5/16/2008 5:43:27 AM EST  

8/15/07
A Dinner Date with God
The Mass explained. Its history and a walk-through of the liturgy. A must-read for new Catholics and always a good reference for parishioners.

6/22/07
Confession: Not for the Guilty
Catholics have either stopped going to confession or they go only rarely. This article helps dissipate your anxiety about the Sacrament of Reconciliation and focuses on the richer meaning of receiving the gift of God's forgiveness.

5/22/07
What are your images of God at this point in your life?
Our understanding of God evolves, as we grow in our faith. This article stimulates our search and evaluation about the image(s) we hold of God: a loving father, a king, a feminine pronoun, a sheperd,...

4/20/07
What you ought to know about the Eucharist
Jesus wanted to give his followers a continuing sign of his presence and love for them, which would sustain them even if they could no longer physically see him. At the Mass we believe that Jesus is really present, just as He was present two thousand years ago

1/10/07
Church History
From the Early Church through the Middle Ages through Vatican II. A useful outline for your self-study.



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church history : A Brief Overview
Part 1: Early Church to Middle Ages
Key Events
45-62 AD Paul takes Christianity from a sect within Judaism to a world Religion

i. Split between Judaism and Christianity the basis of anti-Semitism. The church’s relationship with Judaism is better now, but anti-Semitism still exists.
ii. The destruction of Jerusalem by Rome 70 AD destroys the Jewish Christian community, paves the way for the gentile Christianity of Paul.
iii. The gospels were written between 65-100 A.D.

312- 325 AD Constantine takes Christianity from a persecuted religion to the official religion of Rome
iv. Church takes on the trappings of the Roman Empire. It allowed the church to survive, but at what cost?
v. What happens when church and state come together?
vi. The Nicene creed written, the Canon closed

395-430 St. Augustine becomes the Church’s most influential theologian. St. Anthony and the beginnings of monasticism
i. Protest against the new “respectability’ of Christianity.
ii. A way of living the Christian life fully since martyrdom was no longer a danger.

432 AD Patrick and the Irish monks save Christianity from destruction when the Roman Empire falls
i. Fall of Rome came from corruption within, and pressure from without. Do you think the U.S is headed in the same direction?

5. 625 AD The rise of Islam challenges Christianity
i. Mohammed converted people by the sword.
ii. The relationship between Islam and the west is still problematic today. (9/11) How do we respond to people of different faiths?

6. 1054 AD The split between east and west
a. A question of power. Rise of the Pope vs. the Power of the East. “Power corrupts”, what do you think? How do we see these power struggles being played out today?
Church History: A Brief Overview,
Part 2

7. 1025- 1229AD Crusades and the Inquisition
i. Fear of people with a different view. Modern day examples. Can we be open to alternative views within the Church?

8. 1181-1226 St. Francis reforms the Church
i. Simplicity. How much is too much? How is that a challenge for us today in our materialistic culture?

9. 1517 AD Reformation and Counter-Reformation (Trent)
i. Saint Theresa of Avila, John of the Cross and Ignatius of Loyolla
ii. Reformation called for change within the church. The first reaction was defensiveness, and then finally acceptance of a need for change. Do we see this pattern throughout history? Same today?

10. 17th Century AD The scientific revolution
i. Are science and faith really at odds? Can we use technology to support faith or is faith merely a matter of believing something that can’t be proven?

11. 1962-65 Vatican II
i. Revolutionary changes in the church. Mixed reactions.
ii. Where do you think the church is going in the future? Where would you like it to go?
Key themes in Church history
The relationship between church and state
How to deal with differences of belief
The simplicity and humility of the gospel vs. power and authority
 

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