Early Christianity

The term Old Church refers to the first centuries of the Christian church history, this era is limited in different ways. Usually, the epoch boundary falls in fact, together with the definition of the subject areas of Chairs " Ancient Church History " and " Medieval and Modern Church History."

Time Restriction

For the time limitation of the " Old Church " called historical period there are different proposals. In most cases, is thus in any case a period understood prior to cleavage of the Eastern Churches, which includes also the theological divergence of the Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Church. The theological developments, the Ecumenical Councils, the saints and church fathers that time are therefore recognized in all major Christian churches.

Are generally reckoned to the epoch of the early church, the time of early Christianity, the time of the Apostolic Fathers, the Apologists, the early Christian martyrs, the Church Fathers, the imperial church after the Constantinian turn (see also Late Antiquity ) and the first four Ecumenical Councils until the Council of Chalcedon 451

For the Western Church, the era of the early church is often expected until the fall of the Western Roman Empire, according to some authors to Gregory the Great ( 540-604 ), the last doctor of the Church of the West, which is also recognized in the Eastern Church.

Terms

For the Christian churches in the time of the early church, there are several terms that overlap partially.

  • The Jerusalem church was the first Christian community that gathered after Pentecost in Jerusalem, in the period from about 30 to 70
  • Early Christianity referred to in the history of Christianity, the emergence of Christianity, from Jesus of Nazareth to death 30 or 33 to Verschriftung of the Synoptic Gospels.
  • The time of the Apostolic Fathers is the time of the Church Fathers, who probably had personal relations with the Apostles or were strongly influenced by the apostles, so the Church Fathers of the second and third generation in the late first and the first half of the second century.
  • The time of local and systematic persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire began about 49 and ended with the Edict of Milan of 313, with the final recognition of the Christian Church as the sole state religion 391
  • Significant steps in the Roman imperial church were the Three Emperors Edict 380, which declared the Roman Alexandrine Trinitarian faith the official religion of the Roman Empire to end the inter-Christian disputes, and the edict of 391, with Theodosius I banned the pagan cults. After today's perspective, many researchers however, it was not until Justinian I, which Christianity actually sat in the middle of the sixth century the Roman Empire against paganism. The Roman Empire was the Church against the State never had the power of the Roman Catholic Church in the Middle Ages, but was especially in the East still in a precarious balance with the state power of the emperor.
  • As a time of ecumenical councils, the time of the seven ecumenical councils of the first Council of Nicea 325 until the second Council of Nicaea 787 is called.
  • Patristics is the science that deals with the time of the Church Fathers from the second to the eighth century.
  • The period of five Ecumenical Patriarchate is called pentarchy. This patriarchates existed de facto since the first Council of Constantinople Opel 381 and 451 were finally defined at the Council of Chalcedon. The pentarchy included the patriarchates of Rome, Constantinople Opel, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem. The pentarchy ended with the Oriental schism at about the turn of the millennium.

Organizational developments

In the time of the early Church, the development falls from Early Christianity to the Episcopal Church and then to the five patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Constantinople and Rome Opel.

Also included in the time of the early Church the beginnings of monasticism, the first monasteries in Egypt, the monastic rules of St. Basil of Caesarea and of Benedict of Nursia.

Theological developments

Theologically and philosophically corresponds to the time of patristics.

In the time of the early church of the New Testament canon and the generally recognized creeds arose.

Significant conflicts of this time there with Gnosticism, the " Hellenism " ( apologists ), with respect to Christology ( Arian controversy, Nestorian controversy ) and in respect of ecclesiology ( Donatism ).

Milestones of the era

  • 33: The Crucifixion; In the following period there will be sporadic persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire
  • 65: Beheading of Paul and the crucifixion of Peter in Rome ( uncertain)
  • 60 to 95: writing of the Gospels
  • 125: Date of the earliest known fragment of the New Testament, that is already a copy
  • 220: Callistus I. claimed exception of the Bishop of Rome
  • 313: Constantine the Great saves the Christians by the Milan agreement religious freedom
  • 325: Council of Nicaea
  • 330: Constantine the Great establishes Constantinople Opel
  • 400: Augustine: "Confessions "
Catacomb of Callixtus Protestant Reich Church Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Philosophy Paulus Pope Callixtus I Pope Augustine of Hippo Paul Veyne Otto Bardenhewer
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