RELIG 327 EASTERN CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS

Dates important for the history of Eastern Christianity

 

ca. 30 AD        Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth

ca. 50-60         Epistles of Paul

64                    Fire of Rome; Neronian persecution

70                    Destruction of temple in Jerusalem

ca. 71-100       Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John written

104                  Christianity declared illegal by Trajan

115                  Martyrdom of St. Ignatius of Antioch

150-215           St. Clement of Alexandria

c. 130-200       St. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons from c. 178

161                  Persecution under Marcus Aurelius

ca. 180             Catechetical School of Alexandria founded

185-254           Origen

250-251           Persecution under Decius

ca. 250-336     Arius

251-356           St. Anthony the Hermit

257-260           Persecution under Valerian

270                  Death of Plotinus.  Spread of Manicheanism

298-373           St. Athanasius

303                  Persecution under Diocletian

313                  Edict of Milan (by Constantine) declares toleration of all religions

325                  Council of Nicaea;

331                  Constantinople made official capital of Roman Empire

340-420           St. Jerome, translator of Bible into Latin (the ³Vulgate²)

354-430           St. Augustine of Hippo (conversion 386; Confessions 400)

361-363           Emperor Julian the Apostate tries to restore paganism.

367                  St. Athanasius lists the present ³canon² of the New Testament

ca. 378-454     Eutyches

ca. 379             Rule of St. Basil

380                  Emperor Theodosius the Great makes Christianity mandatory.

381                  Council of Constantinople ‹ ratifies final formulation of Nicene Creed;

                        coordinates administrative structure of Church with that of empire.

392                  Imperial prohibition of non-Christian rites (by Theodosius)

395                  Roman Empire divided by sons of Theodosius

410                  Sack of Rome by Alaric, King of Goths

431                  Council of Ephesus ‹ condemns Nestorianism; designates Mary "Theotokos."

                        Leads to schism of Nestorian Church.

449                  ³Robber² Synod at Ephesus (Monophysite)

451                  Council of Chalcedon ‹ formulates dogma of hypostatic union; condemns monophysitism,  Leads to schism of Coptic Church and other monophysite churches.

476                  End of Western Roman Empire

529                  Platonic Academy (and other pagan philosophical schools) closed by

                        Justinian

535                  Sixth Novella of Justinian defines relation between Church and Empire

589                  Council in Toledo adds ³filioque² to Nicene Creed (locally).

570-632           Mohammed

725                  Iconoclastic controversy breaks out in East

787                  Seventh Ecumenical Council (Nicea II): Dogma of the veneration of icons

794-97             Carolingian Councils of Frankfurt and Friuli add ³filioque² to Nicene Creed and impose its use in Charlemagne¹s domain (Rome resists).

800                  Charlemagne crowned Roman Emperor (in west) by Pope in Rome.

843                  Final restoration of Icons in East; Feast of Orthodoxy

863                  Baptism of Boris, Czar of Bulgaria

867                  Photius, Patriarch of Constantinople, raises objections to ³Filioque.²

879                  Council of 400 Bishops in Constantinople condemns "Filioque."  Council's decision accepted by Pope John VIII.

988                  Vladimir, Prince of Kiev, converts to Christianity

1014                Papacy adopts ³filioque² on occasion of Henry II¹s coronation in Rome.

1054                Formal breach between East and West with mutual excommunications

1204                Sack of Byzantium by Fourth Crusade

1204-61           Latin Kingdom of Constantinople

1274                Council of Lyons: Filioque and transubstantiation declared dogma in West; failed reunion of Churches

1296-1359       St. Gregory Palamas

1341-1351       Hesychast councils in Constantinople

1380                Battle of Kulikovo wins partial freedom of Russians from Mongols

1389                Battle of Kosovo: Serbs conquered by Turks

1438-1439       Council of Ferrara-Florence: last attempt at reunion of East and West

1453                Turkish Conquest of Constantinople (end of Roman Empire)

1503                Division between Possessors and Non-Possessors in Russian Orthodoxy

1517                Martin Luther posts theses in Wittenberg, beginning Reformation.

1545-63           Council of Trent

1589                Head of Russian Church designated Patriarch of Moscow

1600s              Old Believers in Russia break with official Russian Church

1700                Patriarchate of Moscow discontinued (under Czar Peter the Great)

1721                Ecclesiastical Regulation establishes governance of Russian Church by Holy

                        Synod

1869-70           Vatican Council I: dogma of Papal Infallibility

1917                Russian Revolution; Holy Synod abolished; Patriarchy of Moscow restored

1962-63           Vatican Council II

1991                Communist rule in Soviet Union ends, freeing Orthodox Churches there.