Early Church Persecution Research Paper

One of the reasons this was a very significant period was because during this time the first Bible was compiled in Nicaea in 325 CE. Later, around 400 CE the Roman people fully accepted Christianity as their religion, which gave the religion a home. Christianity was accepted by a splitting Roman Empire to give a sense of unity to the falling empire.This is a significant step in the development and change of Christianity because it gave Christianity room to develop. Meanwhile, a Latin version of the Bible was created. Shortly afterward, philosophical and religious ideas are debated within Christianity more complex ideas about faith are formed. Near the end of the First Seven Ecumenical Councils period Vikings began raids on Christendom, and caused new conflict. Christians were still constantly trying to convert pagans and foreigners to Christianity with various degrees of success. One tactic used to help convert pagans was that the Christians used the Winter Solstice as the date of Christmas. The Christians recognized the outside celebrations of the pagans and used it to their advantage. This is a step in towards religious tolerance. Yet another instance of continuity was the persecution of Christians. Before 400 A.D. Christians were still being slaughtered in Rome, and the persecution carried on outside of Rome for many years to come.

The religious movement, a break of religion all over the where the main control of the catholic church broke. The ides of marriage were altered , “by which all that is the husband's is also the wife's” to show separation from the main part of religion (Luther document 4). Where people would not just give in to the christian way , “cannot submit [their] faith either to the Pope or to the Councils... frequently erred and contradicted eachother” because of these contradictions happening between the church's ranks (Luther document 8). The monks became vile , “breaking the vows of the church by having concubines and illegitimate children” their celibacy was now non existent (Bosch document 7). Also The added religions that formed at this time , “[They] ought not, by way of custom, to speak of predestination...they become negligent in the works” which all have changed their ways of how things happen which anger other. While people break the main religion religions produce like wildfire, however the were other thing affected at this period which made life in Europe drastically different, the social and political changes. The social and

Also during the Catholic Reformation, political conditions

During the Protestant Reformation in Germany around the 16th century chaos ensued. This was lead by Martin Luther, who brought the churches lie out in the open for all to see. He told the people of the corruption within the Vatican, and how they shouldn’t have to pay indulgences. Secularism spread throughout the lands, people began turning on the church. This all went on while the Renaissance was still affecting the European nations.

Periods of religious, social, and economic turmoil often provoke extremist movements. This is particularly true in regards to the European “Witch Craze,” an era from the late fifteenth through the seventeenth centuries characterized by mass hysteria towards individuals suspected of practicing “witchcraft.” However, several external factors throughout Europe served to precipitate the persecution of these individuals, a vast majority of which were female. One such factor was the Protestant Reformation, a movement led by influential religious figures such as Martin Luther in Germany and Ulrich Zwingli in Switzerland, who attempted to reform the corruption and abuses of the Roman Catholic Church, thus inadvertently leading to the formation of Protestant religions within the Christian faith. This act of dissent amplified religious tensions throughout Europe, therefore intensifying religious sentiments, such as the fear of satanic worship. Additionally, during this time period, Europe was faced with immense hardships in the form of natural disasters, famine, war, and devastation of the Black Plague, which not only created an apprehensive environment in which many sought out an explanation or scapegoat for their misfortunes, but significantly damaged Europe’s economic stability, thus causing people to go to extremes in order to support themselves economically. These factors were a lethal combination, creating a general climate of terror and doubt throughout Europe. To this end,

When the Roman Empire collapsed, the Catholic Church was the only powerful authority not complete disrupted by the attack by barbarians. In fact, the work of great Popes is what helped their power increase even more. The newly christened barbarians, done by the Pope Gregory the Great, inaugurated a new age in Jesus Christ called Christendom. All culture in Christendom conformed to that of the Church’s, and, with its headquarters in Rome, the powerful “papal monarchs”, as they were called, controlled the machine that was the Catholic Church.

Romans was written around 57 A.D. In those days the emperor was Nero. And Nero was a man who was considered to have no morals. It is speculated that Paul and Peter were both martyred during Nero’s reign. During that time the early church was growing at a very fast rate, but was also being persecuted at an all-time high. This put the early church in a very bad position, they would have to have their gatherings in secret to hide from the Romans who persecuted them. You would think this would intimidate the

The process by which Scripture has been preserved and compiled is one whose history is worth noting. The early church had many opportunities to share the Good News of Christ via word of mouth, but from the time of Christ’s resurrection until the mid-second century, there had not been a single culmination of writings considered to be essential for the purposes of

The Protestant Reformation is responsible for creating many of the Christ following belief systems in the modern U.S.A. Therefore; it should be explored so we may have a deeper understanding and tolerance of the belief system in America as well as how it relates to religious movements in the past.

As time constantly presses forward and the earth continues to revolve, the world will never stop progressing and adapting to better suit the needs of mankind. The evolution of religion has greatly enhanced the quality of life for humanity by providing individuals with a strong belief system that is now the foundation of many peoples’ core values. One universal religion that has undergone extensive amounts of reform is Christianity. In particular, the Catholic church is well-known for the development of their famous ecumenical council meetings that help determine the future of the church. Numerous Councils have been conducted throughout the course of history, but none more significant than the most recent, the Second Vatican Council or Vatican II. The Catholic church was operating as if it was still the medieval period and desperately needed to be modernized. As a result, every Roman Catholic Church official was gathered to meet and devise a plan for how to introduce the church to the modern world. Consequently, the following will reveal the Second Vatican Council and the ramifications of the agenda, history and theology evolution, significant texts, and new developments.

The Religious Reformation was one of the most influential time periods of European history. Not only did it give way to some of the most popular religions of the present day, but it also helped many Europeans realize that the word of the Roman Catholic Church was not the end-all-be-all. Because of the Religious Reformation, new forms of thought began to emerge and many of the Roman Catholic empire’s standards were questioned and revolted upon. While there were many reasons for the Religious Reformation to occur, there are three main causes that helped proliferate it around European society. The Religious Reformation was caused by the Roman Catholic Church’s strict views on penance, the degree of control that the Roman Catholic Church deemed

By the late 1500s, Christian denominations had been popping up all over Europe. This was in response to the reports of indulgences (selling of freedom from purgatory), clerical immorality, abuse of money, along with many other bad actions that were rampant among the Church. It was these problems that Luther and others rebelled and created their own religions. With the rising of these Reformation movements, the Church needed to make some reforms itself. These reforms took the form of educating the clergy, opening monasteries, the Inquisition, and the organizing of councils. In fact, even though Protestant attacks brought these reforms, many of these reforms were needed anyway. The problems in the Church were so bad that the Church would not

In contrast to the persecution experienced by early Christian followers, Christianity today does not experience the level of outward persecution. Christianity is practiced in an atmosphere nearly void of violence. It was not until the reign of Constantine when Christians were authorized to practice their chosen faith. The “Ediet of Milan”(313 A.D.), gave official recognition to the Christian faith, thus ending persecution within the Roman Empire. Before Constantine’s rule, there were many rulers eager to drive out the Christians. The Emperor Trajan (98-117 A.D.) established the first official policy relating to Christians and how they should be dealt with. Diocletion and the Apologists were the last of the persecutors in this era before Constantine. This marked the end of open persecution

Martyrs tells us that the earliest persecution came under the rule of Nero in the year 67

Over the past years of my life I have seen many changes, some for the good and others not as good. Change can be demanding and also crucial. The early believers would encounter this. One can see that significant change happened, when reading through the gospels and the book of acts it is obvious to the reader that the believers who followed Jesus would never be the same again.