HISTORY
The history of Christianity is very rich. When Jesus instructed the apostles to "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," (Matthew 28:19 NIV), they "went out and preached everywhere." (Mark 16:20 NIV) Although not an apostle, Paul traveled extensively during his missionary journeys after his conversion on the road to Damascus. It is in this era where the Gospel began to have a conversation with culture.
The Culture
The culture then was also quite multi-faceted, and Jesus was a culture all by himself. Thus, the formative years (centuries) of Christian history were spent debating who exactly Jesus was.
The Purpose
The purpose of this article is to share a snapshot of key historical moments in Christian history alongside another snapshot of key traditions within the lived Christian experience, and highlight the historical footprints of spiritual formation.
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CHRISTIAN HISTORY
The following table is a brief survey of key historical moments in Christian history, as well as their significance.
| DATE | HISTORICAL MOMENT | SIGNIFICANCE |
|---|---|---|
|
70 AD |
Destruction of Jewish temple |
Shifted power dynamics from Jewish to Gentile |
| 313 AD |
Edict of Milan |
Made Christianity legal within the Roman empire and it became the dominant religion |
|
325 AD |
Council of Nicaea |
The Early Church Fathers (300 Bishops) met to debate whether or not Jesus is God |
|
367 AD |
Bishop Athanasius solidified the books of the New Testament |
The Bishops came to agreement on which texts were deemed "authentic", and this canon is still in use today |
|
451 AD |
Council of Chalcedon |
The Council of Bishops met again to debate the humanity and divinity of Jesus |
|
1054 AD |
East/West Schism |
The "Catholic" (Universal) church split into the Western Church (Roman Catholics) & Eastern Church (Eastern Orthodox) |
|
1456 AD |
The First Bible is printed |
The Bible is now accessible to all people, not just the property of the Church |
|
1517 AD |
Martin Luther's "95 Theses" |
Kicked off the Protestant Reformation |
|
1545 AD |
The Council of Trent |
Condemned the Protestant Reformation |
|
1962 AD |
Vatican II Council |
The Bishops meet again to discuss various reforms and bridge the divide between Catholics and Protestants |
In sum, the tapestry of Christian history is marked by moments of alignment alongside destruction, debate, disagreement, and war in the name of Jesus, as the leaders of the time attempted to develop understanding of the Christian faith.
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CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS
While the eras listed above outline the "forefront" of Christian history, the following table is a brief survey of key historical traditions that emerged within the lived Christian experience, as well as their significance.
| DATE | TRADITION | THEME/FOCUS |
|---|---|---|
| 4th Century |
Contemplative Tradition |
Solitude, meditation, prayer, intimacy with God |
|
16th Century |
Evangelical Tradition |
The Gospel and personal witness |
| 17th Century |
Spirit-Filled Tradition |
Active presence of the Holy Spirit, evangelism, mission work |
| 18th Century |
Holiness Tradition |
Morality and overcoming sinful habits |
|
18th Century |
Incarnational Tradition |
Brotherly love, praying, evangelizing, teaching, family |
20th Century |
Social Justice Tradition |
Serving the poor and sick |
Glimpses of Spiritual Formation
Historically speaking, the ministry of spiritual formation started during the time of the early church fathers (between the 1st and 6th centuries), during the Contemplative Tradition. Amidst all of the debate and councils, a select few literally took their guidance and direction from Jesus and embarked on their own wilderness experience in the desert. They simply wanted to live as Jesus lived in an effort to walk more fully with God. They became known as the Desert Fathers and Mothers, and their days were spent seeking intimacy with God through solitude, prayer, fasting, meditation on scripture. They were viewed as Christian heroes and wisdom elders. City dwellers and others would flock to them for wise counsel. Their sayings and reflections are published and inform Christian wisdom to this day. Aside from those who were blessed to walk and learn from Jesus himself, this era marks the birth of Christian spiritual formation.
In the centuries thereafter, many others have answered the call to try to live as Jesus lived, and their divinely inspired testimonies serve as the historical "footprints in the sand" of spiritual formation.