Introduction
The history of Christianity reflects the development of the Church and the changes in the people’s attitude towards religious tenets. It also closely connected with historical events. The time in the history of Christianity between the late Roman Empire and the Renaissance represents the difficult period of the formation of the Christian Church. The aim of this essay is to characterize the history of Christianity between IV to VII centuries.
Main Body
The period of the late Roman Empire was the time of the Oecumenical Councils, which gathered the representatives of all local churches. It was also a period of the governance of Constantine the Great, the Roman emperor who made Christianity the official religion.
“Constantine can rightfully claim the title of Great, for he turned the history of the world into a new course and made Christianity, which until then had suffered bloody persecution, the religion of the State” (“Constantine the Great” n.pag.). The change of the official religion shook the social order and contributed to the formation of the heretical movements.
To survive under these conditions, the early Christians concealed themselves in the arid regions. All that, ultimately, contributed to the rapid formation of the first cloisters. The Oecumenical Councils were aimed at overcoming the social disorder and the unity of the Church. The First Council of Constantinople took place in 381 (“Constantinople, First Council of” n.pag.). It represented the crucial event in the history of Christianity as it approved the dogma about the Blessed Trinity and the unity of the God-Father and the God-Son, in particular.
During the VII century, Christianity was influenced by the rapid expansion of the Muslims. At the beginning of the VII century, the Islamic Caliphate invaded Spain and France. It was the period of the religious wars. “The small Christian stronghold in the northern mountains eventually grew into the kingdoms of Asturias, Leon, and Castile, and Pelayo is credited with laying the seed of the Christian Reconquest of Spain” (“Moorish Conquest” n.pag.).
In 1054, the Christian Church was divided into the Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox (“1054 the East-West Schism” n.pag.). The period of the Medieval Ages was characterized by the strengthening of the Christian Church, and it was the time of the crusades (Latte n.pag.).
During the period of Reformation, the protestant movements occurred. Martin Luther, the German monk, was the initiator of the Reformation and the founder of Protestantism (“Martin Luther” n.pag.). The scholars state that his activity laid the foundations for the development of capitalism.
The epoch of Renaissance was the period of the rethinking of the many of the Church dogmas. During this period, the ideas of humanism spread all over Europe and marked the significant changes in theology and philosophy. The philosophical thoughts shifted from the traditional religious dogmas towards the comprehension of the place of the man in the world.
Conclusion
In summary, the history of Christianity from the late Roman Empire to the Epoch of the Renaissance represented the period of the formation of the Christian Church. It was also the time of its split when three major branches occurred: Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant. The epoch of the Renaissance was the period of the crucial changes in the philosophical thoughts, which became more focused on human nature and its beauty.
Works Cited
“Constantinople, First Council of”. Infoplease.com. 2013. Web. 7 Dec. 2013.
“Constantine the Great”. Newadvent.org. 2009. Web. 7 Dec. 2013.
Little, David. “Christianity and Religious Freedom in the Medieval Period (476 – 1453 CE)”. Berkleycenter.georgetown.edu. n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2013.
“Martin Luther”. Ccel.org. n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2013.
“Moorish Conquest of Hispania”. Heritage-history.com.2012. Web. 7 Dec. 2013.
“1054 the East-West Schism”. Christianitytoday.com. 2013. Web. 7 Dec. 2013.