The origin of the Church can be traced back to the New Testament, especially during the time of Jesus. The early church spread after the death, resurrection, as well as ascending of Jesus, which historians believe to have happened during 30 A. D. While it began, the Christian Church mainly focused on the teachings of Christianity based on Catholic beliefs, which entailed Papacy (office of the pope) as a key organ of the church leadership.
The establishment of the Church, as well as the development of the Papacy, had a notable impact on the structuring of Christian beliefs. It also acted as the basis for spiritual foundation during the middle ages in a number of ways (Carrington 4-80).
One way in which the Christian church and Papacy structured Christian beliefs included through bringing unity and oneness in terms of doctrines. Christians came to believe in the Christian movement as one; divergent theologies could not disrupt the unity of Christianity created through the office of the Pope, as well as the Church. The establishment of the early Church and the development of Papacy strengthened Christian faith, leading to the development of obedience to the Church and the Pope.
Christians believed that God had commanded them to share the Good News about Christian salvation with all people all over the world. As such, Christians developed the belief that they should obey the word of God, as well as church leadership established through Papacy (McKay 40-100).
The establishment of the Christian Church and development of Papacy strengthened the belief of Christians in the power of prayer. Christians devoted themselves to prayer as they believed it acted as a reflection of unity among the Christians. They also developed the belief that prayer took them closer to the Kingdom of God. The Church also led to the passion for Christianity and the teachings based on Christian values. As a result, Christians became more committed to seeing the spread of the gospel of Christ (Schwarz 19-60).
The development of the Church and the office of the Pope also strengthened the belief of Christians regarding some aspects such as Baptism, belief in the Holy Spirit, and celebration of Christmas. As a result of the development of the Church, Christians came to refer to the church as the house of the lord. Christians also developed the belief that Baptism served to indicate those people chosen to have a special relationship with God, the creator of all that is seen and unseen.
The establishment of the Church and development of Papacy led to the belief of Christians in a sacred text, which in this case encompassed the bible. In addition, Papacy and the office of the Pope acted as a symbol of Christian unity. The Pope played the role of the Supreme head of the Catholic Church, which was the earliest Christian church to be established (Green 1-60).
The development of Papacy and the establishment of the early Christian Church provided spiritual foundation during the middle ages. As a result of this development, Christian teachings spread all over the world during the middle ages. The beliefs of the Catholic Church became dominant in most parts of the world in the middle ages. Spiritual foundation during the middle ages was based on the teachings of Christianity as espoused in the Catholic faith. The Pope became the Supreme head of the Catholic Church (Green 1-60).
Works Cited
Carrington, Phillip. The Early Christian Church: Volume 1, the First Christian Church. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Print.
Green, Bernard. Christianity in Ancient Rome: The First Three Centuries. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2010. Print.
McKay, John et. al. Understanding Western Society, Volume 2: From the Age of Exploration to the Present: A Brief History: From Absolutism to Present. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011. Print.
Schwarz, Hans. The Christian Church: Biblical Origin, Historical Transformation, and Potential for the Future. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007. Print.