Posted on 02/21/2010 7:19:56 PM PST by Salvation
This website surveys the origin and development of Roman Catholic Christianity from the period of the apostolic church, through the post-apostolic church and into the conciliar movement. Principal attention is paid to the biblical basis of both doctrine and dogma as well as the role of paradosis (i.e. handing on the truth) in the history of the Church. Particular attention is also paid to the hierarchical founding and succession of leadership throughout the centuries.
This is a set of lecture notes used since 1985 to teach the basis for key doctrines and dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church. The objectives of the course were, and are:
The course grew out of the need for the authors to continually answer questions about their faith tradition and their work. (Both authors are active members of Catholic parish communities in the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia. Dr. Robert Schihl was a Professor and Associate Dean of the School of Communication and the Arts at Regent University. Paul Flanagan is a consultant specializing in preparing people for technology based changes.) At the time these notes were first prepared, the authors were spending time in their faith community answering questions about their Protestant Evangelical workplaces (Mr. Flanagan was then a senior executive at the Christian Broadcasting Network), and time in their workplaces answering similar questions about their Roman Catholic faith community. These notes are the result of more than a decade of facilitating dialogue among those who wish to learn more about what the Roman Catholic Church teaches and why.
Genealogy of Christian Faith Communities, Roman Catholicim
The following chart shows a timeline of some of the events which lead to the multiplicity of Christian denominations. The chart is constructed to scale, so that each century takes the same amount of vertical space (with the exception of a slight vertical expansion for 1510-1530 to include the various Protestant denominational origins.) Note that there were long periods of time during which the interpretation of the Bible and doctrine were discussed and resolved without division into different communities.
Click here for a graphical version of thie timeline.
Year | Roman Catholicism | Other Christian Communities | |
Christ's birth | 4 BC | ||
Church's birth | . | 30 Pentecost | |
First Epistles | . | 50 Council of Jerusalem | |
First Gospels | . | ||
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Apostolic Age | 100 | ||
ends | . | ||
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200 | |||
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300 | |||
. | 325 Council of Nicea I | ||
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. | 381 Council of Constantinople I | ||
73 book canon | 400 | 397 Local African | |
of The Bible | . | Council of Carthage | |
. | 431 Council of Ephesus | ||
. | 451 Council of Chalcedon | ||
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500 | |||
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. | 553 Council of Constantinople II | ||
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600 | |||
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. | 680 Council of Constantinople III | ||
700 | |||
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. | 787 Council of Nicea II | ||
800 | |||
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. | 870 Council of Constantinople IV | ||
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900 | |||
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1000 | |||
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. | 1054 Greek Orthodox | ||
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1100 | |||
. | 1123 Council of Lateran I | ||
. | 1139 Council of Lateran II | ||
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. | 1179 Council of Lateran III | ||
1200 | |||
. | 1215 Council of Lateran IV | ||
. | 1245 Council of Lyons I | ||
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. | 1274 Council of Lyons II | ||
1300 | 1312 Council of Vienne | ||
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1400 | 1414 Council of Constance | ||
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. | 1438 Council of Florence | ||
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1500 | |||
66 book canon Reformers' Bible | . | 1517 Council of Lateran V | 1517 Lutheran,1520 Reformed,1525 Anabaptists |
. | 1545 Council of Trent | 1534 Anglican | |
. | 1560 Presbyterian | ||
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1600 | 1612 Baptist | ||
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1700 | |||
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. | 1787 Methodist | ||
1800 | |||
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. | 1870 Council of Vatican I | ||
1900 | |||
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. | 1965 Council of Vatican II | ||
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2000 |
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Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Foundation: Apologetics Without Apology
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Foundation: An Incomplete Picture
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Foundation: Dearly Beloved Catholic Brothers and Sisters
Being Catholic and Christian: Faith and Salvation
Catholic Biblical Apologetics:Being Catholic & Christian:Faith and Salvation-Authoriative
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Being Catholic & Christian: Apostolic Confessions of Faith
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Post-Apostolic Confessions of Faith
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Salvation: A Biblical Portrait
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Salvation: "Being Saved"
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: The Catholic Response to "Are You Saved?"
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: The Knowledge of Salvation
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Faith and Works
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: The Process of Christian Initiation
The Church: A Biblical Portrait - A New Testament Apologetic
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: The Church: A Biblical Portrait - A New Testament Apologetic: Jesus Christ preached a Reign or Kingdom, the Kingdom of God (or of heaven).
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Jesus preached an end-times kingdom but one already existing on earth
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Jesus preached that the kingdom was primarily spiritual and internal but also visible and external.
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Christ called and founded an exclusive, inner core group of twelve men called the "apostles."
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Christ committed His very mission to this twelve man inner core group, his Apostles, alone.
Christ gave to the Twelve, the Apostles, the power of ruling, teaching and sanctifying.
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: This same church Christ willed to endure until the end of the world.
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Christ instituted only one church, and that society was both formally and specifically a visible one.
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: The Marks of the Church, One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Labels Among Christians
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Genealogy of Christian Faith Communities, Roman Catholicism
Liars in cheif.
Please note that the Orthodox as they left did not introduce any new doctrines. It is the so-called reformation that did satan's work of corrupting the Faith.
“Apostolic Age ends - 100”
Just curious why the Apostolic age is said to have ended then? I mean, don’t Catholics still believe in Apostolic Sucession from St. Peter?
The succession is uninterrupted, but with the death of St. John, circa AD 100, the faith the Holy Apostles received directly form Christ had to be explained and propagated through the episcopacy.
“The succession is uninterrupted, but with the death of St. John, circa AD 100, the faith the Holy Apostles received directly form Christ had to be explained and propagated through the episcopacy.”
Makes sense. Thanks for the response!
It is, of course, just a marker. These were two distinct epoches, but the transition was gradual, as the living Apostles received martyrdom or, as the case was with St. John, were exiled, and the bishops they consecrated did more and more apostolic work.
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