After Paul, who did the most to spread Christianity was killed, Christianity went into a slump until three men got it started again a few centuries later

Diocletian 244 – 311 CE

Constantine I 306 – 333 CE

Theodosius 347 – 395 CE

DiocleTianThe Emperor Gaius Aurelius Valerius

Diocletianus (A.D. 284-305) put an end to

the disastrous phase of Roman history

known as the "Military Anarchy" or the

"Imperial Crisis" (235-284). He established

an obvious military despotism and was

responsible for laying the groundwork for

the second phase of the Roman Empire,

which is known variously as the

"Dominate," the "Tetrarchy," the "Later

Roman Empire," or the "Byzantine Empire."

His reforms ensured the continuity of the

Roman Empire in the east for more than a

thousand years. 244 – 311 CE

DiocleTianThe Emperor Gaius Aurelius Valerius

Diocletianus (A.D. 284-305) put an end to

the disastrous phase of Roman history

known as the "Military Anarchy" or the

"Imperial Crisis" (235-284). He established

an obvious military despotism and was

responsible for laying the groundwork for

the second phase of the Roman Empire,

which is known variously as the

"Dominate," the "Tetrarchy," the "Later

Roman Empire," or the "Byzantine Empire."

His reforms ensured the continuity of the

Roman Empire in the east for more than a

thousand years. 244 – 311 CE

DiocleTian•305 CE Persecutes the Christians in

earnest

•Diocletian was the most savage of all

the persecutors of the church in what is

called the tenth persecution, however,

he ranks as one of the greatest of

Rome's emperors. The sudden about

face in Rome's history, from chaos and

encroaching dissolution to a new access

of vigor and stability, was largely the

product of one reign, that of Diocletian,

who occupied the throne for 20 years.

244 – 311 CE

Diocletian

Palace still standing in Split Croatia

Dioclectian

Palace still standing in Split, Croatia

ConstantineThe emperor Constantine has rightly been

called the most important emperor of Late

Antiquity. His powerful personality laid the

foundations of post-classical European

civilization; his reign was eventful and highly

dramatic. His victory at the Milvian Bridge

counts among the most decisive moments in

world history, while his legalization and

support of Christianity and his foundation of a

'New Rome' at Byzantium rank among the

most momentous decisions ever made by a

European ruler. The fact that ten Byzantine

emperors after him bore his name may be seen

as a measure of his importance and of the

esteem in which he was held.

306 – 337 CE

Constantine•Served under Diocletian

•“Conversion” to Christianity after

seeing sign in heaven at battle of

Milvian Bridge. “Through this sign you

shall conquer,” which he did.

•325 CE Nicea Council makes

Christianity the religion of the Empire

•326 CE Kills son and boils wife alive

•326 CE Moves capital of Empire and

renames it Constantinople

306 – 337 CE

Constantine•Followed pagan religion his

entire life. Worshiped

Jupiter, etc.

•On deathbed his mother

forced him to convert to

Christianity

306 – 337 CE

Homoiousios and Homoousios

Not One Iota

One of the more fundamental and earliest controversies within the Christian Church centered around the ideas identified by two Greek words: homoiousios (ηομοιουσιος), meaning “of a similar substance,” and homoousios(ηομοουσιος), meaning “of the same substance”; two words that differ by a single letter: iota. Christianity was nearly split by the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet. In Alexandria around the year 319 CE, the previously obscure presbyter Arius attempted to rationalize the mystery that Christians find in the relationship between Jesus and God. He attracted a large following preaching the neoplatonist idea of the absolute oneness of the divinity. He felt that this was a unity that could not be shared, and therefore Jesus was a lesser deity who had been called into existence by God. Jesus was “homoiousian,” that is, of a similar nature to God, but not the same as, God.

Not One Iota

Opponents, led most prominently by Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, preached that Jesus was in fact “homoousian,” the same as God. This caused such conflict that Emperor Constantine demanded they work out their differences at what became the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE.

The homoosians won the debate and codified their beliefs in a set of statements known as the original Nicene Creed, which states that Jesus is “one in being” with the Father. A version of the creed is still recited at mass by Catholics to this day.

Not One Iota

The homoosians won the debate and codified their beliefs in a set of statements known as the original Nicene Creed, which states that Jesus is “one in being” with the Father. A version of the creed is still recited at mass by Catholics to this day.

Not One Iota

Theodocius•362 CE Julian outlaws teaching of

Christianity

•380 CE at Council of Nicea Theodosius

establishes

Christianity as the official state religion

and also declares:

• God and Jesus are of the same substance (Jesus is a God)

• The Trinity is a fact

•This caused huge dissent since neither of

these are explicit in the Bible.

347 – 395 CE

Theodocius•Theodosius claimed that if you

didn’t agree you were an insane,

demented heretic

•Many were killed over many

centuries over these two issues

•394 Banned Olympic Games

(until 1896)

347 – 395 CE

How Christianity Was

Created

Jesus Wars, Phillip Jenkins

How Four Patriarchs Three Queens, and Two Emperors Decided What Christians

Would Believe for the Next 1500 Years

Who was Jesus Christ?

• A human being that may or may not have existed. This option is not for theological arguments or

• A man that was somehow transmuted into a half man half God at some point in his life or

• A God in all aspects, living among humans

What is Christianity?

• Various religious dogmas and practices which resulted from the 8 Councils

that took place from 325 to 787, loosely based on the Bible

• Several competing branches with similarities and severe differences

• Dogmas are similar, but slight differences have lead to numerous religious

wars.

Definitions

• Monophysite: Christ has single divine nature

• Miaphysites Christ had two natures human and divine

• Coptics, Egypt

• Oriental Orthodox churches, Syria, Ethiopia and Armenia

• Caledonians another name for Miaphysites, adhere to the conclusions of the Council of

Chalcedonia

List of Councils

1. First Council of Nicea (325)

2. First Council of Constantinople (381)

3. Council of Ephesus (431)

4. Second Council of Ephesus (449), Not always counted

5. Council of Chalcedon (451)

6. Second Council of Constantinople (553)

7. Third Council of Constantinople (680 – 681)

8. Second Council of Nicea (787)

What Were Main Issues?

• Nature of Christ

• Definition and role of Holy Spirit

• Definition and Role of Trinity

• Mary's Role

First Council of Nicea

• Time 325

• Location Asia minor east of Constantinople

• Main Characters Arius, Athanasius of Alexandria

• Issues

• Arius, Christ inferior to God

• Athanasius, All 3 in Trinity were equal

• Conclusions: Trinitarians won, Athanasius went on to become Bishop of Alexandria

First Council of Constantinople

• Time 381

• Location Constantinople

• Main Characters Theodosius I

• Issues

• Trinity. Asrius’ Arianism had remained powerful after Nicea and Thedosius wanted to

put Arianism down

• Conclusions: Expanded Nicean creed, but still referred to as Nicean creed

Council of Ephesus• Time 431

• Location Greece

• Main Characters

• Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople made Virgin Mary the mother of Christ, but not God

due to two natures of Christ

• Cyril of Alexandria taught full unity of Christ’s natures

• Issues: Christology, the nature of Christ

• Conclusions: Cyril won, Nestorian party was condemned

Second Council of Ephesus• Time 449

• Location Greece

• Main Characters

• Flavin condemned Christ’s singe nature

• Dioscurous’ council met and condemned Flavius

• Issues: Church of Constantinople was deeply split

• Conclusions:

• The resulting mob beat Flavius to death

• The church rejected this council and called it the “Gangster Council”

Second Council of Ephesus Notable event

At a critical moment, a band of monks and soldiers took control of the meeting hall forcing

bishops to sign a blank paper on which the winning side later filled in its own favored statement.

This document targeted Flavian who was beaten to death.

Council of Chalcedon

• Time 451

• Location Turkey

• Main Characters: Pope Leo 1

• Issues: Christ’s nature

• Conclusions:

• Formulated a definition of Christ’s being that presented him as both fully divine and fully human

• This historic Chalcedonian definition owed much to the thought of pope Leo 1

Second Council of Constantinople

• Time 553

• Location: Constantinople

• Main Characters: Justinian

• Issues: Monophysite movement still active

• Conclusions:

• Condemn writings of long dead Theologians but created new disagreements.

• After years in prison pope Vigilius was bullied into accepting councils decisions

Third Council of Constantinople

• Years 681 – 81

• Location: Constantinople

• Main characters: Byzantine emperors

• Issues: They wanted to establish in spite of Christ’s physical nature that he had a

single will

• Conclusions: This pleased nobody and was attacked as heresy, They condemned

Monotheletism, proclaiming that Christ had two wills and two natures

Second Council of Nicea

• Year 787

• Location Nicea

• Main characters Byzantine empire

• Issues: Split violently over icons and images calming they were idolatrous

• Concusionss: Images were declared legitimate provided there were venerated

as opposed to being worshipped in their own right

The Shifting Religious Balance

in the Roman Empire 470 - 650

• 470 – 518 Dominance of Monophysite imperial regimes

• 480 – 550 Emergence of separate Nestorian church

• 510 -- 600 Emergence of separate Monophysite churches

• 518 – 630 Strong imperial enforcement of Chaldedonian order

• 630 – 650 Collapse of Roman Christian Rule or Egypt and Near East

Result of the Split within Ancient Christianity

• The split within ancient Christianity prepared the way for outside powers who would

exploit intra-Christian divisions---first the Persians and eventually the Muslims.

Without the great split the rise of Islam would have been unthinkable.

Notably and Remarkably Absent

All discussion relative to salvation details, except for

the creed