Thesis Statement: The Church between c. AD 300 to c. AD 800 grew within the Roman Empire due to both positive and negative occurrences, assessments, and divergent religious sects. The growth of Christianity outside the Roman Empire in that same period is indebted to missionary journeys to eastern countries, monasticism, and support from leaders of high status.
The Rise of Christianity: c. 4th century AD to c. 9th century AD
Nearly three hundred years after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the work of the disciple and apostles, the Christian faith continued to spread swiftly and silently. Between the fourth and ninth century, Christianity spread widely throughout the Roman Empire against all elements that would serve as hindrances, the most unexceptional being frequent and, often times, ruthless persecution, another being false doctrines and practices. Beyond the influences of the Roman Empire, the Faith grew due to an acquiescent response from the local people, the instigating of several practices, such as monasticism, and the support of influential leaders whose ethics kept Christianity alive during their reigns.
The authorization of evangelism in the Roman Empire varied from Emperor to Emperor. Up until persecution began due to unjust distribution of blame for The Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD under Emperor Nero, Christians fared quite agreeably in their daily walk and local ministry, keeping in mind the fact that Rome was already a Pagan Nation that considered the Faith contraband. Though the persecution was brutal, Christianity grew and by 300 AD about 10% of the Roman population consisted of Christians. Under Emperor Diocletian, in 303 AD, through influence of his successor Galerius, The Great Persecution took place and continued for eight years until, in 311, the Edict of Serdica was issued, ironically, by Galerius. Emperor Constantine 1 personally embraced the Christian faith in 312 and a year later wrote up the Edict of Milan that not only cemented the legality of the Christian religion but also gave it a positive, public situation
Most of the growth took place among the common people. As Christians interacted with the societies they dwelt in, others were drawn to them and would yearn to hear about and accept the love of the God the believers risked their lives for. The early Christians met in homes and secret places, hence the “church” at that time did not refer to a building but a gathering of people, similar, in definition and practice, to the Jewish Synagogue. In fact, the first church building wasn’t built until around 231 AD at Dura Europos on the Euphrates and even then home meetings went on. Their ministry was not just heard through spoken teachings but also seen in the lives of the people and deaths of the martyrs of the faith.
People of all classes were now learning more about the faith but some theological questions arose concerning new fabricated doctrines from all over the world. One in particular, very popular with an extensive influence, troubled the church in Rome. From Alexandria, Egypt came Arianism, based on the teachings of a scholar named Arius. To settle the dispute between clergy and Arians, Constantine called for The First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. In brief, Arianism depicted the godhead in hierarchical terms. Jesus Christ, the Son, was created by God but, inferiorly, did not share the eternal nature of God, the Father, but was held superior to the Holy Spirit, whereas in true Christian doctrine the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are of equal importance and magnificence]. Even after this council was held, Arius and his adherents still clung to the doctrine and spread it to the Germanic tribes until it was overtaken by Catholicism in the Frankish community in 496 AD.
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As well as Arianism, many heresies arose around the world due to false interpretation of Scripture, the addition of other beliefs and practices into Scriptural teaching, and even false “callings of God”. These deviations from true doctrine stirred much dispute between church leaders and caused many people experiencing the bloom of Christianity to go astray. Gnosticism, which emerged from the 2nd century, is a belief that claims that salvation is only attainable through a mythical mythological, ‘mystical revelation’, and is based on principles of Dualism, the world being divided into the physical and spiritual realms. The created, material world being evil, and therefore in conflict with the spiritual world, and that only the spirit is good, thus making God unfathomable. This notion clashes with Christianity’s conception of a personal God who longs for a relationship his people.
Manichaeism, also a dualistic religion, was birthed in Persia by a Babylonian man named Mani around 200 AD. He considered himself ‘ordained’ as the ultimate successor of a line of prophets that includes Buddha, Adam, and Jesus. His goal was essentially to form a universal religion that incorporated the best revelations of several religions prior to it such as the Iranian and Indian religions, Christianity, Buddhism, and Taoism spreading it to China, Egypt, Rome, Turkistan, Armenia, Bulgaria, and even France. Taught by Pelagius in early 400 AD in the Roman Empire, the Christian unorthodoxy, Pelagianism, denies sin as a natural human weakness inherited from Adam. This religion teaches that good and evil are a God-given choice and human beings cannot do anything in their power to try and achieve righteousness but are fully dependent on God’s grace making people believe there were no actions they could take toward the advancement of their salvation.
Among the number of heterodoxies, third century Sabellianism, the belief that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three different branches of God, as opposed to a Trinitarian view of three distinct persons within the Godhead, was formed by Roman minister Sabellius and met consideration and later denunciation from Pope Calixtus in 220 AD. This doctrine died down until its emergence in 375 AD at Neocaesarea and was carried on to the 18th century by Emanuel Swedenborg who founded the New Church that stands to this day. Also in the line of heresies was Montanism that lived on from around 156 AD to around 800 AD throughout Asia Minor Montanism was based on transcendental prophecy and revelation that was contrary to the words held in Scripture and as such faced much criticism from the church. Such doctrines made ministry and evangelism quite conflict-filled both inside and outside the church and Roman Empire. Needless to say, the work went on.
As missionaries ventured to different parts of the world, those they ministered to realized the world of sin they lived in and sought more Spiritual fulfillment. As expected, this was difficult in many areas of the world. The solution was a life of Monasticism. The concept came about from Egyptian hermits who were called Desert Fathers around 200 AD. It was only until the 4th century that Monasticism reached Europe when John Cassian founded an Egyptian-style monastery in Gaul. The monastic lifestyle follows the principle of Asceticism, the practice of the denial of physical or psychological desires in order to attain a spiritual ideal or goal. The Scriptural basis is Jesus Christ, who embodied the evangelical counsels of poverty, celibacy and obedience, and invited his followers to give up everything for His name’s sake.
By the 3rd century, the catholic church had been established in most of the known eastern and western world and its influence was not just present among the common people but also among emperors and kings, some of whom worked with the church to spread Christianity throughout their territories. In the Frankish nation, Clovis, king of the Franks from 481 AD to 511 AD was an influential figure in the Catholic church. Because of influence from his wife, Clotilda, in 496 AD Clovis and 3000 of his soldiers were converted into Catholicism and baptized. Clovis even gave gifts to the church and regularly prayed there. He dealt tactfully with the Catholic bishops, some even served in his court as advisers before his conversion. Clovis’ upkeep of the faith was rather difficult because most in his kingdom and even family were Arians, many others were still pagan. He protected the rights of the church and the clergy in hopes that the church would further its reach in his kingdom.
Charlemagne, king of the Franks from 771 AD to 813 AD, was a militant leader whose main objective was the expansion of his kingdom. He was also very intent on making everyone under his rule Christian many times even by force. He planned meetings at which his royal religious responsibilities were conveyed after a series of synods, religious meetings, attended by both ministers and regular citizens summoned by royal order to consider a schema set by the royal court. The enactments of the councils were backed by the law in royal command, which all officials, especially bishops, were expected to impose. This law was inspired by the certitude that the means necessary for the correction of the deficiencies hampering Christian life in the 8th century had already been outlined in Scripture by earlier church councils and religious authorities. Charlemagne expanded the reform effort of the church, while strengthening the church’s power structure, advancing the dexterity and moral quality of the clergy, normalizing liturgical practices, improving on the basic principles of the faith and moral, and uprooting paganism.
References
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/christianityromanempire_article_01.shtml
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_the_4th_century
- https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1-300/the-spread-of-the-early-church-11629561.html
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Arianism
- https://www.britannica.com/event/First-Council-of-Nicaea-325
- https://www.learnreligions.com/what-is-gnosticism-700683
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Manichaeism
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pelagianism
- Stokes, G. T. (1887), “Sabellianism,” “A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects and Doctrines”. London.
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sabellianism
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christianity/Monasticism
- https://aleteia.org/2013/04/22/what-are-the-origins-of-monasticism/
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Clovis-I
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charlemagne/Religious-reform]
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