READING ASSIGNMENT

1. READING ASSIGNMENT Understanding Catholic Christianity pages 177-182

2. THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES Religious Studies One – Unit 7 “Church and Sacraments”

3. THE GOSPELS • Following Jesus’ death, there was about 30 years of time before any written accounts of his life emerged (during this time, the apostles were preaching and founding churches) • Beginning in the mid-60s AD, many apostles were turning up martyred, therefore written accounts of Jesus’ life began to take the place of the now-lacking oral testimony of the apostles • This process of gospel-writing lasted for several decades, and gospels circulated widely throughout the Roman world • Of the numerous gospels in use, only four have been deemed canonical by the Church • Matthew • Mark • Luke • John

5. THE GOSPEL OF MARK • Date – 65 AD • Location – Rome • Author – close disciple of Peter • Audience – persecuted Roman Christians • Character of Jesus – rebel • Message – Jesus as man and God • Other points of valuable insight • Written in dark times in Rome under Nero’s persecution • Style is simplistic • Story is of a rebel standing up to the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem just as persecuted Christians need to stand up to the power of Rome • Nero can have this lifetime, Jesus will have the next • “Why have you forsaken me?” has caused problems for the teachings regarding Jesus’ and God’s relationship

6. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW • Date – 75-85 AD • Location – Antioch • Author – Rabbi turned Christian • Audience – Apostate Jews • Character of Jesus – teacher • Message – Jesus as Messiah • Other points of valuable insight • Utilizes Mark’s narrative as a jumping off point • Written in one of the great centers of early Judeo-Christian scholarship and culture • More lavishly written • Written by a rabbi for other rabbis – there is a more legal tone • Written as a defense of Jews who have embraced Jesus as the messiah • Several quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures are used • Speaks of Jesus more in messianic/prophet terms than God incarnate

7. THE GOSPEL OF LUKE • Date – 75-85 AD • Location – Ephesus • Author – close disciple of Paul • Audience – all people, all places, all times • Character of Jesus – healer • Message – Jesus’ message transcends boundaries • Other points of valuable insight • Also uses Mark as a jumping off point • Unlike the other evangelists, Luke is well traveled, well educated, and worldly by comparison • Luke’s Jesus is part of a larger missionary story that also included the Acts of the Apostles • Luke is historically minded – he intends his Gospel to echo through the centuries regardless of what kind of Christian the reader happens to be • The focus is heavily on the compassionate nature of Jesus

8. THE GOSPEL OF JOHN • Date – 95-100 AD • Location – North-Central Turkey • Author – The Beloved Apostle • Audience – Greek-speaking mystics/orthodox • Character of Jesus – Mystic/God incarnate • Message – Mystery • Other points of valuable insight • John is poetic in style, focusing less on a narrative form and more on hit and miss events of Jesus’ life • His Gospel is focused on long dialogues between Jesus and his followers, as well as seven very specific miracle stories meant to illustrate the nature of Jesus to the reader • This Gospel presents Jesus first as the physical expression of God’s will, and is now the spiritual expression of God’s will • “In the beginning…” and “It is completed” use words and ideas that would have been more familiar to a Greek than a Jew

9. READING ASSIGNMENT Acts of the Apostles chapters 1-10

10. RESPONSE PAPER 7A In what ways did the apostles fulfill and fail in Jesus’ mission? Would you have followed?

11. THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES Religious Studies One – Unit 7 “Church and Sacraments”

13. THE LIFE OF PAUL • Paul was born in 10 AD in Tarsus, near Antioch • Educated in Jerusalem by the most respected Pharisee of his day • Commissioned by the Sanhedrin to persecute Christians in Syria • In 34 AD, on the road to Damascus, Paul experienced a vision and converted to Christianity • For the next 30 years, Paul journeyed throughout the Mediterranean world founding Christian churches and communities and writing letters to these communities • Paul died a martyr in 67 AD during the Roman persecutions after being imprisoned for many years

15. THE WRITINGS OF PAUL • 1,2 Thessalonians – nature of death second coming of Jesus (50-51 AD) • Philippians – warns of persecutions and undermines of the new Church (56-57 AD) • 1,2 Corinthians – morality in Corinth, liturgy, organization, and love (57 AD) • Galatians and Romans –issues between Jewish and non-Jewish Christians over the conflict between “law” and “reason” (57-58 AD) • Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon – written while Paul was imprisoned in Rome concerns the idea that celestial and cosmic powers were subordinate to the Kingdom of God, while Philemon is a personal note (61-63 AD) • Titus and 1,2 Timothy – letters of advice including instructions on organizing and leading new Christian communities (65 AD) • Hebrews – Pauline in tone, influence, and location, but probably not actually written by Paul, this letter encourages readers to be firm against persecution using several Old Testament references, and it contains the controversial idea that the old Levitical sacrifices are ineffectual next to the unique sacrifice of Christ (67 AD)

16. OTHER WRITINGS • 1,2,3 John – Letters written by the Apostle as communications between himself and Christian communities that he founded in Asia Minor • James – Letter written for a Jewish audience (James was the first Bishop of Jerusalem) discussing morality (49 AD or 57-58 AD) • Jude – Letter written for a Jewish audience denouncing false teachers (70’s AD) • 1,2 Peter – Written by the Apostle (the first Bishop of Rome) urging its readers to remain steadfast in the face of persecution • Revelation – Written by John of Patmos between 70-95 AD, it’s an Apocalyptic meant as an allegory for the Fall of Rome borrowing heavily from the imagery found in the Hebrew Book of Daniel

18. READING ASSIGNMENT UCC pages 135-147, 153-162

19. THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH Religious Studies One – Unit 7 “Church and Sacraments”

20. APOSTOLIC PERIOD • Pentecost – birthday of the Church; roughly 30-35 AD • Council of Jerusalem – roughly 47 AD • Great Roman Fire – mid-60’s AD • Age of Martyrs – during the next 250 years, several emperors periodically waged persecutions against the Christians, where several early great leaders met their death including • St. Ignatius (Bishop of Antioch) • St. Polycarp (Bishop of Smyrna) • St. Justin (philosopher) • St. Ireneaus (Bishop of Lyons) • Establishment of the Canon – practically in the second century AD (formalized officially at the Council of Trent in the 1500’s) • Edict of Milan – 313 AD; following victory at the Battle of Milvian Bridge, Emperor Constantine (in response to a vision of the cross) officially recognized Christianity’s right to exist; 70 years later, Christianity would be decreed the only official religion of the empire

25. PATRISTIC PERIOD • Great Heresies – throughout this early period of universal recognition, several heresies challenged the early Church including • Arianism (denied that Jesus was of the same essence as God) • Nestorianism (argued that Jesus was not God, God only dwelt in him) • Monophysitism (argued that Jesus had one divine nature; his humanity was absorbed into his divinity) • Great Councils – four great councils of Church leaders were convened at the request of the emperors to settle these issues; these councils defined the faith/creed and established what beliefs are orthodox including • The First Council of Nicaea (325 AD) • The First Council of Constantinople (381 AD) • The Council of Ephesus (431 AD) • The Council of Chalcedon (451 AD)

26. MORE PATRISTIC PERIOD • Church Fathers including • St. Athanasius (died 373 AD; Patriarch of Alexandria) • St. Basil of Cappadocia (died 379 AD; Bishop of Ceasarea) • St. Gregory of Nazianzus (389 AD; Patriarch of Constantinople) • St. Ambrose (died 397 AD; Archbishop of Milan) • St. John Chrysostom (died 407 AD; Patriarch of Constantinople) • St. Jerome – died 420 AD; translated the Bible into Latin and put together a great commentary still in use by many today) • St. Augustine of Hippo (died 430 AD; Bishop and author of “The City of God”) • Monasticism – developed in the early Church as a response to the opulence of the Roman Empire (now that Christians were accepted); monastic houses became the link that connected the official Church of the empire with the people of the Church themselves; the great founders of monastic orders were • St. Antony (founder of the first monastery or hermitage near Alexandria) • St. Benedict (lawgiver of Western monasticism – Benedictine Order)

28. THE MEDEIVAL CHURCH • European Conversion – St. Patrick (Ireland), St. Columban (Northern France and the Low Countries), St. Boniface (Germany), and St. Cyril (Eastern Europe and Slavic speaking countries) • Charlemagne – In the late 700’s, Charles the Great of the Franks unifies power in France and Germany, then Pope Leo III crowns him Emperor and the Holy Roman Empire was born • Holy Roman Empire – Following the breakup of Charlemagne’s Empire, the Holy Roman Empire was ruled from Germany and throughout the remainder of the Holy Roman Empire, the Emperors continued to meddle in church affairs • Great Schism – In 1054, the frustrations between east and west grew to separation (despite much cooperation over the years, no total reconciliation has occurred); The issues that led to the great schism were twofold: Papal authority and temporal power

30. MORE MEDEIVAL CHURCH • Church as a Temporal Power – During the years following the Fall of Rome, the Papacy increasingly became more of an earthly power and less of a spiritual power • Responsibilities – all of the land in Central Italy near Rome was the responsibility of the Popes, including finances, governing, and defense • St. Gregory I the Great – the first true temporal ruler of Rome; was successful at organizing the Church to be more than just concerned with religious matters • Patrimony of St. Peter – the official Church name for the Papal States; in reference to the land supposedly bequeathed to “Peter” • Hildebrande (Gregory VII) – an important Middle Ages Pope who was able to rule the Papacy and institute several needed reforms • Innocent III – another important Middle Ages Pope (become Pope before 30) who wielded total authority over the Papal States and Europe – the first and last really • St. Bernard – Monk and champion of orthodoxy who established several hospitals and monasteries throughout France and Germany

32. EVEN MORE MEDEIVAL CHURCH • Crusades – Several Crusades were called for by Popes, monks, and kings; some were more successful than others, though eventually the goal was never achieved; Palestine remained in the hands of Islam; the violent abuses got so bad that the European Crusaders actually sacked Constantinople (a Christian city) • Military Orders – founded for the defense of Christiandom during the Crusades and the preservation of the Church in Europe after the Crusades; they were eventually disbanded as a threat to the temporal leaders of Europe; these orders also became very rich in relics (therefore very powerful in influence); they included the Knights of St. John (Hospitallers), the Knights Templar, and the Teutonic Knights • Mendicant Orders –orders developed embracing poverty and simplicity (as well as helping those in need) including the Dominicans and Franciscans • Cathar Heresy – prominent in Southern France, inspired Inquisition; had the money and power to oppose the Church • Inquisition – established to root out orthodoxy, not to be confused with the Spanish Inquisition (which was pretty bad, not that this Inquisition wasn’t)

35. AND YET STILL MORE MEDEIVAL CHURCH • Scholastics and the University • St. Thomas Aquinas – author of the Summa Theologica • The University System • Salerno – Medicine • Bologna – Law • Paris – Theology (eventually, Paris would become the premiere center of learning in Europe) • University Studies • Theology – all philosophy • Law – both canon and civil • Medicine • Arts – Latin Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic (trivium) and Arithmetic, Geometry, Astronomy, Music (Quadrivium)

38. THE RENNAISANCE CHURCH • End of European Dominance – Once the 1300’s came around, European monarchs no longer looked to the Church for authority; likewise, the Church was not able to wield temporal influence outside of the Papal States; it was at this time that the Papacy become the plaything of European rulers • The Avignon Papacy – The 1300’s also saw the Pope’s move to Avignon, France, where the popes were under the control of the French monarchs; Rome responded by imposing their own pope in Rome; This Western Schism lasted over 100 years; It was finally resolved with a Church Council • Patrons of Renaissance Arts – Now that the Pope was no longer a European leader in temporal affairs, this freed the office up to reform the Church; However, Europe was seeing a revolution in art and commerce; Therefore, the Popes (stripped of their temporal power) embrace arts and culture instead of religion; During this time, the Papacy funded the great Renaissance painters, sculptors, and architects; This neglect of spiritual matters helped to fuel the great Protestant Reformation • The Reformation – When Martin Luther posted his 95-theses on the door of the castle church in Wittenberg, the Protestant Reformation was born; How it happened is a matter of historical record; The reasons included Indulgences and other abuses, Papal authority, Local/temporal control over the Church, and The Bible vs. tradition; Due to the fact that the Church was slow to respond, this split became permanent; When the Church did respond, it was known as the Counter-Reformation

43. MORE RENNAISANCE CHURCH • Counter Reformation – Church reformed itself, New orders were established, Missionary activity took place in the new world, Church and Pope began to look inward towards the spirit, instead of looking outward towards politics and power • Council of Trent (1545-1563) – proclaimed… • Scripture and Tradition are valid and equal sources of revelation • Old and New Testament is equally inspired • Scripture should never be used to contradict tradition or the Church fathers • Latin Bible is the only authoritative version • The dogmatic statements of the Council pertain liturgy, sacraments, justification, indulgences, and saints and relics • Ended up resolving all of the problems the Protestants championed, expect Papal authority • The Council of Trent might have kept the Reformation from happening, had it not been held late and amid political concerns • Jesuit Missionaries – Once the New World is located, the Society of Jesus (one of the new orders) traveled the world bringing Christianity to the “pagan” natives; This is one of the singular reasons why Catholicism has so many adherents in lands that were former European colonies

45. THE MODERN CHURCH • The Church vs. the Enlightenment – the Church responded rather negatively to the enlightenment idealism of deism which was based on reason and common sense, which taught… • There is a Supreme Being, and it’s man’s duty to honor the Supreme Being • The Supreme Being is honored with a virtuous life, while offending the Supreme Being leads to feelings of regret • Because the Supreme Being is just, the good will be rewarded • The Church’s response to the Enlightenment was more or less to withdraw from the world in practice, but not in teaching (this means that without the temporal authority, the Church become irrelevant in European affairs, yet it continued to assert itself in moral matters) • Pius IX – Known as Pio Nono (reigned longer than anyone); held back the progress of the Church into modern times! • The Syllabus of Errors – issued by Pio Nono; was a list of books that were considered unacceptable to Catholics to read • Papal Infallibility – issued by Pio Nono through the First Vatican Council; declared that the Pope is infallible when speaking “ex cathedra” on faith and morals; ended several centuries of debate on the nature of the Pope’s authority

47. MORE MODERN CHURCH • Catholic Social Teaching - Following Pius IX, Pope Leo XIII progressed the Church several hundred years with the first declarations of Catholic Social Teaching • Pius XII and World War II • In 1939, on the eve of World War II, Pius XII becomes pope (throwback to Pio Nono) • Pius XII was raised to be pope, and he held several important Church offices that prepared him for this • In theory, Pius should have been one of the greatest popes in history if it weren’t for the Holocaust • Pius failed to speak out against the Holocaust, and because of this he has received much criticism • The conspiracy theories about the relationship between Pius and the Nazis abound

50. EVEN MORE MODERN CHURCH • The Second Vatican Council • Following the pontificate of Pius XII, Cardinal Roncalli was elected Pope John XXIII • Unlike Pius, who was very stiff, John XXIII was a people person (grandfather like) • At any rate, John XXIII believed that the Church needed to enter the modern era, so he convened the Second Vatican Council • John XXIII dies before the Council does it’s great work, but his successor (Paul VI) carries on in his spirit • Vatican II radically revised the operation and organization of the Church • Many people are still very upset by the works of the council; some think it went too far, and some think that it didn’t go far enough • John Paul II – elevated the Church into global dialogue especially concerning social justice issues! • Benedict XVI – ? • And this is the Church we live in!