81-96 Domitian,
emperor, initiates the second persecution of Christians, also in the city of
Rome.
90 Letter of Clement
100 Didache (Teaching of the Twelve): first Christian document outside New
Testament to discuss structure of Christian communities.
100s. New form
of Christian writing: the apology, a defense of Christian theology and practice
against Olympian attacks.
100s Increasing
popularity of Gnosticism: teachings of a higher secret knowledge needed for
salvation from the body and material world.
110 Martyrdom
of Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, in Rome. The Greek word for martyr means witness.
Eventually it came to be said of Christians who had witnessed to Christ unto
death. The word confessor was said of
Christians who had suffered persecution for their witness to Christ but
survived.
155 Martyrdom
of Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, in Rome
165 Martyrdom
of Justin Martyr, theologian, in Rome. Best educated Christian apologist, his
defense influenced Origen of Alexandria.
ca 177-202
Irenaeus, bishop of Lyon: defended knowledge of the Bible, and the ordinary
Christians who knew and practiced it, from Gnosticism. Affirmed three standards
of truth needed by Christians for salvation: (1) canon of biblical books, (2)
creeds summarizing key biblical truths, and (3) bishops developing a normative
understanding of the Bible and normative creeds summarizing its key truths.
This third standard eventually displaced the freedom of individual Christians
and local congregations as well as the inspired words of gifted teachers and
prophets.
185-251 Origen
of Alexandria: excellent Greek education, brilliant thinker, first systematic
theologian.
202 Martyrdom
of Perpetua and Felicitas, Carthage
249-251 Decius
initiates first universal persecution of Christians. Under his command, Origen
was arrested, tortured, and later died of his wounds.
303-313 Diocletian
initiates the widest, most severe, and last universal persecution of Christians
by the Roman state.
Source: Hans Kung, The
Catholic Church: A Short History (New York: Modern Library, 2001, pp. xi-xii, 17-30;
translated by John Bowden).
Copyright © 2018
by Steven Farsaci. All rights reserved.
