Broad strokes of the Church from 300-600 AD

(Originally written in February 10, 2006 in Book 24)

Early Church (Christianized by 300 AD)
Church Growth (Christianized 300 - 600)
Late Growth (Christianized 600 - 800)

Early Church: Southern Spain, Northeast Africa (Carthage), Southern Gaul (Marseilles), Northern Gaul (Paris), Rome, Western Turkey (Constantinople), Parts of Egypt, Jerusalem to Damascus

Church Growth: Most of Europe, Most of North Africa, Turkey

Late Growth: Germany & Britain

300's - Century of the Church Fathers
313 - Edict of Milan
325 - Council of Nicaea
350 - St. Ulfilas goes to the Goths (Missionary from Constantinople)
381 - Nicene Creed enforced
First Germanic peoples were converted to Arian Christianity

400's
410 - Sack of Rome, Roman troops pull out of Britain (Britain reverts to Celtic paganism)
430 - St. Patrick is a missionary to Ireland. Ireland's Christianity develops outside of the collapse of Rome, therefore it has a differing character. Cities are important to the church on the continent due to thee Roman influence. Rural Ireland's church centers were the monasteries. The abbot (head of the monastery) is the most important Christian in Ireland, the bishop in continental Europe.
476 - Odoacer, Germanic Ruler, sits on the Roman throne

500's
Visigoths (Spain) and other Germanic Christians were Arian.
500 - The Baptism of the Frankish King Clovis. He was converted directly from Paganism to Roman or Orthodox Christianity. Clovis consolidated tribes and gained more control of Gaul. Clovis attempted to gain the favor of the bishops in Gaul. Clovis marries a Roman Catholic princess. About 7,000 Germanic Warriors decided as a group (with Clovis) to convert and were baptized as Catholic Christians.
527 - 65 - Justinian, the Roman Emperor attempts to reconquer parts of the Western part of the Empire. He pushes the Vandals out of North Africa and pushes the Germanic tribes out of Italy. He codifies the Roman law. He built the great Church in Constantinople. Really starts enforcing Orthodoxy.
550 - Benedict of Nursia (Italian Monk) set up the rhythm and pattern for monastic life in the west. Most clerics at this time come from the nobility.

131 Christians:

Bernard of Clairvaux
- Born into low Nobility
- He joined the Cistercians and lived an ascetic life which caused severe health problems
- Founded 60 Cistercian monasteries
- Wrote the rule for the Knights Templar
- Led the rally for the 2nd Crusade

Dominic
- Noble from Spain
- Devoted his life to poverty
- Preached to the Albigensians (heretics)
- Formed the Dominican Order of priests
- Aquinas was a Dominican

Innocent III
- First Pope to declare himself, "Vicar of Christ"
- Real name - Lotario Scotti
- Born into the Italian nobility
- One of the youngest Popes ever
- Purged the Church of disloyal officials, unneeded extravagance and replaced nobles with monks
- Saw the position of the Pope as ruler over all: "less than God but more than man, judging all other men, but himself judged by none
- Slaughtered the Albigensians

Catherine of Siena
- Devoted herself to a religious life at age 7 after seeing a vision
- Catherina Benincasa was born into middle class life, she was the 23rd of 25 kids
- Born the same year as the plague came to Europe
- Claimed to have an invisible stigmata
- Refused to marry
- Joined the Dominican Order of Penance (Dominican 3rd order) in 1363. This order was of lay persons who lived in their own home and were known by their dress and deeds for the poor
- By age 19 she attracted a following by her superb sanctity and fiesta personality
- She had a vision in which Jesus put a ring on her finger, signifying a marriage (spiritual marriage) to Christ
- She cared for plague victims
- Wrote letters to sinners, and to reform the church
- She convinced the Pope to return to Rome from France
- Died at age 33
- Declared a "Doctor of the Church" in 1970 (1 of 32 Doctors and 1 of 2 women Doctors)

John Wycliffe
- his bones were dug up 43 years after his death and burned and thrown into the River Swift
- English priest
- told Parliament not to pay Rome as they were saving for an incoming invasion from France because Christians were to be poor and the Church was rich enough
- Stated that the pope and the Church were second to the authority of Scriptures
- Wrote against Church doctrines of transubstantiation, indulgences and repudiated confession
- Began to translate the Bible into English for all to read

Francis of Assisi
Devotional Classics
7. Strive always to Praise God
- His message to the birds was for them to be grateful to God because God takes care of them
8. They sang a wonderful song

At the end of his message to the birds he blessed them and they all at once got up and left. They all sang to the Lord