The prophet Mani was born in Persian Mesopotamia in 216, and his religion, Manichaeism, was popular in Syria for some centuries. [109] [110] Zoroastrian opposition led to Mani's imprisonment and death in 276. [110] Following the administrative pattern set by the Empire, the territory administered by a bishop came to be known by its ordinary civil term: diocese. [136] The bishop's actual physical location within his diocese was his "seat", or "see". [137] From the late seventh to the middle of the eighth century, eleven of the thirteen men who held the position of Roman Pope were the sons of families from the East. Before they could be installed, these Popes had to be approved by the head of State, the Byzantine emperor. [211]

Main articles: Proto-orthodox Christianity, Diversity in early Christianity, and Early Christian heresies

Refine search

There are numerous denominations within Protestant Christianity, many of which differ in their interpretation of the Bible and understanding of the church. The earliest writers emphasized the unity of Christianity. [124] [94] 'Core beliefs' on doctrine, ethos, fellowship and community as well as many doctrinal tenets such as monotheism, Jesus as Christ and Lord, and the Gospel as a message concerning salvation were seen as based on apostolic authority. [173] [82] [97] Egyptian Christianity began in Alexandria probably very early. [91] According to Pearson, "Writings that would eventually become part of the New Testament canon were brought to Egypt ... probably in the first century". [85] [note 7] From the first century on, countless Christian writings flowed into Alexandria from all over the Empire, and Alexandrian Christians were prolific in response. [94] [note 8] The Nile boat or, glimpses of the land of Egypt - by W.H. Bartlett (1849) (14775178261) Taking in wars, empires, reformers, apostles, sects, churches and crusaders, Diarmaid MacCulloch shows how Christianity has brought humanity to the most terrible acts of cruelty - and inspired its most sublime accomplishments. Many scholars have emphasized differences between Palestinian Jews and diaspora Jews, but it is likely they still had a common Judaism. Being Jewish had both ethnic and religious elements, and the basic aspects of Jewish faith - circumcision, the Sabbath, and other central practices prescribed by the Torah - were most likely carried out by the individual within the context of home and family no matter where they lived. [49]

Harvey attests that "Eusebius knew an independent tradition linking Thomas to the conversion of Edessa..." (HE 1.3; 2.1; 3.1). Edessa proudly held the relic of Thomas’ bones – attested both by Ephrem and by the western pilgrim Egeria, who saw them on her visit to the city in April 384". Thomas was also associated with the founding of Christianity in Mesopotamia and India. [107] Christianity played a prominent role in the development of Western civilization in Europe after the Fall of Rome. [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] In the Early Middle Ages, missionary activities spread Christianity towards the west and the north. [14] During the High Middle Ages, Eastern and Western Christianity grew apart, leading to the East–West Schism of 1054. Growing criticism of the Roman Catholic church and its corruption in the Late Middle Ages (from the 14th to 15th centuries) led to the Protestant Reformation and its related reform movements, which concluded with the European wars of religion, the development of tolerance as policy, and the Age of Enlightenment. [15] [16] [17] In this early period, Christian religion expanded beyond Alexandria into the interior of Egypt where it was influenced by native Egyptian culture and language. This produced a distinctive Coptic Christianity which is still active in the twenty-first century. [92] The Epilogue focuses on the papacy of John Paul II, his role in the fall of Communism, the Post-Soviet recovery of the Russian Orthodox Church; and describes the history of Christianity as a matrix for "a constant process of struggle and rebirth – a succession of crises, often accompanied by horror, bloodshed, bigotry and unreason but [with] evidence too of growth, vitality and increased understanding." The book "has necessarily stressed [Christianity's] failures and shortcomings, and its institutional distortions" [5] but in the context of "its stupendous claims and its unprecedented idealism."(p.515–16)

Monasticism played a greater role in Egyptian Christianity than in any other regional church. [101] Pearson says that "Roger Bagnall is probably right" that Christians were already a majority in Egypt by the time of the death of Constantine in 337. [102] The religious, social, and political climate of 1st-century Roman Judea and its neighbouring provinces was extremely diverse, and often characterized by socio-political turmoil, [1] [42] [43] with numerous Judaic movements that were both religious and political. [44] The Jewish Messiah concept, promising a future "anointed" leader (messiah or king) from the Davidic line, had developed in apocalyptic literature over the previous centuries. [45] [1] Jewish diaspora [ edit ] Panorama view of the reconstructed Southern Palace of Nebuchadnezzar II, 6th century BC, Babylon, Iraq Amy-Jill Levine says "there is a consensus of sorts on the basic outline of Jesus' life. Most scholars agree that Jesus was baptized by John, debated with fellow Jews on how best to live according to God’s will, engaged in healings and exorcisms, taught in parables, gathered male and female followers in Galilee, went to Jerusalem, and was crucified by Roman soldiers during the governorship of Pontius Pilate (26–36 CE)". [39]

It’s a very Rome-centred history, because the mission that came to England was sent by the Pope and that was very unusual; popes weren’t great at starting missions at the time. The English were very, very proud of that fact. They felt really drawn to Rome, and united with Rome. So Bede’s story is celebrating his people’s association with this far away place, Rome, which was the centre of the Roman Empire. The people who also shared his land, the British Isles, – the Celts, the Irish, the Welsh, and the Scots – were not as loyal to Rome. He makes a big point about this and sort of sneers at them. In the fourth century, Augustine argued that the Jewish people should not be forcibly converted or killed, but that they should be left alone. Until the thirteenth century, that meant the Jews were both protected and condemned by Christian teaching. According to Anna Sapir Abulafia, most scholars agree that Jews and Christians in Latin Christendom lived in relative peace with one another until the thirteenth century. [218] [219] Scattered violence toward Jews occasionally took place during riots led by mobs, local leaders, and lower level clergy without the support of church leaders who generally followed Augustine's teachings. [220] [221] The expertise that Hastings brought to what he did was quite exceptional, and this history is just entrancing. It is beautifully written, it is beautifully organised, it’s full of wonderful human interest stories and a great sympathy with ordinary people, and it sets standards for the way that we all write. In A.D. 313, Constantine lifted the ban on Christianity with the Edict of Milan. He later tried to unify Christianity and resolve issues that divided the church by establishing the Nicene Creed. There is nothing more of Christianity in Gaul until the beginning of the 4th century excepting one inscription, which can possibly be dated to the early 3rd century, from the cemetery of Saint Pierre l’Estrier in Autun. [120] North Africa [ edit ] Roman provinces of North Africa Roman Empire - Africa Proconsularis (125 AD)A History of Christianity is a 1976 study of the history of Christianity by the British historian Paul Johnson. [1] It has since been reissued and updated. The author aims to present a comprehensive factual history of the Christian religion. The earliest followers of Jesus were apocalyptic Jewish Christians. [1] Christianity remained a Jewish sect for centuries, diverging gradually from Judaism over doctrinal, social and historical differences. [2] Christianity spread as a grassroots movement that became established by the third century. [3] [4] [5] [6] The Roman Emperor Constantine I became the first Christian emperor and in 313, he issued the Edict of Milan expressing tolerance for all religions thereby legalizing Christian worship. [7] Various Christological debates about the human and divine nature of Jesus occupied the Christian Church for three centuries, and seven ecumenical councils were called to resolve them. [8] An important cultural shift took place in the way Christians buried one another: they gathered unrelated Christians into a common burial space, then "commemorated them with homogeneous memorials and expanded the commemorative audience to the entire local community of coreligionists" thereby redefining the concept of family. [189] [190] It was an absolutely huge turnaround, part of a real reformation of manners. Society moved from a society where the festivals of the church were hugely important, to one where discipline was valued. Scottish society remained full of festivity, but it had a rather different relationship with the Church. The Church was generally on the side of buttoning yourself up after the Reformation, whereas beforehand it might well be on the side of unbridled fun.