For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.
Doctrinal development and changing views of Christ
- Changes occur slowly, accumulating incrementally. Probably most people never even noticed.
- But in the 4th century the church rockets into worldliness.
- Majority authentic disciples -> only the minority (Matthew 7).
- At odds with the world -> friends with the world (James 4).
- Apostolic message authoritative -> Roman message reinterprets and adds to the message.
- The church “baptizes” pagan practices, attitudes, etc. – creative and certainly pragmatic, but what about authentic Christian culture?
- If we want to locate a pivotal date, perhaps 325 (Nicaea) or 381 (Christianity the official imperial religion)
Mary
- Mother of God, Ephesus, 431 AD
- West (Catholic and Orthodox Christianity) v. East (Church of the East, 400s+)
- The stern Christ (his mother is more approachable)
- She will be understood as Queen of Heaven (see Jeremiah 7:8. 4417-19, 25)), and become a de facto goddess.
Accommodation
- Many martyrs are venerated, and days are assigned to remember them.
- Saint days take over pagan holidays.
- Many pagan customs are accepted, after minor tweaking, as Christian traditions.
Eucharist
- A spectacle
- The cup eventually forbidden to the laity.
- Eucharist brings luck -- even when committing a crime!
Violence
- Christus Victor
- Inquisition (13th century +)
- Christ of the Crusades
- Papal bodyguards and armies
- Meditation on Matthew 5:9.
- Blessed are the peacemakers.
- How does the medieval Christ square with Jesus' teaching and character?
- Jesus' treatment of outsiders?
- Jesus' teaching about enemies (later in Matthew 5)?
- Jesus' attitude towards those who have wronged us?
- Paul’s comments on the gentleness of Christ, e.g. in Philippians 2?
- Paul's observation that we do not wage war as the world does, in 2 Corinthians 10?
- The fact that, whereas OT warfare is often literal, NT warfare is spiritualized (Ephesians 6 etc)?
- How distinctive was the church in its attitude and practice? How distinctive are we?
Next: Christ in Church History: 500 Years of Alternative Christs
