Church History

St. Peter

First pope of the Roman Catholic Church

The Edict of Milan

Event that legalized Christianity in 313 AD

Emperor Constantine I

Emperor who called the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD

To address the Arian controversy and define the nature of Christ.

Primary purpose of the Council of Nicaea

St. Peter

First Christian martyr known as the first pope

It defined the nature of the Holy Trinity and affirmed Jesus Christ's divinity.

Significance of the Nicene Creed established in 325 AD

The date of Easter

Christian holiday officially established by the Council of Nicaea

St. Augustine of Hippo

Famous early Christian theologian known for 'Confessions' and 'The City of God'

To provide a life of prayer, work, and devotion in seclusion.

Main purpose of monasticism in the early church

St. Benedict of Nursia

Established Western monasticism through the Rule of St. Benedict

395 AD

Year the Roman Empire officially split into Western and Eastern Roman Empires

The dispute over the validity of sacraments performed by priests who had renounced their faith during persecution.

Donatist Controversy and its main issue

Arianism

Heresy that denied the full divinity of Christ

St. Jerome

Person credited with translating the Bible into Latin, producing the Vulgate

Latin in the West, Greek in the East

Primary languages of early Christian liturgy before 1054

313 AD

Year the Edict of Milan was issued

Constantine I

First Christian Roman Emperor

Emperor Diocletian

First Roman emperor to officially persecute Christians

In Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul)

Location of the First Council of Constantinople in 381 AD

The doctrine of Theotokos, affirming Mary as the 'Mother of God.'

Doctrine defined at the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD concerning the nature of Christ

The nature of Christ, specifically His dual nature as both fully divine and fully human.

Primary issue addressed at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD

The Apostolic Fathers' writings

Christian text widely used as a guide to the Church's beliefs in early years

Athanasius of Alexandria

Early Christian bishop regarded as important in the development of Christian theology

The revival of the Holy Roman Empire.

Major event in 800 AD when Charlemagne was crowned Emperor of the Romans

The Council of Chalcedon.

Early church council that addressed the issue of Christ's nature in 451 AD

4th-century Christian theologian known for his development of the doctrine of original sin and the concept of grace.

St. Augustine of Hippo

Early Christian writers who helped define Christian doctrine and practices.

Apostolic Fathers

The first Christian emperor to build a major church, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in Jerusalem.

Emperor Constantine I

Document issued in 380 AD by Emperor Theodosius I, declaring Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire.

The Edict of Thessalonica

The schism that occurred between the Eastern and Western Churches in 1054.

The Great Schism

The pope who excommunicated the Patriarch of Constantinople, marking the formal split of the Eastern and Western Churches in 1054.

Pope Leo IX

The main theological disagreement that contributed to the Great Schism, involving the phrase 'and the Son' in the Nicene Creed.

The Filioque controversy

Major event beginning in 1096, primarily driven by the desire to reclaim Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslim control.

The Crusades

The pope who called for the First Crusade in 1095.

Pope Urban II

Famous cathedral constructed in the 12th century as a symbol of the Church's power in Western Europe.

Notre Dame Cathedral

English king known for his dispute with the pope over the appointment of archbishops and his eventual excommunication.

King Henry II

Famous document signed in 1215 that asserted the rights of English nobles and limited the power of the monarchy, including the Church.

The Magna Carta

The pope who initiated the practice of indulgences, leading to the Protestant Reformation.

Pope Leo X

Known as the 'father' of the Protestant Reformation, particularly for his 95 Theses in 1517.

Martin Luther

Event in 1517 that sparked the Protestant Reformation, involving Martin Luther's posting on the door of the Wittenberg Church.

95 Theses

Religious movement that sought to reform the Catholic Church in the 16th century, leading to the formation of new Christian denominations.

The Protestant Reformation

The pope who convened the Council of Trent, which sought to address the issues raised by the Protestant Reformation.

Pope Paul III

Council held from 1545-1563 with the main purpose to respond to the Protestant Reformation and clarify Catholic doctrine.

Council of Trent

Defined by the Catholic Church as the necessity of both faith and good works for salvation.

Salvation according to the Council of Trent

Religious movement that emerged in the 16th century and rejected the authority of the pope and much of Catholic tradition.

Protestantism

English king who broke from the Roman Catholic Church and established the Church of England.

King Henry VIII

What event in 1534 solidified King Henry VIII's break with Rome and the creation of the Church of England?

The Act of Supremacy

Which pope was the head of the Catholic Church during the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)?

Pope John XXIII

What major decision was made by the Second Vatican Council regarding the Church's relationship with other faiths?

Second Vatican Council

Which document from the Second Vatican Council introduced vernacular languages into the liturgy?

Sacrosanctum Concilium

Which 16th-century Catholic monarch tried to restore Catholicism in England after her brother's Protestant reforms?

Queen Mary I of England

Which pope is remembered for his role in the social encyclical Rerum Novarum (1891), which addressed issues related to labor and the rights of workers?

Pope Leo XIII

What movement, initiated in the 20th century, sought to foster ecumenical dialogue and unity among Christian denominations?

The Ecumenical Movement

Which Vatican II document emphasized the Church's role in promoting human dignity and social justice?

Gaudium et Spes

Which major Christian denomination originated from the 16th-century Protestant Reformation and rejected the authority of the pope?

Lutheranism

In what year did the Protestant Reformation officially begin with Martin Luther's 95 Theses?

1517

Which Protestant leader founded the Reformed tradition, emphasizing predestination and the sovereignty of God?

John Calvin

What term is used to describe the Catholic Church's reassertion of its authority and response to the challenges posed by the Protestant Reformation?

The Counter-Reformation

Which 19th-century pope is known for his encyclical Pascendi Dominici Gregis condemning modernism?

Pope Pius X

In which year did the Catholic Church officially declare the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary?

1854

Which pope declared the dogma of the Assumption of Mary in 1950?

Pope Pius XII

Which Christian group formed in the early 17th century, separating from the Church of England, and is known for their pilgrimage to America?

The Pilgrims (Puritans)

What was the name of the first major ecumenical council of the Catholic Church in the modern era, which was convened in the 19th century?

The First Vatican Council (1869-1870)

Which Catholic pope is credited with the creation of the papal encyclical Humanae Vitae in 1968, reaffirming the Church's opposition to contraception?

Pope Paul VI

What was the significance of the Syllabus of Errors published by Pope Pius IX in 1864?

Syllabus of Errors

Which Pope served from 1978 to 2005 and is remembered for his role in the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe and his emphasis on human dignity?

Pope John Paul II

In what year did the Catholic Church apologize for its historical wrongs during the Inquisition, the Crusades, and the treatment of Jews?

2000

What is the term used to describe the process of the Catholic Church's reconciliation and cooperation with other Christian denominations and religions, especially after Vatican II?

Ecumenism