CHURCH BECAME THE ONLY FOCUS ON CULTURE IN EUROPE.
Latin Culture, Roman Culture
It is divided into three stages:
- (753 BC – 509 BC): Period Monarchy.
Stage of initiation and of Rome, located in the center of the Iberian Peninsula. Ruled by kings, they decide to the military company, and its main activity was the cultivation of the field. The language, Latin, was the cultural vehicle that leaves us. This is what transcends cultures. Monarchy generates hatred in society. It is finally defeated.
- (509 BC – BC): Period Republic.
Republic comes from Res-publica, which means public affairs. It is an institution called the Senate, where state government citizens govern (and not kings as in the previous stage). Stage heyday in Rome, characterized by empiricism, so practical. This form of government returned in 1789 with the French Revolution. Boom phase of Roman society, “Rome as the center of the World.” Inventions of the Legion, formed by men of 18-65 years, participated in the Army, kept up continuous training and military discipline.
In the second century BC, Rome conquered Greece, and through Greece’s intelligentsia, the Greco-Latin culture was born. Among the highlights of Greco-Roman inheritance: language, law, arithmetic, geometry, geography, architecture, art, reflection, logic, etc.
The Republic is expanding, creating wealth civil wars, which were distributed among the patricians, the dominant group of Roman society. The commoners were becoming poorer and were used as slaves. Among the prominent figures of these groups emphasizes Cicero (Patrick) vs. Julius Caesar (Roman Gen. Patrick refused to be defended by commoners).
- (I BC – 476 AD): Period Empire.
Given the level of anarchy of the Republic, it led to the Empire. Where the power lies with one person, the Emperor (Imperatum, symbolized by a cane, who had the power of life or death). The Emperor concentrated executive, legislative, and judicial power. The Empire was founded by Octavio, who was renamed Augustus (meaning sublime). The Roman Empire is dedicated to caring for and maintaining their territory; it does not care to conquer others. In the year 476, the Western Roman Empire was destroyed by Odoacer. With it, the Middle Ages were born.
Century I – III AD: Rise of the Roman Empire
Century III – V AD: Decline of the Roman Empire
DECLINE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE: Christianity is blamed, the figure of St. Augustine who defends Christianity by pointing as an input. Heresies are born within Christianity, such as the Manichaean (St. Augustine was a member of this heresy).
Saint Augustine
Historical Context
Last years of the Western Roman Empire crumbles and centuries III – IV and V. The product falls Empire Germanic invasions and political crisis, economic and social development of the empire, the depopulation of cities, etc.
This character led the way toward Christianity and is considered the Father of the Catholic Church.
Your Life
Son of Monimia and Patrick, a simple family. He studied at Carthage, funded by Romaniaco, where they surrendered to the excesses of life (drinking, games, parties, etc.). It was Manichaeism, a heresy of Christianity away. He married and had a son. As the years passed, he was filled with questions that Manichaeism could not solve, a delusion of this movement. Its main feature was his thirst for truth. In Milan, he met Ambrose, who succeeded that St. Augustine was interested in the Holy Scriptures and moved away from Manichaeism. Thus, through the Bible and the sermons of St. Ambrose was about knowledge. His intellectual and spiritual concerns brought him closer to Christianity, as this was considered the “path” to truth. However, he felt prepared for Baptism, for it was agreed to let their habits adopted in his previous life. He recognized in himself two wills, one carnal (previous life) and spiritual, which battled each other and destroyed his soul. It is through a miracle where he heard him say, “Take and read, take and read” (by God) began to read the Epistles of St. Paul and then identified himself.
Epistle of St. Paul: “Not in banquets or drunkenness, not in vice and dishonesty, not in strife and emulation, but clothed with our Lord Jesus Christ, not your care employed to satisfy the appetites of the body.”
It is through this fact that he is baptized, devoting his life to God and all his intellectual capacity and inquietude made available the knowledge of the Lord. His mother and her child were killed. In Hippo, he is recognized as a priest by the Christian community at 40 years of age. He traveled throughout North Africa spreading the word of God and fighting against Heresies. He died at age 76.
The Truth
Constant search for truth in his life, the Church is the foundation of truth, for we must obey because the truth is the truth of the Church.
Recognizes two kinds of truth: 1. Logic Truth through reason and 2. Spiritual Truth, that we know because we have a God within named Daimon, to which we must listen through the revelations and we must understand.
St. Augustine argues that the truth lies in the exercise that makes the man to relate certain operations of the spirit with which our senses and the dictates of the trial. Therefore, we logically true must pass through the soul, where is the real source of real truth. It raises the “theory of light” where it says that man must seek the truth within himself. And that truth is in God, where all truth is true for Him.
It makes a criticism of the Pelagian heresy, who believed that baptism was not necessary because he said that Jesus was good and allowed us all to participate in salvation. Thomas believes that the first convention of the Good is the way baptism.
Significance
Its significance is given by God. Among his examples of transcendence we find:
a) Books written: Confessions, The City of God, The Predestination of the Saints, the Gift of Perseverance, Retractions (it was an acknowledgment of their mistakes in their judgments).
b) His mother directs him to adhere to Christianity.
c) Religious Fathers: St. Ambrose, who stands where St. Augustine was able to take an interest in the Holy Scriptures and move away from Manichaeism.
d) The first author of the linear view of history. History is not eternal or cyclical. Live with Jesus in the second coming.
The Good
The Well is found in God and the Church; it is a “Common Good,” where men and women are destined to do good.
It raises the idea of “God’s Plan,” which consists of a plan that God draws upon our lives and discovered when we find God in the spirit that dwells in each one of us. This plan does not involve the loss of freedom and where each person chooses whether or not to follow.
In addition, the values of greatness of spirit, self-criticism, humility, the ability to change, and intellectual genius enabled him to find God. It was an example of those who do not feel worthy to seek God. The forgiveness of our Father is always possible because his mercy is infinite.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Biography
Thomas Aquinas was born in 1225 in Rocaseca, Italy. He was the seventh son of the Counts of Aquino. His parents sent him as an intern at the monastery of Monte Cassino and then at the University of Naples. As a child, he said his intelligence. At 18 years ago, he became a mendicant friar of the Dominican Order. Despite opposition from her family and having to reject titles and wealth, he never abandoned his religious vocation and academic. He studied and taught at the universities of Paris, Cologne (Germany), and several Italian cities. He was a prominent university professor. He answered queries from popes, kings, and all types of people. In philosophical and theological works, he made a monumental synthesis of all knowledge. He died in 1274, aged only 49; he headed the Council of Lyon.
Thomist Principles
Realism: Respect for self and the value of objective reality in both theoretical knowledge and action.
Universality: Opening to the good, wherever it comes, to discern and recover all valuable, and integrate it into a broad and deep understanding.
Love of truth: Search of Knowledge unselfish, motivated by awe at the reality, which seeks to bring the understanding. For this reason, it promotes intellectual development.
Faith and Reason: Harmony between rational and religious sources of knowledge, respecting the methods of each discipline and personal faith choices.
Moral Virtues: Integral Human Formation, which promotes regular and constant disposal well. Some are moral virtues: patience, perseverance, prudence, temperance, the ability to speak or be silent when appropriate, justice, honesty, kindness, truthfulness, etc. That allow us to live with promptly, regularly, and joy.
Common good: Harmonious integration of the members of the community towards a good and happy life for each and every one of them, putting the service of other personal and professional qualities.
Truth
Recognizes the truth as the adequacy of being and understanding. The understanding is true when the intellectual opinion it conforms to reality, to be targeted by things. Recognizes the supreme truth in God, who is the truth of all things. He said that not only gives perfect alignment but the identification of the Divine Being and the Divine Mind. The way to truth are reason and faith, which complement and do not contradict.
Well
It proposes that the human being seeks the good. We tend to an asset as human beings, to feel fully as individuals and where each of our abilities and potential to achieve their own good. The good is a moral good, that is, a morally right act, which can occur in a free and intelligent human being in the instrument of his will. We should follow our conscience, which every person makes his actions on morality. To achieve the moral good, we must put into practice the moral virtues. Working together for the common good with other people, we approach the Supreme Good, which is God.
Significance
God’s transcendence. Thomas grew up in the knowledge of who and what God is like from their Catholic faith. He had a relationship with God through prayer. His intelligence service informed her research and rational study of the transcendent. He wrote a book called “The Sum against Gentiles” on those who had not received the Christian revelation; through this paper, one can know God not by faith alone but by reason.