Church History Timeline   Year                         Event   64 AD     Fire in Rome – Starting on July 19, ten of fourteen sections were burnt.  Nero blamed Christians beginning sporadic and local persecution 67            Paul Beheaded by Nero 70            Jerusalem Destroyed – A Jewish revolt against Rome broke out in 66 AD.  The temple was destroyed and its gold and furniture disappeared into the Roman world. 150          Justin Martyr Writes “Apology” – The philosooher convets to Christianity and became the first apologist to explain the faith as reasonable. 156          Polycarp Martyred – The 86 year old had been a student of the Apostle John.  He is burnt at the stake in Smyrna. 177          Irenaeus becomes Bishop in Lyons (city in modern France)– A life long acquaintance of Polycarp used the writings of John to defeat Gnosticism 196          Tertullian begins to Write- An African who wrote in Latin which became the language of theology to describe the Trinity. He joined a charismatic/puritan group in 206 and began to look for the return of Christ.  Famous Quote: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” 205          Origen begins to Write – In Alexandria, Egypt he became president of a Bible school at the age of 18 due to the martyrdom of all the other leaders including his Father.  He had a long writing career. 251          Cyprian Writes “On the Unity of the Church” – A wealthy, cultured Pagan gave his possessions to the poor, vowed chastity.  Became bishop of Carthage.  He said, “A second birth created me a new man by means of the spirit breathed from heaven.” He was no Theologian but practically worked in the office of a leading pastor for church unity 270          Anthony Begins Life as a Hermit – His original idea sparks the monastic movement. 312          Constantine Converts to Christianity 325          Council of Nicea – Due to Arius’ teaching that Jesus was divine but not God a deadly debate broke out and was the focal point of this council. 367          Athanasius’s Letter Recognizes New Testament Canon Books- He used two standards: 1) Apostolic Origin, 2) The use of the writings in the churches. 385          Bishop Ambrose Defies the Empress – Church power uses threats loss church membership, loss of communion, loss of salvation to manipulate the political world. 387          Augustine is converted 397          Council of Carthage- This council confirmed and officially recognized Athanasius’ list of New Testament canon 398          John Chrysostom Becomes Bishop of Constantinople 405          Jerome Completes Latin Vulgate- The Latin translation that became the standard text of the church until the reformation in the 1500’s 432          Patrick goes to Ireland as a missionary after having escaped slavery there several years before. 451          Council of Chalcedon-By this time an Eastern and Western split was forming.  Rome and Alexandria, Egypt sided together against Antioch and Constantinople from the East.  They exiled each others leaders over theological issues.  400 bishops came to this council and voted to defined that Christ is “acknowledged in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation. . .the characteristic property of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person.” This was the first council that the Roman bishop (the Pope) played a major role, a fact that caused the East to consider this the last official council with the west. 451          Columba goes to Scotland as a Missionary 590          Gregory I becomes Pope.  He asked for military troops to protect Rome from Constantinople.  None were sent so Gregory organized his own army.  He taught masses celebrated in behalf of the dead could relieve their pains in a place he believed in called purgatory.  He was interested in church music and the Gregorian chant is named after him. 732          Battle of Tours- Here Charles Martel turned back the massive forces of the Muslims that had swept across North Africa and up into Europe.  This battle saved Western civilization or else we might be speaking Arabic. 800          Charlemagne Crowned Emperor-He united an empire in the West, provided leadership and protection, and did not see any reason to submit to the pope. 1054        The East and West Schism- East used Greek for theology, the West used Latin.  Worship styles were different concerning communion bread, the date for Lent, and how to celebrate mass.  Eastern priest could marry but had to have a beard.  Vice-versa in the West.  The pope sent delegates to the East. They were refused a hearing and the delegates excommunicated the churches leader in the East.  He in return excommunicated the Western delegates.  The East became the Greek Orthodox Church.  The West became the Roman Catholic Church. 1095        First Crusade launched by  Pope Urban II 1150        University of Oxford founded 1173        Waldensians founded by Peter Waldo 1206        Francis of Assisi Renounces Wealth 1215        Fourth Lateran Council ruled that every baptized person must annually make confession to a priest and take communion.  The doctrine of transubstantiation was made official.  There was only one true church.  Disagreeing with the church was no longer an option.  The state could punish heretics and confiscate their property.  Jews were required to wear special identifying badges and Christians could not do business with the Jews, in time placing the Jews in the ghettos. 1252        Pope Innocent IV authorized torture as a means of getting information and confessions out of people in cases of heresy. 1273        Thomas Aquinas Completes huge Theological work called “Summa Theologica” that becomes the theological base of Christianity 1321        Dante Completes the Divine Comedy 1380        Wycliffe Oversees The Translation of the Bible into English 1415        John Hus is burnt at the Stake by the Church for asserting that Christ alone is the head of the church, that God alone can forgive sin, that the pope could not establish doctrine apart from the Bible.  Influenced by Wycliffe he lifted Biblical preaching to an important place with the church service.  He challenged the worldliness of the church leaders by comparing them to Christ: They rode a horse, Christ walked.   They had their feet kissed, Christ washed the disciples feet.  His nation of Bohemia rebelled successfully against the Catholic church. 1456        Johann Gutenberg’s Printing Press produces the first printed Bible.  A new age of communication has opened up. 1478        Establishment of Spanish Inquisition- The church turned those who did not agree with their doctrines over to be killed.  They would torture people until they turned others in or confessed they to taught against the “accepted” church teachings.  The Church could confiscate property of the condemned.  The Protestants took hold of northern Europe.  Spain and the south fell into the hands of the Roman Catholic Church 1512        Michelangelo Completes Sistine Chapel Ceiling 1517        Martin Luther Posts his 95 Theses 1523        Zwingli Leads Swiss Reformation 1525        Anabaptist Movement Begins- For some people the reformation was not moving fast enough back to the first century church of scripture.  Lutherans and members of the Swiss Reformation were still caught in church hierarchy.  The conflict that surfaced was infant baptism.  On January 21, 1525                 the church order them to cease disputation.  That cold, snowy  evening the rebels went out rebaptized the adults.  They were called Anabaptist, or “rebaptizer” by the church.  They would often interrupt Protestant church meetings and refused to go to war for their nation.  The Mennonites and Brethren churches are descendants of this group. 1536        John Calvin Publishes “The Institutes of the Christian Religion” 1545        Council of Trent Begins-In response to the Protestants acquisitions and masses of people leaving, this 18 year meeting abolished indulgences, and the clergy were exhorted to “avoid even the smallest faults.”  But they restated the Catholic doctrine and rejected the Protestant claim of only two of the seven sacraments.  They rejected the reformed teaching that a person could know that they were justified.  They reaffirmed transubstantiation (bread and wine became Christ).  Church services still could not be in the common languages but had to be in Latin.  And “Fearing what would happen if every plowboy could indeed read the Scriptures for himself, the council again said the church alone could adequately interpret Scripture and refused the use of the Bible in the languages for the people. Only the Latin Vulgate was accepted.    1572        Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre- The Queen of France, Catherine de Medici, ordered the execution of all Protestant leaders in Paris.  At 4:00 a.m. on August 24, on St Bartholomew’s Day.  Most of the Protestants were middle class, when the upper class began to execute the middle class protestants leaders, the lower class joined in.  Bodies were piled up by the hundreds.  30,000 – 40,000 Protestants died. 1608        First Baptist Baptized by John Smith 1611        Publication of the King James Bible 1620        Pilgrims sign Mayflower Compact 1648        Society of Friends Founded by George Fox 1678        John Bunyan’s “The Pilgrims Progress” is published 1735        The Great Awakening under Jonathan Edwards – Believing in Calvin’s doctrine of election he believed God chooses whom he will save, Edwards insisted that pastors in the New England colonies preach about the gravity of sin and the necessity of the heart turning toward God.  Jonathan Edwards was not flamboyant and his sermons were centered on justification by faith with his intellectual bent.   The result was surprisingly an incredible emotional response that included wailing and bodily contortions that Edwards called emotional excesses that were evidence of the Spirit of God moving in human hearts. 1738        John Wesley’s Conversion – John joined his brothers home Bible study they called  “Holy Club” that searched for holiness.  This became the Methodists. 1780        Robert Raikes begins Sunday School 1793        William Carey Sails for India 1807        Slave Trade Abolished by vote of British Parliament 1816        African Methodist Episcopal Church Founded by Richard Allen 1830        Charles G. Finney’s Urban Revivals Begin 1830        John Nelson Darby helps start the Plymouth Brethren.  Darby was the first to teach the doctrine of the rapture of the church. 1854        Hudson Taylor arrives in China 1854        Soren Kierkegaard Publishes attacks on Christendom – He became the father of “existentialism” which gained prominence in the 20th century.  He is responsible for much of the subjectivity of modern theology. 1854        Charles Spurgeon becomes Pastor in London 1855        Dwight L. Moody’s conversion 1857        David Livingstone Publishes Missionary Travels 1865        Salvation Army Founded by William Booth 1870        Papal Infallibility proclaimed doctrine by Pope Pius IX 1906        Azusa Street Revival launches Pentecostalism 1910        Fundamentalist Movement launched by the Publication of “The Fundamentals” 1919        Karl Barth’s “Commentary on Romans” is published 1921        First Christian Radio Program 1948        World Council of Churches is formed 1949        Billy Graham’s Los Angeles Crusades 1960        Modern Charismatic Movement begins 1963        Martin Luther King, Jr., leads March on Washington 1970        Chinese Church Grows despite shutdown of churches