| | Christian church |
| |  The Four Evangelists.
Oil on canvas, ca. 1625–1630,
Jakob Jordaens (Dutch, 1593–1678)
(larger image)The Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches all claim to be the unique church established by Jesus in the Great Commission. Protestants, on the other hand, hold that the concept is justified by the notion that the Church is ultimately headed by Jesus Christ himself, who acts as the unifying figure for all who follow Him. Anglicans feel that they are but a branch of the Church. The term means something quite different for each religious institution that sees itself as belonging to the Christian traditions. | | The phrase The Church in its widest sense, as the Body of Christ has a similar breadth. The word "church" is used in two senses: - the visible
- The visible church consists of all the people that claim to be Christians and go to church.
and - the invisible church.
- The invisible church is the actual body of Christians; those who are truly saved. The true church of God is not an organization on earth consisting of people and buildings, but is really a supernatural entity comprised of those who are saved by Jesus.
Terminology Throughout history there have been various terms that have been used to express the concept of a united Christian Church. This section discusses some of these. The English word church derives from the Greek κυριακή (kyriake), "Lord's (house)". The term has expanded over time to the allow today's more general meanings. The Greek/Latin word εκκλησια/ecclesia, literally "assembly" in Greek, is the traditional Roman Catholic/Eastern Orthodox term referring to the Christian Church. Most Romance languages use derivations of this word. This Latin word is sometimes used in English as well. The phrase One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church appears in the Nicene Creed and, in part, in the Apostles' Creed ("the holy catholic church"). The phrase is intended to set forth the four marks, or identifying signs, of the Christian Church — unity, holiness, universality, and apostolicity — and is based on the premise that all true Christians form a single united group founded by the Twelve Apostles. The terms orthodox Church and orthodox faith (not to be confused with the modern term "Eastern Orthodox" with a capital 'O') have been used to distinguish what is considered the true Church from groups considered heretical. The term became especially prominent in referring to the doctrine of the Nicene Creed and, in historical contexts, is often still used to distinguish this first "official" doctrine from others. The term body of Christ, also known as the Bride of Christ, is used to refer to the total community of Christians seen as interdependent in a single entity headed by Jesus Christ. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
(1 Cor 12:27) The phrase Church Militant and Church Triumphant (Ecclesia Militans, Ecclesia Triumphans) is used to express the concept of a united Church that extends beyond the earthly realm into Heaven. The term Church Militant comprises all living Christians while Church Triumphant comprises those in Heaven. Within the Roman Catholic Church there is also the concept of Church Suffering, or Church Expectant, comprising those Christians in Purgatory. The term Communion of Saints expresses the idea of a shared faith which, through prayer, binds all Christians regardless of the physical separation or separation by death. In Roman Catholic theology this would be differentiated from the Church Militant and Church Triumphant alone because it also includes the Church Suffering. History Main article: History of Christianity |  The Sermon on the Mount
by Carl Heinrich Bloch.
(larger image) | | According to scripture Jesus commanded the Apostles to spread his teachings to all the world. Although based on the Jewish faith, from its earliest days some sects of the Church accepted non-Jews without requiring them to adopt Jewish customs (e.g. circumcision), running counter to tradition. Conflict with Jewish religious authorities quickly led to the expulsion of the Christians from the synagogues in Jerusalem. |  Icon depicting the bishops of the
First Council of Nicaea holding the
Nicene Creed.
(larger image) |  The Hagia Sophia of Constantinople,
once the greatest cathedral in all
of Christendom.
(larger image) | | Once the Western Empire fell to Germanic incursions in the 5th century, the (Roman) Church for centuries became the primary link to Roman civilization for Medieval Western Europe and an important channel of influence in the West for the Eastern Roman, or Byzantine, emperors. While in the West Christianity struggled as the so-called orthodox (i.e. Roman) Church competed against the Arian Christian and pagan faiths of the Germanic rulers, the Eastern Romans spread Christianity to the pagan Slavs establishing the Church in what is now Russia and Eastern Europe. The reign of Charlemagne in Western Europe is particularly noted for bringing the last major Christian tribes outside of the "united" Church into communion with the Rome (through conquest). Starting in the 7th century the Islamic Caliphates rose and gradually began to conquer larger and larger areas of the Christian world. Excepting southern Spain and a few smaller areas, Northern and western Europe for centuries escaped largely unscathed by Islamic expansion in great part because Constantinople and its empire acted as a magnet the onslaught. The challenge presented by the Muslims would help to solidify the religious identify of eastern Christians even as it gradually weakened the Eastern Empire. Even in the Muslim World, the Church survived (e.g. the modern Copts, Maronites, and others) albeit at times with great difficulty. Although there had long been frictions between the Patriarch of Rome (i.e. the Western Pope) and the other patriarchs, Rome's changing allegiance from Constantinople to the Frankish king Charlemagne set the Church on a course toward separation. The political and theological divisions would grow until Rome and Constantinople excommunicated each other in the 11th century, ultimately leading to the division of the Church into the Western (Roman Catholic) and Eastern (Eastern Orthodox) Churches. As a result of the redevelopment of Western Europe, and the gradual fall of the Eastern Roman Empire to the Arabs and Turks (indirectly helped by warfare between Western and Eastern Christians), the Roman Catholic Church gradually surpassed the Eastern Orthodox Church in size and power as most of the original Christian lands were converted to Islam. With the final Fall of Constantinople in 1453 AD the period of the Western Renaissance began in the West introducing new ideas into Western theology. Rome came to be seen as Christianity's heartland. Some Eastern churches even broke with Eastern Orthodoxy and entered into communion with Rome. The changes brought on by the Renaissance eventually led to the Protestant Reformation during which many groups of churches split from the Roman Catholic Church. Then during the Age of Exploration and the Age of Imperialism, Western Europe spread the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Churches around the world, especially in the Americas. These developments in turn have led to Christianity's being the largest religion in the world today. Related Concepts Catholicism Main article: Catholicism |  St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican in
Rome, the largest church building
in the world today
(larger image) | | Saint Ignatius of Antioch, the earliest known writer to use the phrase "the Catholic Church", excluded from it heterodox groups whose teaching and practice conflicted with those of the bishops of the Catholic Church. In keeping with this idea, many churches/communions see groups that it judges to be in a state of heresy or schism with their church/communion as not part of the catholic Church (e.g. the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches follow this doctrine). Others have, since the Protestant Reformation, used the word "Catholic" to designate instead adherence to the doctrines and essential practices of the historical institutional Churches, in contrast to those propounded by the Reformers. In this sense indicated in this paragraph, Catholic tends to be written with an upper-case 'C'. The Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Oriental Orthodox Churches all see themselves as fully "catholic" in all the foregoing senses. Some Anglicans see their Communion as a component part of the Catholic Church, albeit not subject to the Holy See of Rome [ ], and maintain beliefs and practices akin to those of the Roman Catholic Church. Some Protestant denominations interpret "catholic", especially in its creedal context, as referring to the concept of the eternal church of Christ and the Elect, referenced in the Bible in phrases such as "body of Christ" and "great cloud of witnesses." Expressed in the language of traditional Roman Catholicism this Protestant interpretation of the words "one holy, catholic, and apostolic church" identifies the "one holy, catholic, and Apostolic church" exclusively with the Church Triumphant - i.e. the church that exists "in heaven" or in eternity as opposed to the Church Militant which is the communion of the faithful here on Earth. They view this understanding of "catholic" as necessarily distinct from any concrete expression in an institutional Church. In this last sense, catholic tends to be written with a lower-case 'c'. Orthodoxy The term orthodoxy is generally used to distinguish the faith of the "true Church" from other doctrines which disagree (traditionally referred to as heresy). This distinction can be seen as originating with the biblical proscriptions against false prophets. Note that this theological term should not be confused with Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy which refer to specific denominations. This concept began to take on particular significance during the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine, the first to actively promote the Christian religion. Constantine convened the first Ecumenical Council, the Council of Nicea, which attempted to provide the first universal definition of the Christian faith. The major issue of this and other councils during the fourth century was the christological debate between Arianism and Trinitarianism. Trinitarianism came to be the official doctrine of the Roman Church and came to be strongly associated with the term orthodoxy (although some modern non-Trinitarian churches dispute this usage). Churches that subscribe the Nicene Creed, the first official Trinitarian creed, are sometimes referred to as orthodox. Apostolic succession Main article: Apostolic succession The doctrine of Apostolic succession asserts that the bishops of the true Church enjoy the favor, or grace, of God as a result of legitimate succession from Jesus' apostles. Modern bishops, therefore, must be viewed as an unbroken line of leadership from the original apostles. Note that this doctrine is distinct Papal supremacy which grants Roman Catholic Bishop of Rome special privilege in the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodoxy, and others interpret the adjective "apostolic" as referring not only to the Church's origin from Christ's Apostles and their teaching, but also to the Church's structure around bishops who have succeeded to the Apostles by unbroken succession transmitted by episcopal (Having a government vested in bishops) consecration ("laying on of hands"). A modern variant of this interpretation, held by many in the non-trinitarian "Apostolic church movement", including some Pentecostal groups, is that Apostolic refers to the charismatic gift of apostleship, which they claim continues to be granted by the Spirit to the faithful Church today. Protestant Evangelical Christians hold that the Apostolic Church of the Creed corresponds to no one Christian denomination, but is instead the aggregate of all "true" Christians, regardless of denominational allegiance, who hold the faith of the Apostles. Divisions and controversies Today the churches that consider themselves to be Christian are numerous with a variety of different doctrines and traditions. There are many controversies between the denominations which persist today. Definition of the Christian Church |  A simplified chart of historical branches
within the christian belief systems. The
different width of the lines is without
objective significance. Protestantism in
general, and not just Restorationism, claims
a direct connection with Early Christianity.
(larger image) | | The Eastern Orthodox Church has regarded itself as the One true Church of Christ. Many other denominations take the view that all denominations are part of a global Christian Church which is a body bound by a common faith if not a common administration or tradition. Note that in classical times the term Catholic Church came be most widely used in reference to the official Roman Imperial Church from which most modern Christian Churches descend directly or indirectly. The term, however, dates back to the Apostles' Creed which predates the official sanction of the Church by the Empire. Like the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church and some others have always referred to themselves as the Catholic Church. Oriental Orthodoxy shares this view, seeing the Churches of the Oriental Orthodox communion as constituting the one true Church. In the West the term Catholic has come to be most commonly associated with the Roman Catholic Church because of its size and influence in the West (although in formal contexts most other churches still reject this naming). These Churches believe that the term "one" in the Nicene Creed describes and prescribes a visible institutional unity, not only geographically (throughout the world), but also historically (throughout history). They see unity as one of the four marks that the Creed attributes to the genuine Church, and the essence of a mark is that it be visible. A Church whose identity and belief varied from country to country and from age to age would not be "one". In the New Testament, the word "Church" or "assembly" - ἐκκλησία (ekklesia) in the original language - normally refers to believers on earth, and they conclude that the Creed's description "one" must be applicable to the Church on earth and must not be reserved for some eschatological reality. The only exception to the normal New Testament use of the word "ἐκκλησία" is the mention of the "ἐκκλησία of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven" in Hebrews 12:23; and even there the Christians to whom the letter is addressed are associated with that heavenly Church ("you have come to.."). In line with this passage, the ancient Churches mentioned see the saints too - that is, the holy dead - as part of the one Church and not as ex-members, so that Christians both in the present life and the afterlife form a single Church. Many Anglicans, Lutherans, Old Catholics, and Independent Catholics view unity as a mark of catholicity, but see the institutional unity of the Catholic Church as manifested in the shared Apostolic Succession of their episcopacies, rather than a shared episcopal hierarchy or rites. Protestant Christians hold that every person justified by faith in the Gospel committed to the Apostles is a member of "One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church". From this perspective, the real unity and holiness of the whole church established through the Apostles is yet to be revealed; and meanwhile, the extent and peace of the church on earth is imperfectly realized in a visible way. Apostolic succession As mentioned in the previous section, another controversy is the concept of apostolic succession, the notion that in order to be legitimate the Church leadership must descend in some fashion from Jesus' apostles. The nature of this requirement is widely debated (some sects arguing whether this is a requirement at all). The oldest concept is that there must be an unbroken succession of leadership connecting the Church to the original apostles and this definition was used by the Church in the Roman Empire as its justification for legitimacy. This justification has continued to be argued by both the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Churches (as well as the Oriental Orthodox Churches) as their claim of legitimacy. The Roman Catholic Church has traditionally been the most vocal in claiming itself to have unique legitimacy in apostolic succession (based in part on Matthew 16:18). Most of the Protestant churches, by contrast, argue in some manner that their connection to the original apostle's is spiritual and doctrinal and that episcopal continuity is not a necessary requirement. First church The right to be considered the first or oldest Christian church has been a point of contention historically. Christianity, of course, began in Roman Judea and gradually spread westward into Asia Minor, Egypt, Illyria, Rome and eventually the entire Empire. Historically the first city to consider itself truly Christian was Antioch and, as such, the Church of Antioch there considers itself the be the first true Christian Church, deriving its authority directly from the apostles Peter and Paul. The Roman Catholic Church has traditionally argued that Saint Peter, appointed by Jesus as the head of the Church, eventually moved to Rome establishing himself and his successors in Rome as the true leaders of Christianity making the Roman Catholic Church the actual original Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church (of which the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch is a part) has argued that the scripture in no way designated Saint Peter as having unique authority over the Church and argues that all of the original patriarchates of the Roman Empire, including Rome, trace their roots to the apostles. As such all of the patriarchates, those of Eastern Orthodoxy as well as Rome which split from the rest during the Great Schism, are part of the original Church. Other debates Other debates in the Church (or in the churches depending on ones perspective) include the following. There are many opinions as to the ultimate fate of the souls of individuals who are not part of a particular church (i.e. members of a particular church may or may not believe that those outside their church can be saved). There have always been differing opinions as to the divinity of Jesus and/or His unity with God, the Father. Although historically the most significant debate in this arena was the Arianism/Trinitarianism debate in the Roman Empire, debates in this realm have occurred throughout Christian history. It has been debated whether or not the Christian Church is in fact a unified heavenly institution with the earthly institutions relegated to secondary status. Criticisms Throughout its history the Christian Church, both in terms of individual groups as well as the Church as a whole, has received many criticisms from outside detractors as well as its own members. This section discusses criticisms of the institution of the Church and its constituent congregations. For discussions of critisms of the religion in general, see the Criticism of Christianity article. The Church has commonly been criticized for not following the example of Jesus in terms of accepting others. Biblical passages relate stories of Jesus' accepting children, women, Gentiles, and adulterers in situations where the religious establishment and the society of the time would have rejected them.From early times the Church has been seen by some as being intolerant of outsiders and prone to fierce internal disputes. From the point of Christianity becoming the official religion of Roman Empire in 391 it came to adopt the sanctions of the previous state pagan religion against non-Christians or those thought of as heretics, sometimes including the death penalty.The Northern Crusades against Baltic pagans and the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathar heretics used systematic violence to enforce conversion, with the approval of the Church. Notes - Christian Denominations, Religious Facts
- church, Robertson's Words for a Modern Age: A Dictionary of Latin and Greek Words used in Modern English Vocabulary
- Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2006
- Nicene Creed, The Seven Ecumenical Councils, Christian Classics Ethereal Library
- Apostle's Creed, Christian Classics Ethereal Library
- Kenneth D. Whitehead, Four Marks of the Church, EWTN Global Catholic Network
- Michael Hines, CONSTANTINE AND THE CHRISTIAN STATE, Church History for the Masses
- Saint Paul, the Apostle: The body of Christ, Encyclopedia Britannica
- Karl Adam, THE SPIRIT OF CATHOLICISM, Eternal Word Television Network
- communion of saints, Encyclopedia Britannica
- Bible, Acts 10-15
- CHURCH AS AN INSTITUTION, Dictionary of the History of Ideas, University of Virginia Library
- An Overview of Christian History, Catholic Resources for Bible, Liturgy, and More
- Acts of the Apostles, New Advent
- Donald H. Frew, Harran: Last Refuge of Classical Paganism Colorado State University Pueblo
- From Jesus to Christ: Maps, Archaeology, and Sources: Chronology, PBS
- Sophie Lunn-Rockliffe, Christianity and the Roman Empire: Reasons for persecution, Ancient History: Romans, BBC Home
- Arianism summary, Bookrags.com,
- Michael DiMaio, Jr., Robert Frakes, Constantius II (337-361 A.D.), De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and their Families
- Christianity Missions and monasticism, Encyclopaedia Britannica Online
- Ramsay MacMullen, Christianity and Paganism in the Fourth to Eighth Centuries, Yale University Press, September 23, 1997
- Deno Geanakoplos, A short history of the ecumenical patriarchate of Constantinople, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarch
- MSN Encarta: Orthodox Church
- Arias of Study: Western Art, Department of Art History, University of Wisconsin
- What were the Dark Ages?, GotQuestions.org
- a b c CHRISTIANITY IN HISTORY, Dictionary of the History of Ideas, University of Virginia Library
- The Byzantine Empire, byzantinos.com
- BYZANTINE ICONOCLASM AND POLITICAL EARTHQUAKE OF ARAB CONQUESTS – AN EMOTIONAL ‘GUST’, This Century's Review
- The History of the Copts, California Academy of Sciences
- History of the Maronite Patriarchate, Opus Libani
- Aristeides Papadakis, John Meyendorff , The Christian East and the Rise of the Papacy: The Church 1071-1453 A.D., St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, August 1994, ISBN-10: 0881410578, ISBN-13: 978-0881410570
- Christianity and world religions, Encyclopedia Britannica
- South America: Religion, Encyclopedia Britannica
- Major Religions of the World Ranked by Number of Adherents, Adherents.com
- UNESCO World Heritage: Vatican City
- Tufts University: Perseus Digital Library: A Greek-English Lexicon
- 1 Cor 12:27
- Heb 12:1
- Apostolic Succession, The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-05.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 870
- Robert G. Stephanopoulos. The Greek (Eastern) Orthodox Church in America. www.goarch.org. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
- Bible, Acts 11:19-26
- Rubel Shelly, Loving the Person Who Isn't "One of Us", Woodmont Hills Church of Christ
References - University of Virginia: Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Christianity in History
- University of Virginia: Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Church as an Institution
- Christianity and the Roman Empire, Ancient History Romans, BBC Home
- Orthodox Church, MSN Encarta
- Catechism of the Catholic Church
- Robert G. Stephanopoulos. The Greek (Eastern) Orthodox Church in America. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
- Mark Gstohl, Theological Perspectives of the Reformation, The Magisterial Reformation
- J. Faber, The Catholicity of the Belgic Confession, Spindle Works, The Canadian Reformed Magazine 18 (Sept. 20-27, Oct. 4-11, 18, Nov. 1, 8, 1969)
- Boise State University: History of the Crusades: The Fourth Crusade
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: ARTICLE 9 "I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH": 830-831: Provides Roman Catholic interpretations of the term catholic
- Kenneth D. Whitehead, Four Marks of the Church, EWTN Global Catholic Network
- Unity (as a Mark of the Church), New Advent
- Apostolic Succession, The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-05.
- Gerd Ludemann, Heretics: The Other Side of Early Christianity, Westminster John Knox Press, 1st American ed edition (August 1996), ISBN-10: 0664220851, ISBN-13: 978-0664220853
- From Jesus to Christ: Maps, Archaeology, and Sources: Chronology, PBS
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Timothy Past