• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Christian
  • Before Christianization (the spread of Christianity):
    • Historical polytheism (the worship of or belief in multiple deities)
    • Historical paganism (denoting various non-Abrahamic religions)
  • Christianity developed in Judea in the mid-first century CE, based first on the teachings of Jesus and later on the writings and missionary work of Paul of Tarsus. Initially, Christianity was a small, unorganized sect that promised personal salvation after death. Jewish Christianity. After the death and resurrection of Jesus, Christianity first emerged as a sect of Judaism, which was practiced in the Roman province of Judea. The first Christians were all Jews, who constituted a Second Temple Jewish sect with an apocalyptic eschatology.
  • While unified in its core beliefs, Christianity has evolved into three major branches: Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and Orthodox Christianity. The latter, in turn, is further divided into Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and the Church of the East. This diversity within unity is a reflection of the rich and complex history of the Christian faith.
  • Church History Timeline 
  • Important epistles are (†) martyred at Rome.
  • 150 St. Justin Martyr describes the liturgical
  • Church centered in the Eucharist. Liturgical worship is
  • rooted in both the Old and New Testament.
  • 202 St. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, has martyred
  • several books against heresies.
  • 215-290 The rise of Christian sc
  • Antioch.
  • 244-49 Th
  • • 258 St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, author and theologian
  • is martyred.
  • • 300 Christianization of Britain
  • • 303 St. Alban is martyred
  • • 300-305 The Emperor Diocletian
  • Christianity. Thousands of Christians, including St. Geo
  • St. Barbara and St. Catherine are martyred.
  • 313 Emperor Constantine ended the persecution of Christians and
  • gave them the right to exercise their faith freely. The Edict
  • of Milan marks an end to the period of Roman persecution
  • of Christianity.
  • 325 The Council of Nicea settles the significant heretical
  • challenges to the Chris
  • Arius asserts that the Father created Christ. St. Athanasius
  • defends the eternality of the Son of God. Nicea is the first of
  • Seven Ecumenical (church-wide) Councils (325–787).
  • 326 Empress Helena finds the Cross of Jesus Christ in
  • Jerusalem. Later, she builds the Church of the Resurrection, the place of Christ’s Resurrection, where each year
  • Orthodox Pascha (Easter), the Holy Fire descends.
  • 330 Beginning and spread of monasticism in Egypt: St.
  • Anthony and Pachomius.
  • • 397 Synod of Carthage ratifies Biblical Canon.
  • 343 St. Nicholas, Bishop
  • • 330-410 Period of the great Fathers of the Chur
  • Athanasius, Basil the Great, Gregory the The
  • Ambrose of Milan, John Chrysostom, and others.
  • 381 The Second Ecumenical Council in Constantinople
  • reaffirms the need to have five Patriarchates: Rome
  • Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem.
  • • 410 Alaric, leader of the Germanic Visigoths, takes Rome
  • 451 Council of Chalcedon affirms an apostolic doctrine of two
  • Natures in Christ.
  • • 563 The Great Church, Hagia Sofia, consecrated in
  • Constantinople.
  • 584 St. Sabba found
  • where later the typography for church services was developed
  • • 589 A local synod of the Roman Catholic Church in
  • Spain adds filioque to the Nicene Creed. This error causes
  • division between the Eastern and Western churches.
  • • 630 First, the Persians, then the Arabs threaten the Byzantine
  • The empire persecuted Christians and destroyed churches.
  • 685 The spread of monasticism on Mt. Athos begins.
  • • 726 Emperor Leo the Isaurian starts his campaign against the
  • veneration of icons.
  • • 771 Arabs invade Spain.
  • 780 St. John Damascene, author of the Exact Exposition
  • of the Orthodox Faith.
  • 787 The Era of Ecumenical
  • Seventh Council restores
  • church.
  • 864 The Prince Boris
  • Sts. Cyril and Methodius spread the Orthodox faith
  • To the Slavs.
  • 988 Rus (Russians) to Christianity.
  • 1051: Sts. Anthony and Theodosius found their monastery
  • near Kyiv.
  • • 1054 The Great Schism occurs. Two major issues include
  • Rome’s claim to universal papal supremacy and adding the filioque clause to the Nicene Creed. The
  • Photian Schism (880) further complicates the debate.
  • • 1066 Norman conquest of Britain. Orthodox hierarchs were
  • Replaced by those loyal to Rome.
  • 1095 The Crusades, begun by the Roman Church, weakened
  • the Eastern Orthodox churches in Palestine and Syria.
  • 1204: The Sack of Constantinople by the Crusaders adds to
  • the estrangement between East and West.
  • • 1333 St. Gregory Palamas defends the Orthodox practice of
  • hesychast spirituality and the use of the Jesus Prayer.
  • • 1438 St. Mark of Ephesus defends the Orthodox faith at the
  • Council of Florence.
  • • 1453: Turks overrun Constantinople; Byzantine empire ends.
  • • 1455 Gutenberg prints the Bible.
  • 1517 Martin Luther nails his 95 Theses to the door of the
  • Roman Church in Wittenburg begins Protestant
  • Reformation.
  • • 1529: The Church of England begins pulling away from Rome.
  • • 1782: First publishing of the PHIL
  • Spirituality.
  • 1794 Russian missionaries, St. Herman and others
  • Alaska; introduce
  • • In 1871, St. Nicholas established a Japanese mission.
  • • 1870: Papal infallibility becomes Roman Dogma.
  • Persecuted and martyred.
  • • 1918: Bishop Tikhon of San Francisco becomes Patriarch of Russia.
  • • 1988, 1000 years of Orthodoxy in Russia, as Ortho
  • Church worldwide maintains the fullness of Apostolic F.
  • • 1990: Beginning of renewal of Orthodoxy in Ruy.
  • Important epistles are (†) martyred at Rome.
  • 150 St. Justin Martyr describes the liturgical
  • Church centered in the Eucharist. Liturgical worship is
  • Rooted in both the Old and New Testaments.
  • 202 St. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, has martyred
  • several books against heresies.
  • 215-290 SAW The Rise of Christianity in Africa and Asia.
  • • 258 St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, author and theologian
  • is martyred.
  • • 300 Christianization of Britain
  • • 303 St. Alban is martyred
  • • 300-305 The Emperor Diocletian
  • Christianity. Thousands of Christians, including St. Geo
  • St. Barbara and St. Catherine are martyred.
  • 313 Emperor Constantine ended the persecution of Christians and
  • gave them the right to exercise their faith freely. The Edict.
  • Of Milan marks an end to the period of Roman persecution
  • of Christianity.
  • 325 The Council of Nicea settles the significant heretical
  • challenges to the Chris
  • Arius asserts that the Father created Christ. St. Athanasius
  • defends the eternality of the Son of God. Nicea is the first of
  • Seven Ecumenical (church-wide) Councils (325–787).
  • 326 Empress Helena finds the Cross of Jesus Christ in
  • Jerusalem. Later, she builds the Church of the Resurrection, the place of Christ’s Resurrection, where each year
  • Orthodox Pascha (Easter), the Holy Fire descends.
  • 330 Beginning and spread of monasticism in Egypt: St.
  • Anthony and Pachomius.
  • • 397 Synod of Carthage ratifies Biblical Canon.
  • 343 St. Nicholas, Bishop
  • • 330-410 Period of the great Fathers of the Chur
  • Athanasius, Basil the Great, Gregory the The
  • Ambrose of Milan, John Chrysostom, and others.
  • 381 The Second Ecumenical Council in Constantinople
  • reaffirms the need to have five Patriarchates: Rome
  • Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem.
  • • 410 Alaric, leader of the Germanic Visigoths, takes Rome
  • 451 Council of Chalcedon affirms an apostolic doctrine of two
  • natures in Christ.
  • • 563 The Great Church, Hagia Sofia, consecrated in
  • Constantinople.
  • 584 St. Sabba found
  • where later the typography for church services was developed
  • • 589 A local synod of the Roman Catholic Church in
  • Spain adds filioque to the Nicene Creed. This error causes
  • division between the Eastern and Western churches.
  • • 630 First, the Persians, then the Arabs threaten the Byzantine
  • The empire persecuted Christians and destroyed churches.
  • 685 The spread of monasticism on Mt. Athos begins.
  • • 726 Emperor Leo the Isaurian starts his campaign against the
  • Veneration of icons.
  • • 771 Arabs invade Spain.
  • 780 St. John Damascene, author of the Exact Exposition
  • of the Orthodox Faith.
  • 787 The Era of Ecumenical
  • Seventh Council restores
  • church.
  • 864 The Prince Boris
  • Sts. Cyril and Methodius spread the Orthodox faith among
  • the Slavs.
  • 988 Prin
  • Rus (Russians) to Christianity.
  • 1051: Sts. Anthony and Theodosius found their monastery
  • near Kyiv.
  • • 1054 The Great Schism occurs. Two major issues include
  • Rome’s claim to universal papal supremacy and adding the filioque clause to the Nicene Creed. The
  • Photian Schism (880) further complicates the debate.
  • • 1066 Norman conquest of Britain. Orthodox hierarchs were
  • replaced by those loyal to Rome.
  • 1095 The Crusades, begun by the Roman Church, weakened
  • the Eastern Orthodox churches in Palestine and Syria.
  • 1204: The Sack of Constantinople by the Crusaders adds to
  • the estrangement between East and West.
  • • 1333 St. Gregory Palamas defends the Orthodox practice of
  • hesychast spirituality and the use of the Jesus Prayer.
  • • 1438 St. Mark of Ephesus defends the Orthodox faith at the
  • Council of Florence.
  • • 1453: Turks overrun Constantinople; Byzantine empire ends.
  • • 1455 Gutenberg prints the Bible.
  • 1517 Martin Luther nails his 95 Theses to the door of the
  • Roman Church in Wittenburg begins Protestant
  • Reformation.
  • • 1529: The Church of England begins pulling away from Rome.
  • • 1782: First publishing of the PHIL
  • spirituality.
  • 1794 Russian missionaries, St. Herman and others
  • Alaska; introduce
  • • In 1871, St. Nicholas established a Japanese mission.
  • • 1870: Papal infallibility becomes Roman Dogma.
  • 1917 The Rev
  • persecuted and martyred.
  • • 1918: Bishop Tikhon of San Francisco becomes Patriarch of
  • Russia.
  • • 1988, 1000 years of Orthodoxy in Russia, as Ortho
  • Church worldwide maintains the fullness of Apostolic F
  • • 1990: Beginning of renewal of Orthodoxy in Ruy.
  • Important epistles are (†) martyred at Rome.
  • 150 St. Justin Martyr describes the liturgical
  • Church centered in the Eucharist. Liturgical worship is
  • rooted in both the Old and New Testament.
  • 202 St. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, has martyred
  • several books against heresies.
  • 215-290 The rise of Christian sc
  • Antioch.
  • 244-49 Th
  • • 258 St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, author and theologian
  • is martyred.
  • • 300 Christianization of Britain
  • • 303 St. Alban is martyred
  • • 300-305 The Emperor Diocletian
  • Christianity. Thousands of Christians, including St. Geo
  • St. Barbara and St. Catherine are martyred.
  • 313 Emperor Constantine ended the persecution of Christians and
  • gave them the right to exercise their faith freely. The Edict.
  • Of Milan marks an end to the period of Roman persecution
  • of Christianity.
  • 325 The Council of Nicea settles the significant heretical
  • challenges to the Chris
  • Arius asserts that the Father created Christ. St. Athanasius
  • defends the eternality of the Son of God. Nicea is the first CENERTY.
  • Seven Ecumenical (church-wide) Councils (325–787).
  • 326 Empress Helena finds the Cross of Jesus Christ in
  • Jerusalem. Later, she built the Church of the Resurrection, the place of Christ’s Resurrection, where each year,
  • Orthodox Pascha (Easter), the Holy Fire descends.
  • 330 Beginning and spread of monasticism in Egypt: St.
  • Anthony and Pachomius.
  • • 397 Synod of Carthage ratifies Biblical Canon.
  • 343 St. Nicholas, Bishop
  • • 330-410 Period of the great Fathers of the Chur
  • Athanasius, Basil the Great, Gregory the The
  • Ambrose of Milan, John Chrysostom, and others.
  • 381 The Second Ecumenical Council in Constantinople
  • reaffirms the need to have five Patriarchates: Rome
  • Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem.
  • • 410 Alaric, leader of the Germanic Visigoths, takes Rome.
  • 451 Council of Chalcedon affirms the apostolic doctrine of two
  • natures in Christ.
  • • 563 The Great Church, Hagia Sofia, consecrated in
  • Constantinople.
  • 584 St. Sabba found
  • where later the typography for church services was developed,
  • 589 A local synod of the Roman Catholic Church in
  • Spain adds filioque to the Nicene Creed. This error causes
  • division between the Eastern and Western churches.
  • • 630 First, the Persians, then the Arabs threaten the Byzantine
  • The empire persecuted Christians and destroyed churches.
  • 685 The spread of monasticism on Mt. Athos begins.
  • • 726 Emperor Leo the Isaurian starts his campaign against the
  • veneration of icons.
  • • 771 Arabs invade Spain.
  • 780 St. John Damascene, author of the Exact Exposition
  • of the Orthodox Faith.
  • 787 The Era of Ecumenical
  • Seventh Council restores
  • Church.
  • Sts. Cyril and Methodius spread the Orthodox faith among
  • the Slavs.
  • 988 Prin
  • Rus (Russians) to Christianity.
  • 1051: Sts. Anthony and Theodosius found their monastery
  • near Kyiv.
  • • 1054 The Great Schism occurs. Two major issues
  • Rome’s claim to universal papal supremacy and adding the filioque clause to the Nicene Creed. The
  • Photian Schism (880) further complicates the debate.
  • • 1066 Norman conquest of Britain. Orthodox hierarchs were
  • replaced by those loyal to Rome.
  • 1095 The Crusades, begun by the Roman Church, weakened
  • the Eastern Orthodox churches in Palestine and Syria.
  • 1204: The Sack of Constantinople by the Crusaders adds to
  • the estrangement between East and West.
  • • 1333 St. Gregory Palamas defends the Orthodox practice of
  • hesychast spirituality and the use of the Jesus Prayer.
  • • 1438 St. Mark of Ephesus defends the Orthodox faith at the
  • Council of Florence.
  • • 1453: Turks overrun Constantinople; Byzantine empire ends.
  • • 1455 Gutenberg prints the Bible.
  • 1517 Martin Luther nails his 95 Theses to the door of the
  • Roman Church in Wittenburg begins Protestant
  • Reformation.
  • • 1529: The Church of England begins pulling away from Rome.
  • • 1782: First publishing of the PHIL
  • Spirituality.
  • 1794 Russian missionaries, St. Herman and others
  • Alaska; introduce
  • • 1871: St. Nicholas establishes a Japanese mission.
  • • 1870: Papal infallibility becomes Roman Dogma.
  • 1917 The Rev
  • persecuted and martyred.
  • • 1918: Bishop Tikhon of San Francisco becomes Patriarch of
  • Russia.
  • • 1988, 1000 years of Orthodoxy in Russia, as Ortho
  • Church worldwide maintains the fullness of Apostolic F
  • • 1990: Beginning of renewal of Orthodoxy in Russia.
  • History of Christianity. (2024, November 10). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Christianity.