CHAPTER 2
THE CHURC HISTORY OF SS THE EARLY CHRISTIANS ——— :
CHAPTER 2 <a of of é y f '
; | al] receive the grace and strength for everyday life, ~ '
_ From the Eucharist we all rece ; "A < . actence, in the joy of knowing that God loves us, for living a truly Christian existence, ne Holy Spirit lives in-us q
P that Christ has died for us and that t Y °P po Ry > ¢ — John Paul Il, Homily, Dublin, September 29, 1979 7 iw ¥ i J fe! o 1ea '
- = indistinguishable from other men either b y NG >. q "Christians are indistinguishable trom othe en either by r . x PES .
'f oT nationality, language or customs. They do not inhabit # \ apapgeecomege SP '
' yy separate cities of their own, or speak a strange dialect, y _ y SRE RAE | Hi , J Hy not based upon reveries inspired by the curiosity of VY Le Sarees - p i <<. yh men. Unlike some other people, they champion no ne . purely human doctrine....
~ wt "And yet there is something extraordinary about their ¢'
, < 4a8 Ped K/ lives. They live in their own countries as though they g . p —> A | as ¥.nf Say were only passing through. They play their full role as be 4 =) ciuzens, Dut labo ] = all the disabi ies of aliens. Any The early Christians enjoyed the special circumstance of historical proximity to Jesus and the Apostles
, \ country can be their homeland, but for them their homeland, wherever it may be, is a foreign country. Like | | others, they marry and have children, but they do not expose '
'he preceding eloquent descriptions of what it means to live one's life as a follower of Christ them hey share their mealcbh not their uive 4 Speed Fra ats Be sch re ~ Ve have wv v Wwe a r Te ane cri - C them. They share thei meals,but not their wives. They live in the flesh, but they are not might have very well been written about the Christians of the third millennium. The source of governed bj the dese of the flesh I hey pass their days upon earth, but they are these excerpts, however, is the Epistle to Diognetus, a letter composed by an unknown apologist cizenis OF eave Ubedient to the laws, they yet live on a level that transcends sometime in the second century. Like that of the author, the identity of the recipient, Diognetus, the law also remains concealed within the depths of history. Still, its words endure through the centuries
"© speak In general terms, we may say that the Christian is to the world what the soul for anyone who wishes to understand who the early Christian was. Both the Christian of the | ie body...
The body hates the soul and wars against it, not because of any inhir = dce nee and the Christian of today should fit the description given by that ancient.
-diise OF the restriction the soul places on its pleasures Facehiide fasta catmet woe a not because they have done it any wrong, but Me early Christians enjoyed the special circumstance of historical proximity to Jesus and the : y ar€ Opposed to its enjoyments Apostles. Some of the harshest conditions that the followers of Christ have ever endured came rere as € who h te : m just as the soul loves the body and all its members
+ 1 2 ginning, yet the se Christians persisted in their faith. The y offered their suffering in union fc) el! taperhae.
> DY the soul, enclosed within the body, that the body } Cs at those first celebrations of the Mass in their homes and in the catacombs, shared ahha te oh ee by the Christians, detained in the world as in a Aeee a of nee with neighbors and strangers alike, strove to live morally upright place; and Christians a ewer. 4h€ soul, though immortal, has a mortal dwelling
Be Take 1 mt aved society. They set about the great task of building a new civilization of freedom from chanve and me€ amidst perishable things, while awaiting the far from eas ee Christ oe se ae of the early followers of Christ were assuredly he deprivation of food and a, s © theirs in heaven. As the soul benefits from RIE some een Sochiy abe - pes the ae when the challenges became overw helming,
Diognetus) ans flourish under persecution' (from Epistle fortified and guided by the a Spirit wh d :
| - ae bese I mae ye SUlded Dy the Moly spirit, who endured and provided spiritual shelter and strength for | all who would believe aes nem ee fH) iDher :
— ~ s —_ Ee Da = SS _ = RCH LY CHRISTIANS | uisToRY OFTHECHURCH THE EAR | ——— _—___-_______—__—_________ | — —————— tt hese early Christians would have found their many trig
| Without the strengthening graces 0 eer ancient and holy, but often persecuted tradition, mountable. They had been born irom 'into a world dominated by pagan cultures. In the fag
| Hi) ir which they made an essential departure adically new vision of human life. Its morality oF; hostile world, Christianity proposed Pets: concerning his witness to Jesus Christ and | de 'i nded that the believer make difficult Shee te family, public life, work, and relation to both
Sere y renee that affected dally life marriage ane "
: all times were the word Hi n vital issues that affectec te the world, Guiding them at all times S and life } | | on me sighbors and all the peoples of the world. ae ri FChrict. trans ed by his Apostles.
Ve jv ; of Christ, transmitted by his Ap rm throughout the history of the Church have looked | It is worth noting that many gate e ti iness, simplicity, and fraternity. The Second Vaticay
(j a back to this first period as cee 'o bring modern Christians closer to the spirit of the early \ { | Council enacted various !
| "erian Pir Je Fess Par Aw q '
Nege aa he life of the early Christians, their beliefs, practices, traditions, ang \* ae * | This chapter dekaye i? desclopnient of the Church as an institution, especially the & .
= ; ve It will rm qa and the sacraments. Finally, it will chronicle the early theological development of the Mefdrcny alt is 'ingicre hefore briefly looking at ing ; -_—_— nibicioeaiionts of the Apostolic Fathers and Apologists before brie fly looking at a final and often fm : too common aspect of early CANMSUaH EBX,
: mi) hi \ a | ? e bd Beliefs and Practices: The Spiritual In the first years after the Resurrection, adults who wanted to convert to the Faith were baptized freely
«| e e Life of the Early Christians BAPTISM | ; ; Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
| - " f Wis beliefs and practices of the early community of and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Mt 28:19) |b Christians took some time to Vi = 1s id t j irl | .
Christians took some me Ores oe Christ did not Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the <7 my leave hi Church with a fully developed t 1eology and disci kingdom of God. (In 3:5 io ee a plinary practice. Ratt ese emerged through centuries of :
; , @ plinary practice. Rather, these emerged thro centurie . av La . nsf ; q r aie * é ePc1ic yrac antis WS u is ith j \f rene - -)3 f i ac NY (A . Wr theological, philosophical, cultural, and historical developa paneee Ee sacle ae syste a abDegg WSs ae Sebi?) eat pale
(ie s Ve ment under the guidance of the Holy Spirit in and through esus who instituted the acrament of Baptism in the Ho y Spirit (cf.
Jn 3:22; Mk 1:8), instructing ¢ me the institution of the Church. From the Church's inception, we eecpies pe: ania ee e a ets ayaa See ee Pruleves = paver i Va q J the etemal truths present in Christ's teaching were passed original and personal sin, begins a new life in Christ and the Holy Spirit, and is incorporated into } i) on and unfolded within a living and changing body of the Church, the Body of Christ (CCC 977, 1213). at ; practicing believers. As the early Christians reflected on the In the first years after the Resurrection, adults who wanted to convert to the Faith were baptized
Uospel message and integrated it into their daily lives, the freely. As Christianity grew, a more structured program of instruction preceding Baptism evolved. carly tradition of Church teaching began to take shape and Catechumens ("the instructed." from the Greek katékhein, "to instruct"), those adults seeking express itself especially in the liturgy. admission to the Church, met over a long period of time. normally two to three years, for As mentioned in the previous chapter during the earliest instruction before being baptized. The lengthy process provided time for the catechumen to learn
| years, Christians remained closely associated with the the message of the Gospels and to develop a strong foundation in the faith. Though one might
Siallit YSCIY daSSOCIe Wit j gine ho ere ricted a\re!l of cjac j Jewish faith, the tradition from which many early CHHstem imagine that there existed a high level of enthusiasm and zeal among prospective believers at a converted, They retained many traditional Jewish oractices ume so soon after Christ had walked the earth, one must keep in mind that these were often times i SOU ict Y ic 1IOTla -WI15S a ad AF gcrean mes - + | :
P in (h€ same way that Christ and the A sostles Hada dne of great persecution, which could easily overwhelm a believer with a burgeoning but poorly
DOS =" 2 ad. th) stints 'd au we : changed, however, after the Coy ei. Jenaseiens anal tt grounded faith. The catechumens waited to be baptized at the Easter Vigil on the night of Holy destruction of the 'Temple —sverre ce: ieee Saturday or on the Saturday before Pentecost, mnfiiy ne Ge oople—events that brought a huge D , : Ze Gentiles to Christianity and altered the ethnic make: auring the Medieval period, the catechumenate fell into disuse. Adult converts normally received
Up of the Christian community. ten weeks of instruction from a priest and then received Baptism during various times of the | Chapter Two 63 —— =
RCH THE EARLY CHRISTIANS = cil reinstituted the catechumenate to bring bach their way to the place of torture and execution. These baptisms were valid because they utilized al year. In 1965, the Second_ recepan into the Church that had been pra cticed the Trinitarian formula and intended to follow the mind of the Church. There were alsoa . et ef custom of preparation ghee adult converts once again study anc aay Ogether catechumens who were martyred before receiving the Sacrament of Baptism. From the earlies pastas Christians. As in theTh at Easter. times, the Church taught that those who died for the Faith received the graces of Baptism through ur '
. io ate before being admitted 0 8 « common during the third century, and by the early their martyrdom, which is called Baptism of Blood.
The practice of bapazing= paints was universal. There is also evidence that it may The Church has always held the firm conviction that those who suffer death for the sake
Medieval period, the practice 2 hones the time of the Apostolic Bea, St. justi arty of the faith without having received Baptism are baptized by their death for and with have started prior to the see veer vee been made disciples"
(cf.Apologics 1.15) Iai third Christ. This Baptism of blood, like the desire for Baptism, brings about the fruits of refers to Christians who had ee nee (A.D. 170-236), Apostolic Tradition (21). the Bapt sm of Baptism without being a sacrament. (CCC 1258) es eee nd. TetaTAD 100-225) disagreed with the practics a aeoaea
Though infants were baptized, it was common for adult converts in the early days ofthe Church to ctikiren 15 <a alidity). In order to avoid the dang OfSoeeeae wait until they were on their deathbeds before they received Baptism. Since Baptism remits all
(though he did nor deny °S ath t the baptized ought to be old enough <0 uaaie f sin, it was believed that waiting until the very last moment would allow a person to during his youth, Tertullian argued tha he practice of infant Baptism was clearly recom. traces of sin, ; soe es Sdiately after sacrament. Origen (A.D. 185-254) claimed that the P be wiped away aS soon as Possible, commit as many sins as he pleased and then bypass Hell an gatory by dying imm | ded and supported it since original sin ought to De WP Confessions gives an ar, S receiving the sacrament. Not only does this contradict the spirit of Christianity, but also it is very
Sf . stine. son of a pagan father and a Christian mother, in his Con gument dangerous, and could possibly dooma person in the case of sudden death. It also severely limits song sala lines, based very much on his own experience: the ability of people who could be fully immersed in God's love through the sacraments and his
[ ask you, O my God—for I would very much like to graces to help others and themselves. This practice continued into the fourth or fifth century, know, if it is your will—to what purpose my baptism when infant Baptism was commonly established, and was taken up again for a while during the was postponed at that time? Was it pas baie my
Middle Ages. good that I was:given more [ree Felgn to Ss aa AGAPEAND THE EUCHARIST '
| not given more free reign? How is it that even now one hears it said of one person or another, "Let him I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night
} alone, let him do as he pleases, for he is not yet when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, b baptized?" In the matter of bodily health, no one says,
"This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also * "Let him alone; let him have a few more wounds; for the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often
| he is not yet cured!" How much better, then, would it as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the have been for me to have been cured at once —and if cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. (1 Cor 11: 23-26) a meeseed spunvigs: = sees= The Agape ("love" in Greek) refers to an early Christian religious meal that was at first closely
| pees My Sas pets Lo er fi ag fi rhe related to the celebration of the Eucharist and often preceded this celebration. The close
| » SE My RRS, hy : ie : ' ; # oh: She connection did not last long, however, because of the Eucharistic abuses that arose from its gs eyeees Rar meeianen ae «; od aaa proximity to the Agape. St. Paul criticizes these abuses in his first letter to the Corinthians: and great the waves of temptation which appear P ; hang over me as | grew out of childhood! These were When you meet together, it is not the Lord S supper that you eat. For in eating, each one foreseen by my mother, and she preferred that the goes ahead with his own meal, and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not unformed clay should be risked to them rather than have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those the clay molded after Christ's image. (St. Augustine, who have nothing? (1 Cor 11: 20-22) '
Confessions 1X1) In order to avoid impiety and denigration of the Eucharistic celebration, the Agape was soon cele- .
The beauty and value of baptizing infants is that original sin is forgiven and the child is incorporated brated in the evenings. Records of theAgape, however, are few, and the practice generally did not into the Mystical Body of Christ. Baptismal character imprinted on the soul renders the infanta last long, except in some smaller and more isolated churches. child of God who r :
, . coat soos aresea si of Christ called the common priesthood. Lastly, this The ritual of the Mass developed gradually over time. The beginning of the ceremony included
Prior to the twentieth century Fey Br+7 through which he may grow more fully in Christ readings from the Bible, singing of the psalms and hymns, common prayers, and a collection for the | during childbirth, and many ehdres fe . in wo nations, many babies and women died poor. (Keep in mind, though, that even if the official Canon of Sacred Scripture was not set until the Baptism secures the great gift of ferkheaees os3 : om diseases that had no known cure. Infant fourth century, many, including Tertullian, St. Irenaeus, and St. Clement of Alexandria held the four
| raising the child ina Christen vey ~~ 99 and salvation from God and commits the family to Gospels as inspired.) Finally came the Liturgy of the Eucharist, which formed the high point of the .
Baptism has always been ad . liturgical celebration. In the earliest years, fixed prayers did not exist. Rather, the celebrant gave quk Wises i habeAaay ie immediately when the recipient is in danger of death. In thanks in his own words before praying the Institution Narrative and Consecration. The Consecra- | persecutions there were cases sinseeeae can administer the sacrament. During the esey Spies the actual words of Christ, was already written down in the earliest letters
| . rs administering Baptism to converts as they made Faul (cf. 1 Cor 11: 23-26) in the A.D. 50s.
64 oO apter Two c—— ———— ——————— | Chapter Two 65 | AMUN = '
Oe ae — HISTORY OF THE CHURCH THE EARLY CHRISTIANS Eucharist, literally meaning hae WAS,and is The + of Christian worship, and it consisted in eon, = Hilal the central Sscrament of Holy Communion, the Body ang suming tre al of the early documents from this periog THE CATACOMBS q My wall | Blood of Christ. AY © Christians considered Christ Al ' f My ?t indicate that oa der the appearance of ai atacombs were an important sense of community in the early Church. nil } i present in the Euchans: f the Fathers of th Chien Opens: place for early Christians Although they were never actually used ' and wine, attested by many 0 an Tohn: Ge € Church, in certain areas. A catacomb is an as hiding places during times of persey i | including Sts. Cyril of Aes f4ei Tysostom, underground series of tunnels, chambers, _ cution, the catacombs did serve as places e A Gregory of Nyssa. Cyril of Alexank nia, Ambrose, Augustine and tombs that were dug by Christians of refuge for baptisms and the celebra- " ate Justin Martyr, and John of Damascus. This corresponds tg and served as burial places, shrines, tion of the Eucharist. In the privacy of|
'O58 2" i ; the teaching of the Church based on the New Testament and places of worship during the first the catacombs, Christians couldworship ee accounts. For instance, St. John Chrysostom teaches, "Itjs few centuries after Christ. The most openly, and express themselves in prayer
. ¢y SE not man that causes the things offered to become the Body famous Christian catacombs are those and religious art.
| , x aid Blood of Christ, but he who was crucified for us, Christ found outside ofRome, but catacombs As the persecutions continued, martyrs , himself. The priest, in the role of Christ, pronounces these have also been discovered throughout were given places of honor in the cataj words, but their power and grace are God's. This is my Italy, France, and Northern Africa. combs. The tombs of the martyrs became a YY body, he says. This word transforms the thing offered'
There are over sixty different catacombs popular places of prayer where Christians i! | (od i ee ie lec Eee ena and patna?favaccoursfir Allred 'Thecacae were contaly, aie M e Pa sft <i an | "Be convinced that this is not what nature hasformed, asAyn asBese sie conse The of mallee of inderanauite tunnels, and expanded and used for burial through I SpE aes Ee ayails over that of nature, because by the blessing nature itself js power of the blessing prevail abe hi hat did not exist em they are estimated to have held almost the fifth century A.D. Eventually, they changed....Could not Christ's word, which can make from nothing w
Be . Change two million graves. The catacombs of were abandoned and forgotten, only to existing things into what they were not before? It is no less a feat to give things their original nature
St. Callixtus are among the most be rediscovered in the sixteenth century. than to change their nature" (De myst. 9, 50; 52: PL 16, 405-407). impressive. These catacombs are four Ever since that time, they have remained stories deep, include about 12 miles of popular pilgrimage sites for Christians CHURCHES tunnels and galleries, and in them were to find inspiration and learn about the buried 16 popes and dozens of martyrs! early Church.
| For the earliest celebrations of the Mass, people gathered together in private homes and in the The catacombs are made up of long catacombs, especially during periods of persecution. Some of the Roman emperors permitted narrow tunnels with several rows of Fi 1 ee Th ; Christians to build churches, especially at the beginning of the second century. Renewed per rectangular niches on each side, called ¥ a— * secutions, however, left most of these structures destroyed. It was not until the Edict of Milan
"loculi." Corpses would usually be wrapped an = , ; (A.D, 313), when Emperor Constantine began a building program favorable to the Christians, that in a shroud and laid in the /oculi. Then, i & : aS Roman architectural designs like the basilica were transformed into Christian churches. the Joculi would be sealed with a marble mn) - .
<= = : slab or with tiles. The tombs would | he ( - at oe om often be adorned with inscriptions of the | PAYS A fi Fs = ; a =~ person's name or a short prayer, as well
! pam | ae Sige 2 § r ~ as religious symbols. There were also :
=. Sa small rooms called cubicula that served _ l!
' q Be 6) i fos \ a as family tombs, and larger rooms called Ys ii ; ~~ : = = | at j= = Crypts where the tombs of prominent » i | a4 :
| a == = fo figures, such as popes or martyrs, were " converted into small churches.
F :, a mea oe Most of the catacombs were begun in f; a "7
. 3_ J = | LY a the second century and initially were 4y a4; a a : onli L ST merely burial places. Christians shunned | vy '
Ps lh) ar { 7; = i e j the Roman practice of cremation and ay iy as) i * a! preferred burial because of their belief in sd cat y el . a EO a ng the resurrection of the body. This desire
4] (ee j ' é to be buried together showed the strong v ' i i cde #udlaCombs, Rome, Italy 66 Chapter Two .
———— ee _ Chapter Two 67 il = aa"
&3&=&=3»"»©—=C ; THE EARLY CHRISTIANS E CHURC HISTORY OF TH BY A.D. 300
ISTIANITY CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIESBY A.D. me. - | ARLY GRO a) RA | fi Roe ee ASIA MINOR a FT ae fi IN = N CHRISTIAN CHURCHES wor ! eoaly SEA '
Ca WP iN mi GERY O Seven Churches of Revelation 1-3 eracek Fas oe | - | ATLANTIC oi " c @ Wow uch © a Se __Bounty of Romanprove 65 AD.
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° < = — wengTA> ' ae ATS FS The Anal / Seleucia = ma j le *"OrFE ple y | A NE ' o Ly Me Majority Christian :
AN SEA | "Peas Fs | | FE Mincity christen suoaga J} / uv ee Salamis ve : i Hy, — Alexandria cy steet é Few people Christian — ~ f a ae | "4
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\ ©1997Lion Hudson plc! Thaae's Company fa Sea Paohos O =| — _ CYRENAICA x \ DiS a ee ~ \. ea a din eea ie © 1997 Lion Hudson pic/Three's:
Company _ CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES BY A.D. 100
SC Wr its large population of Hellenized Jews, Asia R.
Minor became the first area of growth for the _ "
{/ Church. Many Jews converted to Christianity through eS rEi * : y Xn <A BLACK SEA the works of Paul and the Apostles. St. John received his
Le Rais | ' apocalyptic visions on the island of Patmos off the west +g 2 \ea deg Rl os oT a coast of Asia Minor. In his "revelations," seven Asia Minor oN SS ore AFeat ~ ; churches received messages of encouragement and p ea. x.
@ ) a: aN if , a -. mm: ~~ condemnation (Rev 1-3). in + ¥ "ied ae =) © = & a ae. wt , :
+t ' dessin ; By the end of the first century, Christianity was still aha : : fs a ; oan. a rat ". min confined to the Eastern Roman Empire. except for + ; i ome Of i t Communities in Rome, Puteoli and around the Bay of Loe Swat eT eegs Naples. Edessa was the only possible church known m y eke a .
— aes Paphos Sion i outside the empire.
= tr ; aeTeeRa Ai Paes RO By the end of the third century, the Christian world had iy :
, NEAN Sey pee 1; y* changed drastically. Christianity and Judaism had gone |-& t @ Ciyitown with church Alexandra rt their separate ways, and Christianity had become largely
= ye BS (10 wt Ovsnan cormrusitas t 4 religion ofthe Gentiles. Its informal center had shifted ia a .
| sia belt ea eh reat from Jerusalem to Rome. The scene was set for the em _, j = Wim epiphany of Emperor Constantine in A.D. 312 and the al ae '
——— ; Wworld-changing embrace of Christianity as the official St. Peter's Grotto, first century church in Antioch on the Orontes.
Sa ee ©1997 Lon Hudson ple/ Three's Company R"y religion of the Roman Empire.
Ee 68 Chapter Two Chapter Two 69 SS = ae } __<= Se H :
HE EARLY CHRISTIANS uisTORY OF THE sales =~ : days were days of fasting and penance. Though Friday _ As mentioned in the previous chapter, | ly Christians, Wednesdaysie nee and accomplished his redemptive Sacrifice
Christ made St. Peter the head of his Church | o eieae it was the day that nei for fasting and penance. Some traditions hold hat
(cf. Mt 16: 13-23, Jn 21: 15-17), the first pope. ae why Wednesday Wa ate chief priests to betrayi the Vicar of Christ, conferring upon him the ; s the day that Judas consPeee , yntil sundown on Saturday. Christians at fing responsibility and supreme authority of | vee h lasted from sundown on Friday im replaced Saturday as the holiest day of mel guiding the Church after Christ's departure.
The Jewish mane (day of rest), but Sunday waeUae rose from the dead and the day e > There are clear historical sources that indi- | ee SE tie it represented both the dayagit sist day of CreatlOt and it followell ill cate that the aiticney Ge eaten | the week ; eputed to ; , Pe i which Pentecost occurred.eeaelas well. Celebrating the Lord s Day on Sunday
Rome was recognized and regarded as the the first day of "re-creation wouldaas during the persecutions because it was observed} supreme authority in all Church ae also provided convenient covet Cena d of the first three centuries, the practice of celebrating: from the very beginning. The First Epistle o pagans as their holy day as well FE RE?
Pope St. Clement I (A.D. 88-97) demon- : cen root.
, thority of the papMass on Sundays had takenr The Feast of Epiphany, for example, wap strates the recognized autho ty pap days also developed throughout the years. fourth century. St. John Chrysostom P acy as he settled controversies that were ee ak in many separate places in the West before the fourth ain ye disrupting the Church in Corinth. The Epistle
Sate this feast in the East. to the Romans written by St. Ignatius of | ; , Antioch (ca. A.D. 35-ca. 107), who was appointed Bishop of Antioch by St. Peter ' himself, affirms the deferential obedience to | CHRISTIAN SYMBOLS / if re the authority of the Bishop of Rome. Simi1 ec central tench cia larly, St. Irenaeus' writings stressed the imT" cross was the most widespread and ee rad *eans. "Jesus CHS portance of the traditional structures in the enduring of all Christian symbols, since
TERS ac Church, such as the papacy.
| iheprescesCate ae wees he fish was the symbol LY .s T during the first fi ies of Faith. By the early third century, the practice
Often appearing with the ish was the symbo , , wo popes duringthe first five centuries o of making the Sign of the Cross was deeply of the anchor. Like the fish, it is an ancient
Christendom were especially instrumental in Christian world; Tertullian bol of pre-Christian origins, and it long ; ; Syategtedy bose sh ' sil e :
Pope Benedict XVI was elected the 265th "Vicar of Christ" on April 19, 2005. the development of the papacy's eccle o Christians as "devotees of the cross. symbolized safety. The early Christians ' bint sien ede refers t y ak siastical and jurisdictional powers. Pope St The Sign of the Cross took various forms adopted the anchor and developed its sigLeol(d. AD. 461 eitly tied lize Ch ; = 'Sie thiatenfufles, trom traeing'the cross nificance from safety to hope. (t was often
461) EXP icitly tried to centra ize Church governance based on the Bishop of Rome's over the forehead. mouth. and heart to the paired with the ship—as a ship is kept from preeminence. The city of Rome at the time of Pope St. Leo I was dwindling in size and importance. common sign used to today. In the Eastern drifting by its anchor, so is faith kept from Political power had shifted east to Byzantium. But even as Rome's political significance and Church, pric hint 'ca fps drifting by hope. The anchor also served the temporal power diminished and nearly vanished while at the same time the patriarchs of MSelves icti —s F :
'sane fe nih Sry ATE role of an sacks, Nate ofiad Constantinople and Alexandria were growing in political importance, the Church Councils still easily recognized by Christians. but not by deferred to the pope in Rome before acting on a decision.
Another widespread and ancient Christian non-believers.
| symbol is the fish. Among the earliest : nee Pope St. Gelasius I (d. 496) also actively asserted the primacy of Uz, i | | Christians, the fish for a time may have held
—. AK x. NS f the Roman pontiff and seems to have been the first to have used y re | va atSeicleae It ; ee Sea Oy the title "Vicar of Christ" to denote his divine authority, espe- &,* ¢ / . ong predating Christianity, , 2s dy . fab) ciall » i o ies j and it became a universal Christian symbol for YW) hy
5 yes he battled against a number of heresies in the East.
It recalls the multiplication of loaves - >. \ i rom the eighth century, the title "Vicar of Christ began to be and fishes, as well as Christ's appearance to / Ae ae } sete "a LAL . employed by the popes in addition to being used by bishops,
=\ Peee the Resurrection at S Om4 S ShB5 ; kings. judges, and priests. Many of the early popes used the title "pet ah | | pte A |=Pihe ayePi ; ee Vicar of St. Peter"; nevertheless, at the time of Pope Innocent III ee win | popularity was Wa b ae ' reas "yy.
Sey ay <2 | that the Greek for fish, ichthys, can also be _ eee ht Ad ™~ ' in the thirteenth century, "Vicar of Christ" became used by the .
} . an acrostic for the Greek phrase, lesous < 7 oe %& "=:
Pope exclusively. tf ; .
CHristos THeou Yios Soter, which. as a A carving on a tombstone in the early fourth century i=, fA catacomb of St. Domatilia depicts the fish symbol
The Gospel reading at the Inauguration Mass for Pope Benedict XVI on April 25, 2005 combined with the cross-like anchor symbol was John 21: 15-19 Simon [Peter], son of John, do you love me?'...'Lord, you
| . know everything; you know that | love you. Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep...
And after this he said to him, 'Follow me.
70 Chapter Two =" —— —— ——————— —————— a aasnssassennneeeee Ce iia —__"_ =" lJKEZI = =a —— ~» '
OF THE CHURCH THE EARLY CHRISTIANS HISTORY ——— = '
= romise this belief in e a oe oe Christians believe that there is only one God (monotheism) and cannot hese Also pomanaiatle ee ea — = — ee any way. Christianity, like Judaism had since its inception, found itself SuITOUNCaS
SYP diane - . me ' agan worship. Even if these pagan beliefs and the Roman cult of worship of theeei) bite wis* i eit to much of a personal faith, the early Christians rejected all acts of sacri ce a ae
-- | ritual that acknowledged pagan belief. They also often had to make great changes in : ie = ; pe PO iy q lives. For example, sculptors and painters who became Christian could no longer oe 4 pag
¥ Nn temples. Teachers could not teach Roman mythology, nor could they serve as judges or % at 7, nang" aa ~ magistrates (because they would be forced, by laws such as the Edict of Nero, to eragePAE es .
= i = Py j "og & <3 -{- ' a discovered to be a Christian). Many Christians were killed as martyrs for Soe rociaiied Ps P Via" y persecutions because they refused to adore the images of the emperors, who p @ ae themselves gods. a - «<< mm) .
/ | : eg ~ ce &; oh | e = . ba I = oN ! é | :
, } ' as i | : wf l mY | Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude also be s —— / ' if Vv 44, | | S bn yi ® a | THE EPISCOPACY a :
Mey +Vvé Mere. ay PROTA eres:
+ NN As with the papacy, from the beginning the Church held the office of bishop to be of great ay & importance. The bishops, as successors to the Apostles, were responsible for shepherding and f * ; x ) :
LUP guiding the flock in the various—and often dangerous—cities and situations in which Christians | found themselves. The bishops baptized, offered up the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, celebrated
; ——— ll fe weddings, ordained priests, and engaged themselves in all of the sacramental work of the Church ; At the Council of Trent in 1546 the Church made its final definitive statement concerning the Canon of Scripture i .
St. Ignatius of Antioch, of whom more will be said in the following chapter, wrote in his Epistle to | the Smyrnaeans the following with regard to the importance of the bishop: "Wherever the bishop
| shall appear, there let the multitude [of the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there THE SCRIPTURES | is the Catholic Church" (Epistle to the Smymaeans, VIII). St. Ignatius was the first to use the term
During the earliest centuries of the Church, the Canon of the Bible was certainly not intact as one | integral whole as it is in its present form. Many of the books that would later come to comprise
| PRIESTHOOD much of the Canon of the Old Testament, such as the five books of the Pentateuch, were long held . to be canonical by the Jewish tradition. Other books, such as Tobit and Wisdom, would be eit es d LESS @ contraction of the Greek word presbyteros that is normally translated as accepted through the course of the formation of the Catholic Canon. Many books of the New presbyter wn the early Church, the presbyters were the church elders. The full understanding of Testament, such as St. Matthew's gospel and most of St. Paul's epistles, were from the earliest oeknaaes aS munister of Divine worship and of the Eucharistic sacrifice subordinate to the times universally accepted; others, such as Revelation, required more time. is evidence that as early as the < is i allegiance, deve loped over the centuries. However, there
By the early third century, the universally accepted books of the New Testament canon were the offer up the Sacrifice of the Mac necentury there were already many priests being ordained to following: the four Gospels, thirteen of St. Paul's Epistles, Acts, Revelation, 1 and 2 Peter, and 1. 2,
Ole \ VaC MICE OF the Mass i; :
; The earliest and 3 John. After much discussion among various Church authorities including Origen, Eusebius, Ne Cariest exta Oordinatic @¢ came fr oe F .
= ae ae Z j oo. ees) a so : é = = tgs thetic € re ' dination nt€s come from St. Hippolytus' (ca. A.D. 170ca. 236) Apostolic ot. Athanasius, and St. Jerome. a definitive Canon was declared at a large synod in A.D. 382 in *aClUOll, aS Well as the fourth ce AU: Le le F '
Rank — a ET : re © the fourth century Apostoli Constitutions, Rome. Though it took a few more years for churches in Africa and Gaul to accept the canon, by |
= ————— ——$——— —<—<—<$<$_—— = —— sr Chapter Two 73 = | | Se —— a HisTORY OF THE CHURCH a THE EARLY CHRISTIANS yA he Western Church possessed the complete '
= the first decade of the fifth geet though it had not made nor recognized any. the end of the Testament. The Church in the Testament, generally accepted whatthe Weg
; | Canon of the New cerning the Canon of the New the legitimacy of the book of Revelation, The | j : i formal statement ie ~ some lingering disputes over determined, though for many centuries 5 , ke " had affirmed. ere P ent took longer to be offically e, Finally, in 1546 at the Councilo¢ > e :
Canon of the Oldee nas standard for ecclesiastical usag i Coron of SeHPaIa lof . a karthlans sa ts final definitive statement conceming
Trent, the Church ae : d the establishment of the Canon are very ee SE Scr + my A a ' ahe en would flely teach, the early reeingen edeat aE Y
| orate apart flom teirimerretaton BH CT Sp would not have thewid SLAVERY AND CHRISTIANITY ay papers cape mS book was divinely ie Peat Ceefede
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave or free, there is neither male nor ea pretensions that is notaeSr saaturies of careful deliberationand female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal 3: 28)
Church, under the guiding graceoroe : at texts that would form the Bible.
The institution of slavery was, at the time of the birth of Christianity, an ancient and widespread prayer, authoritatively determined those Insp "
Gospel of Thomas is an apocryphal book institution. Roman slaves were multitudinous — indeed, no earlier civilization had yet employed
A quick example will illuminate this point. pie ia never widely recognized, the Church hag slave labor so extensively. By the time of Augustus' death, it is estimated that two million of the that was claimed to be divinely inspired.aepase haps one reason for the Church's decision seven and a half million inhabitants of the Italian peninsula were slaves.Though slaves in the cities declared that book lacked divine inspiration. apenas relates that the Child Jesus, at about often had a better life than those enslaved for agricultural work, the cruelties and hardships Roman concems one ofthe stories contained inthis work Heie him into a frog. In her wisdom the slaves often endured are well known. Dread of punishment drove the slave through his miserable eight years of age, became angry with a playmate and ee books lite Hhistenie riddled with life. Slavery also existed in the Jewish culture, but it existed in a much different form. Mosaic Law
Church declined to add this book to the Canon. Many other boo , demanded a merciful relationship between the master and slave that recognized the dignity of various heresies, were rejected. both labor and the laborer, and slaves often gained their freedom after a comparatively short period of service (cf. Ex 21:1-11, Dt 15: 12-18).
| gone Jesus never spoke directly concerning the topic of slavery, but it is clear that the Gospel implicitly We . yf ; % | condemns slavery as a grave offense against humanity and Christ's call to love as he loved. Slavery
Ns b ® we he me { undermines the essential dignity of the human person, reducing the human being to the status ofa % EEX AS (1) ee | machine that can be bought, sold, and exploited until it breaks down. Such treatment
F | of other human beings is entirely inconsistent with Christ's teachings and the two greatest = = £ pes t= § | commandments (cf. Lk 10: 25-28). Slaves in the early Christian community were welcomed, not as = = as oe i slaves, not as inferior beings, but as equally dignified members of the Christian community in Christ.
Sle fe ——9 ed It was not early Christianity's place to bring about a sudden and sweeping revolution or | = et = =fnN '
. emancipation. Indeed, the Mosaic Law itself permitted slavery. Christianity at this time did not have | — & | == hart ta uJ the moral authority capable of social reform on a grand scale. Rather, through the spread of | Hh (iM IMN We Sci ie Christianity from individual to individual and the growth of the Church, the institution of slavery i WN few A was slowly undermined. Christ made clear the essential dignity of every human being and each
| ; ' person's unique call to a holy life.
St. Paul provides an excellent example of the manner in which the early Church dealt with slavery } | The Old Testament writings played a significant role in the early Christian community. Though the and writes concerning the topic in several letters (cf. the brief letter to Philemon, Col 3:11 and Church lifted the burden of the Old Law's requirements, the books of the Old Testament were
5: 22-25, 1 Cor 12:13, and in Eph 6: 5-9). St. Paul sought to bring the spirit of charity and of dignified | Susebeae authoritative. Christ fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies regarding the labor to the master-slave relationship. St. Paul writes:
| oa people Th'Seg eaeaehow God established his covenantee Slaves, be obedient to those who are your earthly masters, with fear and trembling, in were being led to pattyreocy § the Fsalms, especially in the liturgy and when singleness of heart, as to Christ; not in the way of eye-service, as men-pleasers, but as The Scriptures, tholach ch ieciicens . servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will of everything that Teees ee aaeae were never seen as a record and interpretauon as to the Lord and not men, knowing that whatever good any one does, he will receive the | Christian literature, liturgical eae. €s be Itis the Tradition of the Church expressed in eafly re again from the lord, whether he is a slave or free. Masters, do the same to them, and Scripture. Sacred Siete ; eae Sa Statements of the Church that clarify and interpret orbear threatening, knowing that he is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that € Is a vital central part ofa broader tradition, there is no partiality with him. (Eph. 6; 5-9)
74 Chapter Two ——SS ee ———— Chapter Two 75 | | Se—— -_ — — H yisTORY OF THE CHURC THE EARLY CHRISTIANS —————— : a — ES _ — = ——— —_—— ——— ——————————_$<—_— -comed— Christ himself was a Carpenter. Nor Were
. ot things to be scome 7) Nc < bedi Labor and the laborer were not things re (cf. Lk 22:27). Nor were obedience and the abor and Uk i Christ came to serv "
'se aniy s yu service and the servant — Christ she Father even unto death. The onty pat ever encolaay | obedient — Christ was obedient to U _" serving him as 4 beloved master, WOrkINg NOC Out Of fearg,
) ~ Chrict: pelyS TV Be ibe ~ n c = by St. Paul was slavery to Chinist: he 'of love for the greater glory Ol God. to gain favor, but "from th paneer ts and even rose to the highest Position gf
| Slaves were accepted into the Ch <taves immediately succeeded St. Peter as pope, Popes ) | wal governance in the Church. ae ride fourth pope. was also a former slave. St. Felicity
Lf rte are Se Cleme , ine [0 At .3 a .
| Sts. Linus and Anac®ris a Carthage before they both died as martyrs. ast Slave OF of. b anous re was the sla Constantine, the state instituted various reforms of slavery to improy.
~ mS Beginning with the ene a eror Justinian. By the time Northern and Eastern Europe wer » the situation of society, as did Emper'"
© Medieval period, slavery had ended as an institution, | converted to Christianity during the early Medieval peru'
} | . t NON-VIOLENCE ¢ i ry have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth fora toot: But I say to | ' ade thy t one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to : resist one W > VE, s you, Do not on one would sue you and take your coat, let him have your him the other also; and if any on .
Je. zo with him two miles, Give talll soul as well: and if any one forces you to go one mue, S PAE ° him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow Y ~<a You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and Ne peg Pur
— ] | I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Mt 5: 38-44; cf, se i .
I Non-violence naturally flows from Jesus Christ's command to love everyone unconditionally Mi Jesus taught non-violence and prayer in the face of persecution. A heavy burden of responsbbility
} | | lies upon those who undertake the use of weapons and who can wage war.
At the same time, the ethic of Jesus represents a worthy goal that is not yet realized here on ean Y . where secular powers reign. Some early Christian documents seem to forbid participation in th army (cf. Hippolytus' Apostolic Tradition 17-19 and Canon 12 from the Council of Nicaea), while a ; some early Christian writers outright rejected service in the Roman legions
(cf. Tertullian's De ; Corona Militis and Lactantius' Div. Inst. 6.20.16). Tertullian emphasized clear separation from the , ; I pagan Roman society of his day in order to remain faithful to Christ's teaching in such worksas
De enertaritiic eP coror mil - idanlalarnds anc = ne lk; = De spectac ulis, De corona militis, De idololatria, and De paenitentia. Tertullian taught that martyr
| dom was preferable to ci ympromising the Faith ee On the other hand. Christians did serve in the Roman army hecinr ae = E St. Thomas Aquinas refined the guiding principles for a just war almost a thousand years ago those wa a ler hand, hristians did serve in the Roman army beginning in the second century, The the war must have good and right intentions, y go lose waging | posse Legion was a Christian legion in the Roman army martyred under Emperor Maximian at 3t
. rap eae ae A soldier, St. Maurice, was the leader of this legion. According to legend SR '6s ¥ cae 'ontmelian, Besson, Dupraz, et al.), when the Christians refused tt
THE STATE edi lice (0 4 aan ZOd, the entire l@zion (aimost 6 000 men) ates tes meena ane a lee =:
~61011 \dilmost 6,000 men) was murdered. St.
Maurice's feast day | pee 0 '
Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are | | sh ine course of time, the Church has developed a just war theory. St. Augustine, one of the Eo SUN aay
~ LOpic, permitted war in the case of self-defence ot AE 9 MA Soin ex Fined The Roman State demande S ople na c a j . the guiding principles for a just war almost « sescee at elf defense. ot. Thomas Aquinas refine¢ eh s te demanded that its people participate in pagan cults, worship the emperor, serve authority of the sovereign (auct _ os & "ilousand years later: war must be initiated on the n te legions, and give Rome undivided loyalty. Polytheism and emperor worship were certainly
SENSES AGUCTOM(aS principis): the cayce mice he : f :
Sons : wit e Gospe S ; | ; waging the war must have good and : pis); the cause must be just (justa causa); and those Inconsistent with the Gospels. On the issue of absolute loyalty to the state, the Christians would more harm than that perpetrated by the es lons, Meaning that the war will not bring about { compromise in what would go against their commitments to Christ. The Romans found oy t ~~ MGCL vy t ee lel VY (rect Nrentin\ oth aie '
: if) c co > yy C er:
, - ; the Spaniard Franciscode Vitoria assed 2 recta intentio). In addition to Aquinas' guidelines mmitment to Christianity somewhat incompatible with loyalty to the state though they had
, ee eS VRS 05-154 6) added th \Wy4 ne experienc » 'eat ; ~3 f Cc (debito modo), which finds snecia) a.
») added that war must be waged by the proper meals ener a similar situation with the Jews. The Christians did not fulfill the laws against the contemporary warfare gs of the Church: nevertheless. they obeyed all the just laws issued by the Romans
©Ae Chapter Two 77 = — ——<x«xXxX rs i —— uisTORY OF THE CHURCH ____ THE EARLY CHRISTIANS d were of one heart and soul, and no one sajq lieve .
Now the company pe wnDe Ade pace was his own, but they had everything in PURE STRENGTH: WOMEN IN THE EARLY CHURCH hat any of the things which he p mong them, for as many as were possessors of ' ra There was not a needy person 4 eds of what was sold and laid it at the HY fst in the early Church faced her to remain pure, but her family forced eens ses sold them, and brought the proce had need. (Acts 4:32; 34) persecution not only for their faith her to marry a rich pagan young man lands or houses 4 distribution was made to each as any a but also for their purity, and many showed named Valerian. On their wedding night, she apostles' feet; and dis sar imperative to tend to the material needs of the whol heroic bravery in defending both with their told him in secret that there was an angel
; early as apostolic times, there Waea ducation, medical care, and the distribution ¢ lives. They understood the spiritual value who guarded her body's purity. When he As early i, ay The early Church engaged in edu
' ast comme;nce: ance of holy purity, and they were willing to give asked to see it, she responded that first he Scare an nr She expected her members to engage in 10n j h :
Practice their lives rather than face defilement. must be purified through Baptism. He cutie tea a condemned by Church councils in the fourti canny
Their unflinching heroism and both inner was baptized, and upon returning, he saw usury, which was explicitly cones and outer beauty fueled innumerable St. Cecilia in prayer accompanied by an AND CONTRACEPTION conversions throughout the persecuted angel. The angel held two crowns, one of SEXUAL ETHICS: ABORTION Church. lilies and one of roses; he crowned them and | ; iV , rejected the practices of aborti One such woman was St. Seraphia. She asked them to keep the crowns undefiled,
The Church Fathers and early Christian thinkers anes Seg cee rejected a ee was born to Christian esate in Antioch then rewarded Valerian's faith by offering infanticide, which were both prevalent in nope haus
. he Didache. me early in the second century. Her family later him one favor. Valerian asked that his contraception. Such writers and thinkers included the author 4 t te ne 6:
EMENt of fled to Italy to escape persecution. Seraphia brother Tiburtius be converted. When be ria, Tertullian, St. Ambrose, St. John Chrysostom, St. Jerome, and St.
Augustine. led a holy life and consecrated her virginity Tiburtius visited them, he was overwhelmed Alexandria, Tertullian, o dignity of the human person and violeeviaaias to Christ. When her parents died, though, by the smell of flowers that he could not Abortion and infanticide violently reject the dignity of T nas always held this Gouna many men tried to pressure her into see. St. Cecilia and Valerian told him about commandment: "You shall not kill" (Ex 20:15). The Church has always IS d this to e € Case, marriage. Young Seraphia chose instead to Christ, and Tiburtius too was baptized.
Jesus never spoke directly about either of these topics. but Jewish law and Jesus' teaching give her possessions to the poor and sell
The two brothers dedicated themselves to concerning the sacredness of human life and the love of neighbor led the early Church to embrace herself into slavery rather than to submit. burying martyred Christians until they were this teaching, Christ "gives [his Apostles and their successors] a share in his own mission. Fro
She became the slave of a wealthy Roman SApired an BUPAse eee Sauieray is teaphins. ee vege his person" (CCC 935) widow named Sabina, and over time. their bodies and buried them, but later she him they receive the power to act in his person
Seraphia's Christian example convinced too was arrested and condemned to be | The Church Fathers taught that procreation within Matrimony is good and blessed, andi tha
Sabina to convert to Christianity. Seraphia suffocated in a heated bath. When she was it is one of the intrinsic purposes of sexual intercourse. Artificial prevention of this possibility was eventually condemned to death for mlpegulously, unhartriedy asa aianiaas denigrates both the act and the subjects of the act. Even ancient Greek philosophy saw being a Christian; she was to be burned pentln So behead her Ree oes am ea Genigts cae obs sie = - he tt destroys the possibility of one of thé nEEiaa alive, but when the flames did not burn her, to do so but could not, and fled. St. Cecilia contraception > s unnatural violation since it destroys the POSSIDUITy en the prefect ordered her head cut off. Sabina survived for three days before dying from of sexual relations buried Seraphia in her family's tomb, and her wounds. later she too was martyred for the Faith.
The many women martyrs of the early Another example is St. Cecilia, who lived Church portray well the role that women | a in the late second century. According to played in fortifying the early Church .
~y legend, she was the beautiful daughter of a as examples of purity, bravery, and heroic | ' noble Roman family and she too offered her fidelity, an example that is no less virginity to God, praying always that he help relevant today.
- . = oe } =_— ; ss | » — ~ - = -—- ~ | ; = .
; | This sculpture of St. Cecilia makes us all eternal witnesses to her faith and martyrdom It was commissioned by Cardinal Sfondrato, who had opened her tomb in 1599.
Tradition holds that this incredible figure represents the position in which St. Cecilia's JPA body was found, On her neck can be seen the three marks of the axe blows that ended her life in the name of Christ. me eT fe}ect the dignity of the human person 78 Chapter Two = —_ Se — —
SL En ——— oe \al CHURCH "5 <n ¥ | CHURCH FATHERS ON CONTRACEPTION el : ecause the immorality ofcontraception killing?That she may alwaysbebeautiful . y St. Monica with henson, B: such a hotly debated issue, it may and lovable to her lovers, and that she | St. Augustine. As a young man, seem surprising that this moral question may rake inmore money, she does not andweae i wasjust as relevant in the times of the refuse to do this, heaping fire onyour vilan. He regarded Cia Church fathers. The truth is, most major head: and even if the crime is hers, you ate simpleper: forthle ' forms of contraception were around in are the cause. Hence also arise idolatries.
| uneducated people such as hie Roman times and the Church fathers were To look pretty many of these women '
| beloved mother Monica, Hewas able to see with amazing clarity the moral use incantations, libations, philtres, called by God and compeliedto implications and social ramifications of this potions, and innumerable other things. read St. Paul's Epistles. Hesoon practice. St. Epiphanius (ca. 315-403) Yet after such turpitude, after murder, became one of the most influential criticized the Gnostics saying: "They exercise after idolatry, the matter still seems theological philosophers and genital acts, yet prevent the conceiving of indifferent to many men—even to many | writers in Church history. He was children. Not in order to produce offspring, men having wives. In this indifference of | Pi: considered to be sympathetic to but to satisfy lust, are they eager for the married men there is greater evil | = women, especially mothers. corruption" (St. Epiphanius, Panarion 26.5.2 filth; for then poisons are prepared, not ~— rie:et chepride [GCS 25: 281]). Later, St.Jerome wrote: against the womb of a prostitute, but | nae ae Others drink for sterility and commit against your.injured wife. Against herare murder on the human not yet sown. these innumerable tricks, invocations of | WOMEN Some when they sense that they have prea s Speerlateg rane re , . conceived by sin, consider the poisons for ea . and unremitting While the role of women in early Christianity Is a topic of much debate, several points areClear ; abortion, and frequently die themselves contentions. (St. John Chrysostom, First. the Roman and Greek cultures regarded women as inferior to men in all areas: physically along with it, and go to hell guilty of Homily 24 on the Epistle to the Romans:
; tally, and spiritually, Second, Christianity, by its teachings of equality and charity, greatly three crimes: murdering themselves, PG 60: 626-27) | men oe he position of women, both individually and as a group in society. As with the issuegf committing adultery against Christ, The issues of the modern day were not only improved the po: d diate or radical alteration of the general position on and murder against their unborn child. relevant, but also gravely important for the slavery, Christianity could not effect an imme : f women by recosniaaaaa (St. Jerome, Epistle 22.13: PL 22.401) early Christians. The Church Fathers argued the rights of women. It did, however, change the perception of women by a against contraceptives for the very same nee.
; Indeed, after Jesus Christ, the most revered Perhaps the most complete treatment on ry honoring women's spiritual equality and importance. Indeed, alte Sen the matter is St.John Chrysostom's letter to T@asons the Church continues to condemn and honored person is a woman, the Queen of All Saints, the Blessed Virgin Mary who was the the Romans in the fourth century: them today.
| only human person so privileged and honored by God as to be born into the world free from th Why do you sow where the field is eager stain of original sin. It is through a woman that the Savior of the human race entered the wong to destroy the fruit? Where there are ie ep | Many women converted to Christianity, and they played an important role in the early Churehs medicines of sterility? Where there is "Pe —- ~ae | evangelization and, as will be seen in later chapters, in the conversion of the European continent igho! before birth? You do not even let oS is | eS hak Wi d the Gospel by ordinary and sometimes extraordinary means, through their rolesa @ harlot renaain 2 Rerige Gut you MaKe ee ee * Pld siete: Som Spey. ary f ug : her a murderess as well. Do you see that > ES in Ve ; /:ae. wives, mothers, and workers. Mothers, such as St. Helena (mother of Constantine the Great) anit from drunkenness comes fornication, Pe te o>, Sa Asani | St. Monica (mother of St. Augustine), played vital roles in the conversions of some of the most from fornication adultery, from adultery se esan4 ww. tent influential figures in the history of the Church. Just as women found an equal position inthe murder? Indeed, it is something worse "Zt —_ ~ : oy ht | Christian community, they suffered equally severe persecutions in the first centuries after Christ esteSaratwe to C Wt *. dDA
St. iene Felicity, and St. Agnes are just a few of the renowned female martyrs, ofwhom but prevents its fant. Wadcnacee ae.= *, iy \ | more will be told in the following chapter.
Do you condemn the gift of God, and yt ie S '. oya fight with His laws? What is a curse, do PF \& Fae, pL gies FAM you seek as though it were a blessing? a a ME | ILY LIFE Doyou make the anteroom ofbirth the a yA yy'
' reaeral gee the status of the family to a "domestic church." It was in and through the familly chi of slaughter? Do you teach at i LF lA sw of ' that the idea of Christian charity found its roots, and it was through the family that the dignity dl
ONee earn A mosaic of St. John Chrysostom in the magnificent every person was recognized. Love and : procreation of offspring to perpetrate Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, T as due da ae » HOVE and service became the hallmark of the Christian family. Thett
: stianity's . farihy suena Hy S Expectations regarding the family at times clashed with the pagal . y omucture, which could be brutal to women and *hild istianity i thicof charity into all human societal relat eh children. Christianity imbued an €
Onships, with the family as the model.
80 Chapter Two a ——— SE —————————— aes }| & — — roy OF THE CHURCH —a THE EARLY CHRISTIANS | HIS — a ii a ——— + i | hs a .
| itings of the —— Importan N .
| ° P istian Period . of | Christia Wi : i » "THE APOSTOLIC FA pn 'oa number of the earliest Christian writers, some 9 [ f The Apostolic Fathers 1s 4 tem renee immediately after the Apostles, and some had
,¥ - ¢ | whom have been me! tioned The mmunives established by them. They wrote about religious J | direct links to the Apostles or to ™ We adieceendito individuals or small communities, rather
Ud | . ind moral themes emi U h fil they do not, tor the most part, contain any Systematic | than to the whole Churen "itings do record some of the most beautiful and passionate accounts r I, | doctrinal exposition, !
<niality ever written. These sainty writers of the early Church are y ms .
Le whom more will be told in the following chapter, include among others ¥ <= f he eres 3 St. Ienatius of Antioch Herman, St. Polycarp of smyrma, and St. Papias, a \ ' well as the unknown authors of the Epistle of Barnabas and the Epistle to Diogentus.
Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you.
(1 Pt 3:15) | Apologetics (from the Greek apologia, meaning "defense") is a branch of theology that purportstg defend and explain the Christian religion. The history of apologetics is as old as the history of the Church and can be divided into four historical periods, each with its particular struggle: The | first, which concerns this section, dates from the dawn of Christianity to the collapse of the Roman
Empire in A.D. 476. The three great opponents facing Christianity at this time were Judaism = | Christ, the poor, common, humble teacher who was brutally executed beside two thieves. was far from the though the ute ap ol ogist refers tO anyone who writes an apologetic work, there was a group Ol concept of a messiah so long expected by the Jews early Church Fathers collectively known as Apologists. Writing mainly during the second and third centuriés, these men composed some of the greatest Christian literature. The Apologists include
Justin Martyr, Tatian, Athenagoras, St. Theophilus, Minucius Felix, and Tertullian But this is what we are most at a loss about: that you, professing to be pious, and sup- | Due in significant part to their work, Christianity had begun to gain more converts from among the posing yourselves better than others, are not in any particular separated from them, and educated and elite classes. Most of the writers were not trained theologians, but rather writers with do not alter your mode of living from the nations, in that you observe no festivals or | . n audience consisting of the public and the emperor with his immediate subordinates. sabbaths, and do not have the rite of circumcision: and further, resting your hopes on a As previously mentioned, early Christianity found itself attacked by both the Jewish and pagal man that was crucified, you yet expect to obtain some good thing from God, while you do traditions: For the majority of the. Tec, ee aa y tee a p " not obey His commandments. (Dialogue with Trypho, X) po tte ancient and holy tradition of Israel, denigrated and desecrated Judaism. the eee S response includes a defense of the Christian teaching about Christ and his laws as the ae aham. In idling Tulhliment of the Mosaic Law, Christianity rejected the the J ot the Je WiSn na w and the pr ophets. The apolog Y also incorporates a condemnation of che " t CUCUIT SION ane ner nr r ty \ > , ewish Ff:
. aes : ee > ee : ee Se | og) BESCUCeS. Lhnist, the poor, common, humble teacher who was ss Cwish fallure to understand and accept Christ as the messiah, the Son of God who came to he Yea The onrincadaceir te
Tal trom the concept of a messiah so long expected by fulfill the Mosaic Law. hslcanae Hie ee nes ta the Jews focused on these issues. St. Justin Martyrs
The most important aim of apologetic work at this time was to address the pagan culture of the vord SsPpOKen r nh + ; tS ' euportant Of these writings. The rolowing EXCErps
Roman Empit ~: Roman culture —from ts literature and philosophy to its commercial and nee, ees SSMS Critique of the early Christians: agricultural activities, from the political sphere to mundane, everyday habits
— was imbued with Chapter Two 83 = xX § ©ii ——_—_—_S URCH wisTORY OF THE CH Z THE EARLY CHRISTIANS dominated the popular ming a ire and its gods nares _ and anism. Pomp, powel. and glory oFte The Christians worshiped in Secret, ejected the Chistian didnot at ali into ;"4 imperial mandates concerning required sacrifices ang gods of the land, and refused to fo shes suspicion and superstition, which soon degene ated. venerations. Christians were met ai she celebration of the Eucharist soon were rumored tog into fear and mistrust. The Agape an d the Christians became known as enemies of the state orgies and obscure cannibalistic nites. a etic writings that explained the practices and beliefs
Thus, there was a great need for wee well as writings that made a case for the benign ang Christianity to the Roman pagan cultu ns in the Empire. Particular attention was given to | even benevolent presence of cere and how it was a bulwark of the state rather thang
Christianity forms SE ri aie writings addressed those issues, they also made cle r of disloyalty. ef ; ane | Sha persuasive arguments concerning both the spiritual dearth of paganism: andi promied an : eternal life and happiness in Christ.
The Didache (Greek meaning "teaching"), variously known as ie Doctr.ine of the Twelve Apostles and The Lord's Teaching through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations, 1S a shor
| exposition concerning Christian morals, doctrine, and customs Chal was iBOe we Compose | in the first century. Its sixteen chapters cover Christian moral life, Baptism, fasting, prayer, the | Eucharist, and the developing Church hierarchy.
The author, exact date, and location are unknown, but many of the early Church Fathers, suchas | St. Clement of Alexandria, Eusebius of Caesarea, and St. Athanasius, used this text as a reference and some even sought its admittance to the Canon of Scripture. Lost to scholars for centuries,if = siege was finally rediscovered in 1873 by Philotheos Bryennios, a Greek Orthodox bishop. i gatas! ose h -* | TERTULLIAN | | Tertullian (ca. A.D. 160 - ca. 225) was born in Carthage around A.D. 160. He was the son of a Roman
| centurion and received a sound education through his studies of Roman law. He eventually wrote | | numerous works, mostly apologetic, in both Latin and Greek (though the Greek works have been lost). He converted from Roman paganism to Christianity sometime in the middle of hislife, and mn quauts2 . from that point on, Tertullian worked to demonstrate with compelling argumentation and rhetone eu | that the Christians posed no threat to the Roman Empire, but rather were a great asset to it. Hs
| ae were highly Pees and brilliantly witty—he did not take any pains to avoid vexing his | 'oman audience in his defense of the Faith. Tertullian's versatility in explaining and defending tht | Catholic Faith won for him the title "Father of Latin Theology."
| } maeciaoeabe d Sommulty, Tertullian joined the heretical Montanist sect and definitively it hate eric he ;Sea later. Although his writing then turned against certain doctnnés
| Gintstanigy ne aes ae: consistent Montanist. The sect supported a rigorous form ; nature. This particular sect aka a pers uremuissible" sins, especially those of a sexta
) through Montanist prophets ailk :ee 1 Periodic overwhelming outpourings of the Holy Spit of Montanism he thought Niort ce syne: Tertullian, picking and choosing which tenes
: ant. eventually formed his own small following before he died ; _ Folio 201 from Tertullian's Apologeticum os 84 Chapter Two : a —_ _ eee —————— Se— = vr , ———<——— — —, HisToRY OF THE CHURCH THE EARLY CHRISTIANS LEY Tt in , | Gir ae | TT a agen PART III "gh Na, | Martyrdom as the Greate —* | J Gard }
> oa , | Testimony to Christianity C ) } see .
Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents { '
= fs, fen ty i and innocent as doves. (Mt 10:16) | \ \ #:
(é | a rom as early as the first century, Christians, in the face of both Jewish and Roman opposition, aa y= eyA" | tat Ld: found that they had to be prepared to die for Christ. Those who did actually lose their lives i w aren mf quickly became the most venerated of all saints. An entire theology developed around the martyrs i ieee i , watts ee that recognized their importance in the history of the Church.
| i Tea ¥ "4 a Ery te fw Ah atus > weySree sit tl - AfPe aia Mince? lh The vast majority of martyrs were average, everyday people who naturally worried about the pain song pan ng hag eats ne fhe) ici Pa' rR.a and suffering that they would endure; this worry was often mitigated by the solidarity of fellow
Ri gh:ey "May or),4 $4M ny y, Christians. Before being martyred the early Christians would exchange the kiss of peace, and were
ULAR Sanrote ON Ps eas é ¥ "'" aight Pay dei often described as dying with a tremendous bearing of peace and joy. we os nas ee!
J biehe 5 en a Pan c¥) The word "martyr" comes from the Greek word martyros, meaning "witness." A martyr bears | | et bv 14Sey : isA: my sf :
: h~ yy witness to Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In the early Church, as today, the actions oe mn A eT a i % /; ; and words of the martyrs strengthened and edified other pm» .
| Ee! a nell ath "5 re s yA Christians. Even in the last moments of their lives, in which the - | ar ' "LE ey me AL x <~ .
= x crowds often took sadistic pleasure, martyrs often led the assem- .
' tas ait', Aa = Bele Hs = rm .. bled crowds along the path of conversion by giving the supreme | \¥ The Eucharistic Prayer found in The Apostolic Tradition became the basis for the second Eucharistic Prayer in the 1970 Roman Missal, which was witness of loving fidelity to Christ. The serenity, joy, and faitha published as part of the intended reforms for the Second Vatican Council, 1962-1965 fulness with which the martyrs accepted their deaths deeply a = r = , affected some of the people, such as the magistrates and the ff , iz » '
ST. HIPPOLYTUS AND THE APOSTOLIC TRADITION executioners, who witnessed their deaths.
St. Hippolytus (ca. A.D. 170
- ca. 236) was an important writer and Father of the Church of the late Christians understood martyrdom aS an honor and a privilege
¥ second and early third centuries. Even though he was probably the most important theologian in niet % Goat direct participation in the sufferings of Christ, The ¥ =. ex ; | the Roman Church during the third century. his Importance was forgotten in the West for some victims were sustained by Christ in their dreadful subverts oe ¥ time, perhaps because of his extensive use of Greek. and they saw martyrdom as the surest means to senctly sani é F Hippolytus wrote and spoke aeainst n h ae aes : entrance into Heaven. The entire Christian community viewed
; aoe eeiderit; aa Pitectenite 3 Noche imself, perhaps because ofhis martyrdom as a grace anda gift, though Christians were not pc
VISOTOUS Opposivion to certain iistological heresies ce Modalis a - '
: o A ie own extreme position onthe ee, Safle Sap Mae :
€ Modalism, soon began promoting his Supposed to seek out martyrdom because of the obligation to a Vwi CAU CIT) Pou Ol WE Mature OF the relationship bepwe nthe Father ie ; = Sieg ; with Pope St. Zephyrinus (A.D. 198-217) and when rae PPeHiie ather and Son. He quarreled practice and preserve one's life. Through martyrdom the three theological virtues of faith, hope,
St. Hippolytus Sabah m the Church pe riges: ;vay eae I (A.D. 217-222) was elected, and charity would reach unparalleled dimensions. The next chapter will explore many of the early
L eee rhe SEMIS HOM We Church, and his small gro 1D of followers elec .
. persisted in this schism until the percecssticr mie a oFOt p ae followers elected him antipope. He persecutions and their causes, as well as the stories of some of the most renowned martyrs.
Pope St P, AT azn weer On under Emperor Maximin (A.D. 235-238), when he and Pe vt. Fontan (A.D. 230-235) were exiled together in Sardinia, most likely to a grueling life in the the Church ,
Martyrs death, St. hippolytus was reconciled with Pope St. Pontian and CONCLUSION Thai asap dite The early Christians, by their tremendous faith in Jesus and imitation of his life, transformed
SIMMS AOSt OF MIDpolytus vol MINOUS Commie hac haz e qr \ = >a j ic j Thin Refibaitan cs apees , nin ss corpus has been lost, his two most important works the Roman world and its values. The decadent Roman culture. with its basis in the law of power, wie MA a ACT CSIES and [he NOStolic Traini
, = " describes the passing down of be Fane {radition, have survived. in part. The latter work sie supplanted by a culture based on Christ's new commandment: "Love one another: even as provides insight into the cree one's ait 1 of the Apostles from generation to generation and have loved you (Jn 13:34). Guided by the Holy Spirit, the Church grew as an institution and Tie Euchartétic Preven: a na Baptism, and the Eucharist during the third centufy
- community of believers united as the Mystical Body of Christ. Ordinary people from all walks Eucharistic Prayer in or ee rs ae Apostolic Tradition became the basis for the second
= life carried out a peaceful revolution that spread from person to person through the simple of the Second Vatican Counc) which was published as part of the intended refonil ving witness to the richness of Christ's kingdom, even in the face of terrible persecution and oe horrific death.
86 Chapter Two - _ ae — a —————— a _ =< ss _ff Chapter Two 87 _ .nd ee —. a f ———_—_-_--™-™-—S~—=—heefF— CHURCH vue cae eieenlale = oF THE — — —— — — \ HISTORY —_ — | SUPPLEMENTARY READING 7| To His Wife Il, 8, 6-8 If someone impresses you for one mile, go tj i o His Wife Il, 8, 6- | peered, : with him two. If someone takes your cloak, —_ "
Where can I find words to describe eS rs y give him also your coat. If someone takes from | Q =o the happiness of that marriage which t 5 you what is yours, ask it not back, for indeed i Pa «4 church cements, which the oblation en a you are not able. Give to every one who asks é > * swell y a»ale m grmlc "OV - '
- = ~ and the blessing se als? The Haig see you, and ask it not back: for the Father wills } | and the he avenly father rati ie : that to all should be given of our own blessings r , bo I of yoke is that of two Christians, united in (free gifts) ,F T i/ . e desire, one discipline and one , > sel one hope, one desire, one discipline ee en h :
, ye ay nt ording to the wta f j '
(a\he service? Both are children of the same Happy is he whooes accc sere rae Gane Deg . father, servants of the same master; nothing commandment, for he is gui aed , a separates them, either in spirit or in the flesh; who receives; for if one oe "rs .
| on the contrary, they are truly two in one need, he is guiltless; but oe 10 sfadees } | / | flesh. Where the flesh is one, so is the spirit. not having need shall pay the pena y. why | & , | Together they pray, together they prostrate he received and for what. And appt into | . ast @) themselves, together they observe the fasts; confinement, he shall beae ae ite bs . fi y "¢ ger, 2' they teach each other, exhort each other, the things which he has done, sa . oes .
| : y, :a , Z~ , EJ , encourage each other. They are both equal escape from there until he Bt "fn :ge aan ! me ay A aX s"
| in the church of God, equal at the banquet penny. And also concerning this, ; =! i J doo ; of God, equal in trials, persecution, said, Let your alms sweat a lands, unti / f ue pil , ou kne > whom you should give.
\ onsolations.... you know to whom y : i \ Foe 5 i J conso Id of PLAN & S j \) S ana | The Didache, Ch. 1
John Paul II, Crossing the Thresho ae N 4 D A gen 4 a The Lord's Teaching Through the Twelve Hope, p. 129-30 es ( S. = wy \ \ fy r2 Apostles to the Nations The Church itself is first and foremost a — te i Ke f F ki i. a :
) | The Two Ways and the First Commandment. movement, a mission. It is the mission that "ey (2 Fe ee of ws: oa — | There are two ways, one of life and one of begins in God the Father and that, through | %\"
) oe A wm W x % NA death, but a great difference between the two the Son in the Holy Spirit, continually reaches | a Shy) acyva (A an ys ways. The way of life, then, is this: First, you humanity and shapes it in a new way. aa" at (d), FJ, SS we | shall love God who made you: second, love Yes, Christianity is a great action of God. The | a . fo a cy a | your neighbor as yourself, and do not do to action of the word becomes the action of the (/ \ aN ah U6 "Na ~- | another what you would not want done to sacraments. What else are the sacraments
\ \ %. vo - . you. And of these sayings the teaching is this:
(all of them!), if not the action of Christ in the .
\ v Neere Bless those who curse you, and pray for your Holy Spirit?
Sane [az ef 'dy enemies, and fast for those who persecute When the Church baptizes, it is Christ who | oe, you. For what reward is there for loving those baptizes; when the Church absolves, it is Christ
. ae i who love you? Do not the Gentiles do the who absolves; when the Church celebrates the — same? But love those who hate you, and you
Eucharist, it is Christ who celebrates it: "This is Shall not have an enemy. my body."
Abstain from fleshly and worldly lusts.
If someone strikes your right cheek, turn to | i] aa .
_ him the other also, and you Shall be perfect.
| RR Chapter Two 89 —— yisTORY OF THE CHURCH a THE EARLY CHRISTIANS VOCABULARY | STUDY QUESTIONS EUCHARIST ving" di 1. What are some of the advantages of 11. What did Popes Sts. Linus and Anacletus
AGAPE Literally meaning "thanksgiving. was, ands, the ism? have in common?
Literally "love." The Agape was an ean Seth central act of Christian worship. It consists in infant Baptism: ve f religious meal that was at FFseeel * consuming the Sacrament of Holy Communion,
2. Where were the earliest Masses 12. What was the Theban Legion? ten ist.
| Saprienees coho SSetietear 13. What is thejust war theory? this cele:
| CRYPHAL li for the Greek phrase Jesous Christos ae WHICH ONS 2ays OF TS NVES rumen 14. How was money held in the early APO asiAn acrostic for ate earliest Christians keep holy as days of ite i A work of literature with scriptural or qu
Theou Yios Soter. which is a declaration of the fasting and penance? (Hint: It was riot Christian community? ot genuine, ae F son ale f i SPADE ee central tenet of the Christan Faith meaning" Jesus
Sunday.) 15. What did the early Christians think about canonical, or inspired by God.
Christ. Son of God, Savior." The acrostic itself SRamlGnant Rienkade?
APOLOGIST spells the word "fish" in Greek.
4. Why did Christians come to observe Generally, one who writes a work tn orNe f INFANT BAPTISM Sunday as the holiest day of the week?
16, What kind of quality did Christianity defend and explain the Christian religion. the utle 'ice of baptizing infants that becaeaim a "4 initially introduce into the gender also refers specifically to a group of Church Fathers
5. What does the term "Vicar of Christ ralations ofthe Greco-Roman word? ho wrote during the second and third centuries more common during the t cone an enae i he Roman Empire became universal by the early Medieval period.
/ 17. What is so special about the historical | in the Noman Empire.
It remained the common practice for all 6. What is the value of the episcopacy? an r '
TOLIC FATHER iI the Reformation init position of the "Apostolic Fathers"? ares famnith wessemn Chis tansEe ic 7. From what word does the word "priest" ies Saintly writers of the early Church whom the sixteenth century. aun 18. What was the goal of the Apologists?
Church recognizes as her special witnesses of Faith. derive?
| | MARTYRDOM 8. How did Chrstsnliv-es a enonetneean 19. How has St. Hippolytus influenced the | APOSTOLIC TRADITION ae Being killed for one's Faith. Christians understand
. livi 'Ys in R fates liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Refers to the passing of the Faith of the Nesi martyrdom as an honor anda privilege since it
RENBIOR CAUSE LETISION: He IATL ena Council? fro2 eesti to generation. Hippolytus ed is a direct participation in the sufferings of Christ,
9. When was the canon of the New F ' vr F of the same name illustrated the principle by declared inebe Wed 20. The word martyr" means "witness: preserving the rites of ordination, Baptism, and MONOTHEISM estament declared in the West:
To whom do martyrs bear witness? the Eucharist used during the third century. The The belief there is only one true God.
10. Who is the authentic interpreter of Eucharistic Prayer found in The Apostolic Tradition PAPACY Sacred Scripture? became the basis for the second Eucharistic Prayer The Vicar OF Clirist'as instinnraa bard h :
| in the 1970 Roman Missal, which was published holds ce Fat be <4 aoe! ae a as part of the intended reforms for the Second
Olds the responsibility and supreme authority Vatican Council for guiding the Church. sta PRESBYTER PRACTICAL EXERCISES This first Sacrament of Initiation, instituted by Jesus,
Brom the Greek word presbyteros for "priest, | unites the believer to Christ. In this sacrament, a ae : contraction of the Greek. In the early
1. Protestants accept the principle of sola passages, how would you argue against a | ne is forgiven of original and personal sin, and urch, the presbyters were the church elders.
Scriptura, Scripture alone, as the primary basis Christian who supports slavery? tai a ayBe in and the Holy Spirit, SIGN OF THE CROSS for authority, The Catholic position is that 3. J ht."
| pak: e nasi. =: ¢ Church, the Body of The act of tracing the cross down from the the Church alone interprets the Scriptures.
:d SHSaU pa the other cheek, forehead with the finger to the breast and then Discuss why the Catholic position makes more raead pena oa at jabs developed CATECHUMENS from left to right across the breast. By the early sense historically. theories for the just waging of war. Are these
Literally "the instructed." Those adults seeking third century, the practice of making the Sign of ' two ideas compatible? With both Jesus' words
. admission to the Church after having met over a the Cross was deeply rooted in the Christian world, 2. Slavery has existed in almost all places and and the writings of St. Augustine in mind,
| 'ng Period of time for instruction before being SYNOD times throughout history. There have been describe Christian justice, both on a personal
| baptized eee . many Christian defenders of slavery, claiming and political scale. assembly of ecclesiastics gathered together
THE D/IDACHE under Church authority to d deed Od supported slavery using such Scriptural | From the Greek meaning "teaching" a fret o« matters perta i Se ae ES Passages as Exodus 21: 1-11, Leviticus 25: 44-55,
HSMISe camneettine Cietaie tile a first century > Pertaining to doctrine, liturgy, or discipline. and Ephesians 6:5-9. After rastineshene ~
"isan morals, practices, and :
; ministry Its sixteen chapters cover Batis, ae ' prayers, the Eucharist, and the developing pete | hierarchy among the early Christians 1g Church 90 Chapter Two — —————— = i Chapter Two 91 CM —