The purpose of this

timeline A timeline is a list of events displayed in chronological order. It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labelled with dates paralleling it, and usually contemporaneous events. Timelines can use any suitable scale representing t ...

is to give a detailed account of

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

from the beginning of the current era ( AD) to the present. Question marks ('?') on dates indicate approximate dates. The year one is the first year in the '' Christian calendar'' (there is no year zero), which is the calendar presently used (in unison with the

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...

) almost everywhere in the world. Traditionally, this was held to be the year Jesus was born; however, most modern scholars argue for an earlier or later date, the most agreed upon being between 6 BC and 4 BC.

Background historical timeline

*6 AD

Herod Archelaus Herod Archelaus (, ''Hērōidēs Archelaos''; 23 BC – ) was the ethnarch of Samaria, Judea, and Idumea, including the cities Caesarea Maritima, Caesarea and Jaffa, for nine years (). He was the son of Herod the Great and Malthace the ...

deposed by

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

;

Samaria Samaria (), the Hellenized form of the Hebrew name Shomron (), is used as a historical and Hebrew Bible, biblical name for the central region of the Land of Israel. It is bordered by Judea to the south and Galilee to the north. The region is ...

Judea Judea or Judaea (; ; , ; ) is a mountainous region of the Levant. Traditionally dominated by the city of Jerusalem, it is now part of Palestine and Israel. The name's usage is historic, having been used in antiquity and still into the pres ...

and Idumea annexed as Iudaea Province under direct Roman administration, capital at Caesarea. Quirinius became Legate (Governor) of

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

, conducted Census of Quirinius, opposed by

Zealots The Zealots were members of a Jewish political movements, Jewish political movement during the Second Temple period who sought to incite the people of Judaea (Roman province), Judaea to rebel against the Roman Empire and expel it from the Land ...

(, ) *7–26 Brief period of peace, relatively free of revolt and bloodshed in Judea and Galilee *9

Pharisee The Pharisees (; ) were a Jews, Jewish social movement and school of thought in the Levant during the time of Second Temple Judaism. Following the Siege of Jerusalem (AD 70), destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD, Pharisaic beliefs became ...

leader

Hillel the Elder Hillel ( ''Hīllēl''; variously called Hillel the Elder or Hillel the Babylonian; died c. 10 CE) was a Jewish religious leader, Sage (philosophy), sage and scholar associated with the development of the Mishnah and the Talmud and the founder of ...

dies, temporary rise of Shammai *14–37

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus ( ; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was Roman emperor from AD 14 until 37. He succeeded his stepfather Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC to Roman politician Tiberius Cl ...

, Roman Emperor *18–36 Caiaphas, appointed High Priest of Herod's Temple by Prefect Valerius Gratus, deposed by Syrian Legate Lucius Vitellius *19 Jews, Jewish proselytes, astrologers, expelled from Rome *26–36

Pontius Pilate Pontius Pilate (; ) was the Roman administration of Judaea (AD 6–135), fifth governor of the Judaea (Roman province), Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official wh ...

Prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect' ...

(governor) of Iudaea, recalled to Rome by Syrian Legate Vitellius on complaints of excess violence *28 or 29

John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...

begins his ministry in the "15th year of Tiberius" (), saying: " Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (), a relative of Jesus (), a Nazirite (), baptized Jesus (), later arrested and beheaded by Herod Antipas (), it is possible that, according to Josephus' chronology, John was not killed until 36

Timeline of Jesus' ministry

Jesus began his ministry after his baptism by John and during the rule of Pilate, preaching: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (). While the

historicity Historicity is the historical actuality of persons and events, meaning the quality of being part of history instead of being a historical myth, legend, or fiction. The historicity of a claim about the past is its factual status. Historicity deno ...

of the gospel accounts is questioned to some extent by some critical scholars and non-Christians, the traditional view states the following chronology for his ministry: *

Temptation Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals.Webb, J.R. (Sep 2014). Incorporating Spirituality into Psychology of temptation: Conceptualization, measurement, and clinical implications. Sp ...

, * Sermon on the Mount, * Appointment of the Twelve, * Miracles, * Temple Money Changers, * Last Supper, *

Arrest An arrest is the act of apprehending and taking a person into custody (legal protection or control), usually because the person has been suspected of or observed committing a crime. After being taken into custody, the person can be question ...

, * Trial, * Passion, * Crucifixion on Nisan 14th (, ,

Gospel of Peter The Gospel of Peter (), or the Gospel according to Peter, is an ancient text concerning Jesus Christ (title), Christ, only partially known today. Originally written in Koine Greek, it is a non-canonical gospel and was rejected as apocryphal by the ...

) or Nisan 15th (

Synoptic Gospels The gospels of Gospel of Matthew, Matthew, Gospel of Mark, Mark, and Gospel of Luke, Luke are referred to as the synoptic Gospels because they include many of the same stories, often in a similar sequence and in similar or sometimes identical ...

), * entombment by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, * Resurrection by God and Resurrection appearances of Jesus to

Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cr ...

and other women (, ), Simon Peter (), and others, (), *

Great Commission In Christianity, the Great Commission is the instruction of the Resurrection appearances of Jesus, resurrected Jesus Christ to his disciple (Christianity), disciples to spread the gospel to all the nations of the world. The Great Commission i ...

, * Ascension.

Prophecies

Second Coming Prophecy to fulfill the rest of Messianic prophecy such as the Resurrection of the dead, the Last Judgment, and establishment of the

Kingdom of God The concept of the kingship of God appears in all Abrahamic religions, where in some cases the terms kingdom of God and kingdom of Heaven are also used. The notion of God's kingship goes back to the Hebrew Bible, which refers to "his kingdom" ...

and the

Messianic Age In Abrahamic religions, the Messianic Age () is the future eternal period of time on Earth in which the messiah will reign and bring universal peace and brotherhood, without any evil (through mankind's own terms). Many believe that there will be s ...

Apostolic Age

Shortly after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (

Nisan Nisan (or Nissan; from ) in the Babylonian and Hebrew calendars is the month of the barley ripening and first month of spring. The name of the month is an Akkadian language borrowing, although it ultimately originates in Sumerian ''nisag' ...

14 or 15), the Jerusalem church was founded as the first

Christian church In ecclesiology, the Christian Church is what different Christian denominations conceive of as being the true body of Christians or the original institution established by Jesus Christ. "Christian Church" has also been used in academia as a syn ...

with about 120 Jews and Jewish Proselytes (), followed by the events of *

Pentecost Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christianity, Christian holiday which takes place on the 49th day (50th day when inclusive counting is used) after Easter Day, Easter. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spiri ...

( Sivan 6) * Ananias and Sapphira incident, *Pharisee Gamaliel's defense of the Apostles (), *the stoning of

Saint Stephen Stephen (; ) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first martyr of Christianity."St ...

(see also Persecution of Christians) and the subsequent dispersion of the Apostles (, also ) which leads to the baptism of Simon Magus in

(), and also an

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

eunuch A eunuch ( , ) is a male who has been castration, castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2 ...

() *Paul's " Road to Damascus" conversion to "Apostle to the Gentiles" is first recorded in , cf. *Peter baptizes the Roman Centurion Cornelius, who is traditionally considered the first Gentile convert to Christianity () *The Antioch church is founded, where the term Christian was first used (). * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Ante-Nicene period

*100–150? Apocryphon of James, Gospel of Mary Magdalene, Gospel of James, Infancy Gospel of Thomas, Secret Gospel of Mark (''Complete Gospels'', published by Jesus Seminar) *110–130? Papias, bishop of Hierapolis, writes "Expositions of the Sayings of the Lord", lost, widely quoted (Apostolic Fathers) * 110

Ignatius of Antioch Ignatius of Antioch (; ; died 108/140), also known as Ignatius Theophorus (), was an early Christian writer and Patriarch of Antioch. While en route to Rome, where he met his Christian martyrs, martyrdom, Ignatius wrote a series of letters. This ...

writes to the Smyrnaeans that the Christian church is ''katholikos'' ("universal") *110–160? Polycarp, bishop of

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; , or ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, Turkey. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna ...

, Letter to the Philippians, (Apostolic Fathers) * 112 Pliny reports rapid growth of Christianity in Bithynia *120? Rabbi Tarfon advocates burning the Gospels * 125(+/-5)? 2 Peter written, not accepted into canon until early 400s, drew upon Epistle of Jude, "catholic" epistle, Pastoral Epistles written *125? Rylands Library Papyrus P52, oldest extant NT fragment, p. 1935, parts of Jn18:31-33,37-38 *130–250? "Christian Apologists" writings against Roman religion: Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, Apology of Aristides, Theophilus of Antioch,

Tatian Tatian of Adiabene, or Tatian the Syrian or Tatian the Assyrian, (; ; ; ; – ) was an Assyrian Christian writer and theologian of the 2nd century. Tatian's most influential work is the Diatessaron, a Biblical paraphrase, or "harmony", of the ...

, Quadratus, Melito of Sardis, Apollinaris Claudius, Marcus Minucius Felix, Arnobius, Epistle to Diognetus *132–135 Bar Kokhba's revolt: final Jewish revolt. Jerusalem renamed Aelia Capitolina . *142–144? Marcion of Sinope: bishop according to '' Catholic Encyclopedia'', goes to Rome, possibly to buy the bishopric of Rome, upon rejection forms his own church in Rome, later called Marcionism, rejected Old Testament, decreed canon of one

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

, one ''Apostolicon'' (10 Letters of Paul) and one ''Antithesis'' which contrasted the Old Testament with the

New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...

, cited

Western text-type In textual criticism of the New Testament, the Western text-type is one of the main text types. It is the predominant form of the New Testament text witnessed in the Old Latin and Syriac translations from the Greek, and also in quotations from ...

, see also Expounding of the Law#Antithesis of the Law *150? "Western Revisor" adds/subtracts from original Acts to produce Western version which is 10% larger and found in Papyrus P29,38,48 and Codex Bezae (D) * 150 Gospel reaches

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

and

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

*150? Valentinius (most famous Christian

Gnostic Gnosticism (from Ancient Greek: , romanized: ''gnōstikós'', Koine Greek: �nostiˈkos 'having knowledge') is a collection of religious ideas and systems that coalesced in the late 1st century AD among early Christian sects. These diverse g ...

, according to

Tertullian Tertullian (; ; 155 – 220 AD) was a prolific Early Christianity, early Christian author from Roman Carthage, Carthage in the Africa (Roman province), Roman province of Africa. He was the first Christian author to produce an extensive co ...

) narrowly loses election for Bishop of Rome *150(+/-10)? '' The Shepherd of Hermas'', written in Rome (Apostolic Fathers) *150–200? Other Gospels: Gospel of the Saviour,

, Oxyrhynchus Gospels, Dialogue of the Saviour *155? Montanus claims to be the Paraclete ("Counselor") of *160? Martyrdom of Polycarp (Apostolic Fathers) * 166 Bishop Soter writes that the number of Christians has surpassed the

Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

* 167 At the request of Lucius of Britain, missionaries Fuganus (or Phagan) and Duvianus (or Deruvian) were sent by

Pope Eleuterus Pope Eleutherius (; died 24 May 189), also known as Eleutherus (), was the bishop of Rome from c. 174 until his death in 189. His pontificate is alternatively dated to 171–185 or 177–193. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. H ...

to convert the Britons to Christianity *170? Dionysius, bishop of Corinth claimed Christians were changing and faking his own letters just as e knewthey had changed the Gospels *170?

produces " Diatessaron" (Harmony) by blending 4 "Western" text-type Gospels into 1 *170? Symmachus the Ebionite writes new Greek translation of

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
. '' Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

Barrett, p. 23 *177

Persecution in Lyon The persecution in Lyon in AD 177 was an outbreak of persecution of Christians in Lugdunum, Roman Gaul (present-day Lyon, France), during the reign of Marcus Aurelius (161–180), recorded in a contemporary letter preserved in Eusebius's '' Ec ...

, martyrdom of

Blandina Saint Blandina (, c. 162–177 AD) was a Christianity, Christian martyr who died in Lugdunum (modern Lyon, France) during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Context In the first two centuries of the Christian era, it was the local Roman off ...

*180? Hegesippus *180–202?

Irenaeus Irenaeus ( or ; ; ) was a Greeks, Greek bishop noted for his role in guiding and expanding Christianity, Christian communities in the southern regions of present-day France and, more widely, for the development of Christian theology by oppos ...

, Bishop of Lyon: combated heresies, cited "Western" Gospel text-type (Ante-Nicene Fathers); second "Primate of the Gauls" *185–350? Muratorian fragment, 1st extant canon for New Testament after Marcion?, written in Rome by Hippolytus?, excludes Hebrews, James, 1-2 Peter, 3 John; includes Wisdom of Solomon, Apocalypse of Peter *186? Saint Apollonius: used the term ''catholic'' in reference to 1 John *188–231 Saint Demetrius: bishop of Alexandria, condemned

Origen Origen of Alexandria (), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an Early Christianity, early Christian scholar, Asceticism#Christianity, ascetic, and Christian theology, theologian who was born and spent the first half of his career in Early cent ...

*189–198

Pope Victor I Pope Victor I (died 199) was a Roman African prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the Bishop of Rome in the late second century. The dates of his tenure are uncertain, but one source states he became pope in 189 and gives the year of h ...

: 1st

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

Pope, excommunicated Eastern churches that continued to observe Easter on Nisan 14 Quartodeciman * 190 Pataenus of Alexandria goes to India in response to an appeal for Christian teachers *196? Polycrates, bishop of Ephesus (Ante-Nicene Fathers) * 196 Bar Daisan writes of Christians among the

Parthia Parthia ( ''Parθava''; ''Parθaw''; ''Pahlaw'') is a historical region located in northeastern Greater Iran. It was conquered and subjugated by the empire of the Medes during the 7th century BC, was incorporated into the subsequent Achaemeni ...

ns,

Bactria Bactria (; Bactrian language, Bactrian: , ), or Bactriana, was an ancient Iranian peoples, Iranian civilization in Central Asia based in the area south of the Oxus River (modern Amu Darya) and north of the mountains of the Hindu Kush, an area ...

ns (Kushans), and other peoples in the

Persian Empire The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire, also known as the Persian Empire or First Persian Empire (; , , ), was an Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty in 550 BC. Based in modern-day Iran, it was the larg ...

* 197

writes that Christianity had penetrated all ranks of society in North Africa *199–217? Caius, presbyter of Rome, wrote "Dialogue against Proclus" in '' Ante-Nicene Fathers'', rejected

Revelation Revelation, or divine revelation, is the disclosing of some form of Religious views on truth, truth or Knowledge#Religion, knowledge through communication with a deity (god) or other supernatural entity or entities in the view of religion and t ...

, said to be by Gnostic Cerinthus; see also Alogi *199–217? Caius, presbyter of Rome, wrote "Dialogue against Proclus" in Ante-Nicene Fathers, rejected

, said to be by Gnostic Cerinthus, see also Alogi * 200 First Christians are reported in

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

and

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

*200? Papyrus 46: 2nd Chester Beatty, Alexandrian text-type; Papyrus 66: 2nd Bodmer, John, 1956, "Alexandrian/Western" text-types; Papyrus 75: Bodmer 14–15, Luke & John, earliest extant Luke, ~Vaticanus; 200? Papyrus 32: J. Rylands Library: Titus 1:11-15;2:3-8; Papyrus 64 (+67): Mt3:9,15; 5:20-22,25-28; 26:7-8,10,14-15,22-23,31-33 *200? Sextus Julius Africanus *200? Antipope Natalius, rival bishop of Rome, according to Eusebius's EH5.28.8-12, quoting the ''Little Labyrinth'' of Hippolytus, after being " scourged all night by the holy angels", covered in ash, dressed in sackcloth, and "after some difficulty", tearfully submitted to

Pope Zephyrinus Pope Zephyrinus was the bishop of Rome from the year 199 until his death on 20 December 217. He was born in Rome, and succeeded Victor I. Upon his death on 20 December 217, he was succeeded by his principal advisor, Callixtus I. He is known fo ...

* 202 Roman Emperor Severus issues an edict forbidding conversion to Christianity * 206 Abgar, King of Edessa, embraces the Christian faith * 208

writes that Christ has followers on the far side of the Roman wall in Britain where Roman legions have not yet penetrated *217–236 Antipope Hippolytus, ''Logos'' sect? Later dispute settled and considered

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In ...

, Roman canon *218–258

Cyprian Cyprian (; ; to 14 September 258 AD''The Liturgy of the Hours according to the Roman Rite: Vol. IV.'' New York: Catholic Book Publishing Company, 1975. p. 1406.) was a bishop of Carthage and an early Christian writer of Berbers, Berber descent, ...

, Bishop of

Carthage Carthage was an ancient city in Northern Africa, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classic ...

, cited "Western" NT text-type, claimed Christians were freely forging his letters to discredit him (Ante-Nicene Fathers) *220?

Clement of Alexandria Titus Flavius Clemens, also known as Clement of Alexandria (; – ), was a Christian theology, Christian theologian and philosopher who taught at the Catechetical School of Alexandria. Among his pupils were Origen and Alexander of Jerusalem. A ...

, cited "Alexandrian" NT text-type & Secret Gospel of Mark & Gospel of the Egyptians; wrote "Exhortations to the Greeks"; "Rich Man's Salutation"; "To the Newly Baptized"; (Ante-Nicene Fathers) *220?–340? Codex Tchacos, manuscript containing a copy of the

Gospel of Judas The Gospel of Judas is a non-canonical religious text. Its content consists of conversations between Jesus and his disciples, especially Judas Iscariot. The only copy of it known to exist is a Coptic language text that is part of the Codex ...

, is written *223?

: sometimes called "father of the Latin Church", because he coined trinitas, tres

Persona A persona (plural personae or personas) is a strategic mask of identity in public, the public image of one's personality, the social role that one adopts, or simply a fictional Character (arts), character. It is also considered "an intermediary ...

e, una Substantia, Vetus Testamentum, Novum Testamentum, convert to

Montanism Montanism (), known by its adherents as the New Revelation, was an History of Christianity#Early Christianity (c. 31/33–324), early Christian movement of the Christianity in the 2nd century, mid-to-late 2nd century, later referred to by the n ...

, cited "Western" Gospel text-type (Ante-Nicene Fathers) *225? Papyrus 45: 1st Chester Beatty Papyri, Gospels ( Caesarean text-type, mixed), Acts (Alexandrian text-type) *235–238

Maximinus Thrax Gaius Julius Verus Maximinus "Thrax" () was a Roman emperor from 235 to 238. Born of Thracian origin – given the nickname ''Thrax'' ("the Thracian") – he rose up through the military ranks, ultimately holding high command in the army of th ...

: emperor of Rome, ends Christian schism in Rome by deporting

Pope Pontian Pope Pontian (; died October 235) was the bishop of Rome from 21 July 230 to 28 September 235.Kirsch, Johann Peter (1911). "Pope St. Pontian" in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''. Vol. 12. New York: Robert Appleton Company. In 235, during the perse ...

and Antipope Hippolytus to

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...

, where they soon die * 241 Mani begins to preach in Seleucia-Ctesiphon in what is now

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

*248–264 Dionysius,

Patriarch of Alexandria The Patriarch of Alexandria is the archbishop of Alexandria, Egypt. Historically, this office has included the designation "pope" (etymologically "Father", like "Abbot"). The Alexandrian episcopate was revered as one of the three major epi ...

see also List of Patriarchs of Alexandria * 250 Denis (or Denys or Dionysius) is sent from

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

along with six other missionaries to establish the church in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

*250? Apostolic Constitutions, Liturgy of St James, Old Roman Symbol, Clementine literature *250? Letters of Methodius, Pistis Sophia, Porphyry Tyrius, Commodianus (Ante-Nicene Fathers) *250? Papyrus 72: Bodmer 5-11+, pub. 1959, "Alexandrian" text-type: Nativity of Mary; 3Cor; '' Odes of Solomon'' 11; Jude 1-25; Melito's Homily on Passover; Hymn fragment; Apology of Phileas; Ps33,34; 1Pt1:1-5:14; 2Pt1:1-3:18 *250?

, Jesus and God one substance, adopted at

First Council of Nicaea The First Council of Nicaea ( ; ) was a council of Christian bishops convened in the Bithynian city of Nicaea (now İznik, Turkey) by the Roman Emperor Constantine I. The Council of Nicaea met from May until the end of July 325. This ec ...

in 325, compiled

Hexapla ''Hexapla'' (), also called ''Origenis Hexaplorum'', is a Textual criticism, critical edition of the Hebrew Bible in six versions, four of them translated into Ancient Greek, Greek, preserved only in fragments. It was an immense and complex wor ...

; cites Alexandrian, Caesarean text-type; Eusebius claimed Origen castrated himself for Christ due to Mt19:12 (EH6.8.1-3) *251–424? Synods of Carthage *251–258 Antipope Novatian decreed no forgiveness for sins after

baptism Baptism (from ) is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by aspersion, sprinkling or affusion, pouring water on the head, or by immersion baptism, immersing in water eit ...

(An antipope was an individual whose claim to the papacy was either rejected by the Church at the time or later recognized as invalid.) *254–257 Pope Stephen I: major

schism A schism ( , , or, less commonly, ) is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a split in what had previously been a single religious body, suc ...

over rebaptizing heretics and apostates *258 " Valerian's Massacre": Roman emperor issues edict to execute immediately all Christian Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons, including Pope Sixtus II, Antipope Novatian, Cyprian of Carthage
CE: Valerian
§ 22) *264–269 Synods of Antioch: condemned Paul of Samosata, Bishop of Antioch, founder of Adoptionism (Jesus was human until the Holy Spirit descended at his baptism), also condemned term homoousios adopted at Nicaea *265 Gregory Thaumaturgus (Ante-Nicene Fathers) * 270 Death of Gregory Thaumaturgus, Christian leader in Pontus. It was said that when Gregory became "bishop" there were only 17 Christians in Pontus while at his death thirty years later there were only 17 non-Christians. *270? Anthony begins monastic movement *275? Papyrus 47: 3rd Chester Beatty, ~Sinaiticus, Rev9:10-11:3,5-16:15,17-17:2 *276

Mani (prophet) Mani (; – 2 March AD 274 or 26 February AD 277) was an Iranian peoples, Iranian prophet and the founder of Manichaeism, a religion most prevalent in late antiquity. Mani was born in or near Ctesiphon (south of modern Baghdad) in Me ...

, crucified, founder of the dualistic Manichaean sect in

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

* 280 First rural churches emerge in northern Italy; Christianity is no longer exclusively in urban areas *282–300? Theonas, bishop of Alexandria (Ante-Nicene Fathers) * 287 Maurice from

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

is killed at Agauno,

for refusing to sacrifice to pagan divinities *290–345? St Pachomius, founder of

Christian monasticism Christian monasticism is a religious way of life of Christians who live Asceticism#Christianity, ascetic and typically cloistered lives that are dedicated to Christian worship. It began to develop early in the history of the Christian Church, m ...

*296–304 Pope Marcellinus, offered pagan sacrifices for Diocletian, later repented. Name in Martyrology of

Bede Bede (; ; 672/326 May 735), also known as Saint Bede, Bede of Jarrow, the Venerable Bede, and Bede the Venerable (), was an English monk, author and scholar. He was one of the most known writers during the Early Middle Ages, and his most f ...

* 300 First Christians reported in

Greater Khorasan KhorasanDabeersiaghi, Commentary on Safarnâma-e Nâsir Khusraw, 6th Ed. Tehran, Zavvâr: 1375 (Solar Hijri Calendar) 235–236 (; , ) is a historical eastern region in the Iranian Plateau in West Asia, West and Central Asia that encompasses wes ...

; an estimated 10% of the world's population is now Christian; parts of the

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

are available in 10 different languages *301 –

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

is the first kingdom in history to adopt Christianity as state religion *303–312 Diocletian's Massacre of Christians, includes burning of scriptures
EH 8.2
*303

Saint George Saint George (;Geʽez: ጊዮርጊስ, , ka, გიორგი, , , died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was an early Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to holy tradition, he was a soldier in the ...

, patron saint of Georgia, England and other states *304? Victorinus, bishop of Pettau *304? Pope Marcellinus, having repented from his previous defection, suffers martyrdom with several companions *306 Synod of Elvira prohibits relations between Christians and Jews *310 Maxentius deports Pope Eusebius and Heraclius to Sicily (relapse controversy) *312 Lucian of Antioch, founder of

School of Antioch The Catechetical School of Antioch was one of the two major Christian centers of the study of biblical exegesis and theology during Late Antiquity; the other was the Catechetical School of Alexandria, School of Alexandria. This group was known by ...

, martyred *312 Vision of Constantine: while gazing into the sun he sees a

cross A cross is a religious symbol consisting of two Intersection (set theory), intersecting Line (geometry), lines, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of t ...

with the words by this sign conquer, see also Labarum, he was later called the ''13th Apostle'' and Equal-to-apostles *313 Edict of Milan: Constantine and Licinius end persecution, establish toleration of Christianity *313? Lateran Palace given to Pope Miltiades for residence by Constantine *313? Traditional date for founding of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre *314 King Urnayr of Caucasian Albania adopts Christianity as official religion *314 Catholic Council of Arles, called by Constantine against Donatist schism to confirm the Council of Rome in 313 *314–340? Eusebius, bishop of Caesarea, church historian, cited Caesarean text-type, wrote ''

Ecclesiastical History Church history or ecclesiastical history as an academic discipline studies the history of Christianity and the way the Christian Church has developed since its inception. Henry Melvill Gwatkin defined church history as "the spiritual side of the ...

'' in 325 *317? Lactantius *321 Constantine decrees Sunday as state "day of rest" ( CJ3.12.2), see also

Sol Invictus Sol Invictus (, "Invincible Sun" or "Unconquered Sun") was the official Solar deity, sun god of the late Roman Empire and a later version of the god Sol (Roman mythology), Sol. The emperor Aurelian revived his cult in 274 AD and promoted Sol Inv ...

First Seven Ecumenical Councils

Constantine called the

in 325 to unify

Christology In Christianity, Christology is a branch of Christian theology, theology that concerns Jesus. Different denominations have different opinions on questions such as whether Jesus was human, divine, or both, and as a messiah what his role would b ...

, also called the first great Christian council by

Jerome Jerome (; ; ; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was an early Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, theologian, translator, and historian; he is commonly known as Saint Jerome. He is best known ...

, the first ecumenical, decreed the Original Nicene Creed, but rejected by Nontrinitarians such as Arius, Theonas, Secundus of Ptolemais, Eusebius of Nicomedia, and Theognis of Nicaea who were excommunicated, also addressed Easter controversy and passed 20

Canon law Canon law (from , , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its membe ...

s such as Canon VII which granted special recognition to

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

. *325, 20 May–19 June: The

*325 The

Kingdom of Aksum The Kingdom of Aksum, or the Aksumite Empire, was a kingdom in East Africa and South Arabia from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, based in what is now northern Ethiopia and Eritrea, and spanning present-day Djibouti and Sudan. Emerging ...

(Modern

and

Eritrea Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa, with its capital and largest city being Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia in the Eritrea–Ethiopia border, south, Sudan in the west, and Dj ...

) declares Christianity as the official state religion, becoming the 2nd country to do so *325 Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, ordered built by Constantine *326, November 18: Pope Sylvester I consecrates the Basilica of St. Peter built by Constantine the Great over the tomb of the Apostle *328–373 Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, first cite of modern 27 book New Testament canon *330 Old Church of the Holy Apostles, dedicated by Constantine *330, May 11:

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

solemnly inaugurated. Constantine moves the capital of the Roman Empire to Byzantium, renaming it New Rome *331 Constantine commissions Eusebius to deliver 50 Bibles for the Church of Constantinople *335 Council in Jerusalem reverses Nicaea's condemnation of Arius, consecrates Jerusalem

Church of the Holy Sepulchre The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also known as the Church of the Resurrection, is a fourth-century church in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, Old City of Jerusalem. The church is the seat of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchat ...

*337? Mirian III of Iberia (present-day

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

) adopts Christianity. *337, May 22: Constantine the Great dies (baptized shortly prior to his death) *341–379 Shapur II's persecution of Persian Christians *343? Catholic Council of Serdica, canons confirmed by Pope Julius *350? Julius Firmicus Maternus *350? Codex Sinaiticus (א),

Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209 The Codex Vaticanus (Vatican Library, The Vatican, Vatican Library, Bibl. Vat., Vat. gr. 1209), is a manuscript of the Greek Bible, containing the majority of the Old Testament and the majority of the New Testament. It is designated by Scribal ab ...

(B): earliest Christian Bibles, Alexandrian text-type *350? Ulfilas, Arian, apostle to the

Goths The Goths were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe. They were first reported by Graeco-Roman authors in the 3rd century AD, living north of the Danube in what is ...

, translates Greek NT to Gothic *350? Comma Johanneum 1Jn5:7b-8a ( KJV) *350? Aëtius, Arian, "Syntagmation": "God is agennetos (unbegotten)", founder of Anomoeanism *350? School of Nisibis founded *353–367 Hilary, bishop of Poitiers *355–365 Antipope Felix II, Arian, supported by Constantius II, consecrated by Acacius of Caesarea *357 Third Council of Sirmium issues so-called ''Blasphemy of Sirmium'' or ''Seventh Arian Confession'', called high point of Arianism *359 Council of Rimini, Dated Creed ( Acacians); Pope Liberius rejects Arian creed of council *360 Julian the Apostate becomes the last non-Christian Roman Emperor *363–364 Council of Laodicea: Canon 29 decreed anathema for Christians who rest on the

Sabbath In Abrahamic religions, the Sabbath () or Shabbat (from Hebrew ) is a day set aside for rest and worship. According to the Book of Exodus, the Sabbath is a day of rest on the seventh day, Ten Commandments, commanded by God to be kept as a Holid ...

, disputed Canon 60 named 26 NT books (excluded

) *366–367 Antipope Ursicinus, rival to Pope Damasus I *367–403 Epiphanius, Bishop of Salamis, wrote ''Panarion'' against heresies *370–379 Basil the Great, Bishop of Caesarea *370? Doctrine of Addai at Edessa proclaims 17 book NT canon using Diatessaron (instead of the 4 Gospels) + Acts + 15 Pauline Epistles (inc. 3 Corinthians) Syriac Orthodox Church *370 (d. ca.) Optatus of Milevis, who in his conflict with the sectarian Donatists stressed unity and catholicity as marks of the Church over and above holiness, and also that the sacraments derived their validity from God, not from the priest *372–394 Gregory, Bishop Of Nyssa *373

Ephrem the Syrian Ephrem the Syrian (; ), also known as Ephraem the Deacon, Ephrem of Edessa or Aprem of Nisibis, (Syriac: ܡܪܝ ܐܦܪܝܡ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ — ''Mâr Aphrêm Sûryâyâ)'' was a prominent Christian theology, Christian theologian and Christian literat ...

, cited Western Acts *374–397 Ambrose, governor of

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

until 374, then made Bishop of Milan *375–395

Ausonius Decimius Magnus Ausonius (; ) was a Latin literature, Roman poet and Education in ancient Rome, teacher of classical rhetoric, rhetoric from Burdigala, Gallia Aquitania, Aquitaine (now Bordeaux, France). For a time, he was tutor to the future E ...

, Christian governor of

Gaul Gaul () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...

*379–381 Gregory Nazianzus, Bishop of Constantinople *380, February 27: Emperor

Theodosius I Theodosius I ( ; 11 January 347 – 17 January 395), also known as Theodosius the Great, was Roman emperor from 379 to 395. He won two civil wars and was instrumental in establishing the Nicene Creed as the orthodox doctrine for Nicene C ...

issues the

Edict of Thessalonica An edict is a decree or announcement of a law, often associated with monarchies, but it can be under any official authority. Synonyms include "dictum" and "pronouncement". ''Edict'' derives from the Latin wikt:edictum#Latin, edictum. Notable ed ...

, declaring Nicene Christianity as the

state church of the Roman Empire In the year before the First Council of Constantinople in 381, Nicene Christianity, Nicean Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire when Theodosius I, emperor of the East, Gratian, emperor of the West, and Gratian's junior co-r ...

*380, November 24: Emperor

is baptised *381

First Council of Constantinople The First Council of Constantinople (; ) was a council of Christian bishops convened in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) in AD 381 by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I. This second ecumenical council, an effort to attain consensus in the ...

, 2nd ecumenical: Jesus had true human soul, Nicene Creed of 381 *382 Catholic Council of Rome under Pope Damasus I sets the

Biblical canon A biblical canon is a set of texts (also called "books") which a particular Jewish or Christian religious community regards as part of the Bible. The English word ''canon'' comes from the Ancient Greek, Greek , meaning 'ruler, rule' or 'measu ...

, listing the inspired books of the Old Testament and the New Testament (disputed) *383? Frumentius, Apostle of Ethiopia *385

Priscillian Priscillian (in Latin: ''Priscillianus''; Gallaecia, – Augusta Treverorum, Gallia Belgica, ) was a wealthy nobleman of Roman Hispania who promoted a strict form of Christian asceticism. He became bishop of Ávila in 380. Certain practices of his ...

, first heretic to be executed? *386 Cyril of Jerusalem: wrote compellingly of catholicity of the Church *390? Apollinaris, Bishop of Laodicea, believed Jesus had human body but divine spirit *391 Theodosian decrees outlaw most pagan rituals still practiced in Rome *396–430 Augustine, bishop of Hippo, considered the founder of formalized Christian theology ( Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers) *397? Saint Ninian evangelizes

Picts The Picts were a group of peoples in what is now Scotland north of the Firth of Forth, in the Scotland in the early Middle Ages, Early Middle Ages. Where they lived and details of their culture can be gleaned from early medieval texts and Pic ...

in Scotland *398–404 John Chrysostom, Patriarch of Constantinople, see also List of Patriarchs of Constantinople, (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers) *400:

Vulgate The Vulgate () is a late-4th-century Bible translations into Latin, Latin translation of the Bible. It is largely the work of Saint Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Gospels used by the Diocese of ...

(Latin edition and translation of the Bible) is published *400? Ethiopic Bible: in Ge'ez, 81 books, standard Ethiopian Orthodox Bible *400?

Peshitta The Peshitta ( ''or'' ') is the standard Syriac edition of the Bible for Syriac Christian churches and traditions that follow the liturgies of the Syriac Rites. The Peshitta is originally and traditionally written in the Classical Syriac d ...

Bible in Syriac (Aramaic), Syr (p), OT + 22 NT, excludes: 2Pt, 2-3Jn, Jude, Rev; standard Syriac Orthodox Church Bible *406 Armenian Bible, translated by Saint Mesrop, standard Armenian Orthodox Bible *410, 24 August: Sack of Rome by Alaric and the

Visigoths The Visigoths (; ) were a Germanic people united under the rule of a king and living within the Roman Empire during late antiquity. The Visigoths first appeared in the Balkans, as a Roman-allied Barbarian kingdoms, barbarian military group unite ...

*412–444

Cyril Cyril (also Cyrillus or Cyryl) is a masculine given name. It is derived from the Greek language, Greek name (''Kýrillos''), meaning 'lordly, masterful', which in turn derives from Greek (''kýrios'') 'lord'. There are various variant forms of t ...

, bishop of Alexandria, coined Hypostatic union *418–419 Antipope Eulalius, rival to Pope Boniface I *420 St.

translator,

scholar, cited expanded ending in Mark after Mark 16:8, Pericope of the Adultress addition to John (John 7:53-8:11) (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers) *423–457 Theodoret, bishop of Cyrrhus, noted Tatian's Diatesseron in heavy use, wrote
Church History
*431 Council of Ephesus, 3rd ecumenical: repudiated Nestorianism, decreed Mary the Mother of God, forbade any changes to Nicene Creed of 381, rejected by the Persian Church, leading to the Nestorian Schism *432 St Patrick begins his mission in Ireland. Almost the entire nation is Christian by the time of his death in a conversion that is both incredibly successful and largely bloodless *440–461 Pope Leo the Great: sometimes considered the first pope (of influence) by non-Catholics, stopped Attila the Hun at Rome, issued Tome in support of Hypostatic Union, approved Council of Chalcedon but rejected canons in 453 *449 Second Council of Ephesus, Monophysite: Jesus was divine but not human *450? Codex Alexandrinus (A): Alexandrian text-type; Codex Bezae (D): Greek/Latin Gospels + Acts; Codex Washingtonianus (W): Greek Gospels; both of

*450? std. Aramaic Targums, Old Testament in

Aramaic Aramaic (; ) is a Northwest Semitic language that originated in the ancient region of Syria and quickly spread to Mesopotamia, the southern Levant, Sinai, southeastern Anatolia, and Eastern Arabia, where it has been continually written a ...

*450? Socrates Scholasticusbr>Church History of 305-438
Sozomenbr>Church History of 323-425
*451 Council of Chalcedon, 4th ecumenical, declared Jesus is a Hypostatic Union: both human and divine in one ( Chalcedonian Creed), rejected by Oriental Orthodoxy *455 Sack of Rome by the

Vandals The Vandals were a Germanic people who were first reported in the written records as inhabitants of what is now Poland, during the period of the Roman Empire. Much later, in the fifth century, a group of Vandals led by kings established Vand ...

. The spoils of the Temple of Jerusalem previously taken by Titus are allegedly among the treasures taken to

*456? Eutyches of Constantinople, Monophysite *465? Prosper of Aquitaine *476, September 4: Emperor Romulus Augustus is deposed in Rome, marked by many as the

fall of the Western Roman Empire The fall of the Western Roman Empire, also called the fall of the Roman Empire or the fall of Rome, was the loss of central political control in the Western Roman Empire, a process in which the Empire failed to enforce its rule, and its vast ...

*484–519 Acacian schism, over Henoticon, divides Eastern (Greek) and Western (Latin) churches *491 Armenian Orthodox split from East (Greek) and West (Latin) churches *495, May 13

Vicar of Christ Vicar of Christ () is a term used in different ways and with different Theology, theological connotations throughout history. The original notion of a vicar is as an "earthly representative of Christ", but it is also used in the sense of "person ...

decreed a title of Bishop of Rome by Pope Gelasius I *496

Clovis I Clovis (; reconstructed Old Frankish, Frankish: ; – 27 November 511) was the first List of Frankish kings, king of the Franks to unite all of the Franks under one ruler, changing the form of leadership from a group of petty kings to rule by a ...

, King of the

Franks file:Frankish arms.JPG, Aristocratic Frankish burial items from the Merovingian dynasty The Franks ( or ; ; ) were originally a group of Germanic peoples who lived near the Rhine river, Rhine-river military border of Germania Inferior, which wa ...

, baptized *498–499, 501–506 Antipope Laurentius, rival of Pope Symmachus, Laurentian schism *500?

Incense Incense is an aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, religious worship, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremonial reasons. It ...

introduced in Christian church service, first plans of Vatican *524

Boethius Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, commonly known simply as Boethius (; Latin: ''Boetius''; 480–524 AD), was a Roman Roman Senate, senator, Roman consul, consul, ''magister officiorum'', polymath, historian, and philosopher of the Early Middl ...

, Roman Christian philosopher, wrote "Theological Tractates", Consolation of Philosophy; (Loeb Classics) (Latin) *525

Dionysius Exiguus Dionysius Exiguus (Latin for "Dionysius the Humble"; Greek: Διονύσιος; – ) was a 6th-century Eastern Roman monk born in Scythia Minor. He was a member of a community of Scythian monks concentrated in Tomis (present-day Constanț ...

defines ''Christian calendar'' (AD) *527 Fabius Planciades Fulgentius *529

Benedict of Nursia Benedict of Nursia (; ; 2 March 480 – 21 March 547), often known as Saint Benedict, was a Great Church, Christian monk. He is famed in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Lutheran Churches, the Anglican Communion, and Old ...

establishes his first

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

in the Abbey of

Monte Cassino The Abbey of Monte Cassino (today usually spelled Montecassino) is a Catholic Church, Catholic, Benedictines, Benedictine monastery on a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, in the Valle Latina, Latin Valley. Located on the site of the ancient ...

, Italy, where he writes the

Rule of St Benedict The ''Rule of Saint Benedict'' () is a book of precepts written in Latin by Benedict of Nursia, St. Benedict of Nursia (c. AD 480–550) for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot. The spirit of Saint Benedict's Rule is summed up ...

*530 Antipope Dioscorus, possibly a legitimate Pope *535–536 Unusual climate changes recorded *537–555 Pope Vigilius, involved in death of Pope Silverius, conspired with

Justinian Justinian I (, ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 527 to 565. His reign was marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovatio imperii'', or "restoration of the Empire". This ambition was ...

and Theodora, on April 11, 548 issued ''Judicatum'' supporting Justinian's anti-Hypostatic Union, excommunicated by bishops of Carthage in 550 *538 Byzantine general Belisarius defeats last Arian kingdom; Western Europe completely Catholic *541–542

Plague of Justinian The plague of Justinian or Justinianic plague (AD 541–549) was an epidemic of Plague (disease), plague that afflicted the entire Mediterranean basin, Mediterranean Basin, Europe, and the Near East, especially the Sasanian Empire and the Byza ...

*543 Justinian condemns

, disastrous earthquakes hit the world *544 Justinian condemns the Three Chapters of Theodore of Mopsuestia (died 428) and other writings of Hypostatic Union

of Council of Chalcedon *550 St. David converts Wales, crucifix introduced *553

Second Council of Constantinople The Second Council of Constantinople is the fifth of the first seven ecumenical councils recognized by both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. It is also recognized by the Old Catholics and others. Protestant opinions and re ...

, 5th ecumenical, called by Justinian *556–561 Pope Pelagius I, selected by Justinian, endorsed ''Judicatum'' *563

Columba Columba () or Colmcille (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is today Scotland at the start of the Hiberno-Scottish mission. He founded the important abbey ...

goes to Scotland to evangelize

, establishes

at Iona *567

Cassiodorus Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator (c. 485 – c. 585), commonly known as Cassiodorus (), was a Christian Roman statesman, a renowned scholar and writer who served in the administration of Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths. ''Senato ...

*589 Catholic Third Council of Toledo: Reccared and the

convert from

Arianism Arianism (, ) is a Christology, Christological doctrine which rejects the traditional notion of the Trinity and considers Jesus to be a creation of God, and therefore distinct from God. It is named after its major proponent, Arius (). It is co ...

to Catholicism and Filioque clause is added to Nicene Creed of 381 *590–604 Pope Gregory the Great, whom many consider the greatest pope ever, reforms church structure and administration and establishes Gregorian chant,

Seven deadly sins The seven deadly sins (also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins) function as a grouping of major vices within the teachings of Christianity. In the standard list, the seven deadly sins according to the Catholic Church are pride, greed ...

*591–628 Theodelinda, Queen of the

Lombards The Lombards () or Longobards () were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who conquered most of the Italian Peninsula between 568 and 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written betwee ...

, began gradual conversion from Arianism to Catholicism *596 St. Augustine of Canterbury sent by Pope Gregory to evangelise the

Jutes The Jutes ( ) were one of the Germanic people, Germanic tribes who settled in Great Britain after the end of Roman rule in Britain, departure of the Roman Britain, Romans. According to Bede, they were one of the three most powerful Germanic na ...

*600? Evagrius Scholasticus, Church History of AD431-594 *604 Saxon cathedral created (by Mellitus) where

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Paul the Apostle, is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London in the Church of Engl ...

in London now stands *609 Pantheon, Rome renamed Church of Santa Maria Rotonda *612? Bobbio monastery in northern Italy *613 Abbey of St. Gall in Switzerland *614 Khosrau II of Persia conquers

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

, takes Holy Cross of Christ *622 Mohammed founds Islam after fleeing to Mecca *624 Battle of Badr, considered beginning of Islamic Empire *625 Paulinus of York comes to convert

Northumbria Northumbria () was an early medieval Heptarchy, kingdom in what is now Northern England and Scottish Lowlands, South Scotland. The name derives from the Old English meaning "the people or province north of the Humber", as opposed to the Sout ...

*628 Babai the Great, pillar of Church of the East, dies *628–629 Battle of Mut'ah: Heraclius recovers Cross of Christ and Jerusalem from Islam until 638 *632 Eorpwald of East Anglia baptized under influence of Edwin of Northumbria *634–644

Umar Umar ibn al-Khattab (; ), also spelled Omar, was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () and is regarded as a senior companion and father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Mu ...

, 2nd

Sunni Islam Sunni Islam is the largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any Succession to Muhammad, successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr ...

Caliph A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...

: capital at Damascus, conquered Syria in 635, defeated Heraclius at Battle of Yarmuk in 636, conquered Egypt and Armenia in 639, Persia in 642 *635 Cynegils of Wessex baptized by Bishop Birinus *664 Synod of Whitby unites

Celtic Christianity Celtic Christianity is a form of Christianity that was common, or held to be common, across the Celtic languages, Celtic-speaking world during the Early Middle Ages. The term Celtic Church is deprecated by many historians as it implies a unifi ...

of British Isles with Roman Catholicism *680–681 Third Council of Constantinople, 6th ecumenical, against Monothelites, condemned Pope Honorius I,

Patriarch Sergius I of Constantinople Sergius I of Constantinople (, ''Sergios''; died 9 December 638) was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 610 to 638. He is most famous for promoting Monothelitism Christianity, especially through the '' Ecthesis''. Sergius I was bo ...

, Heraclius' ''Ecthesis'' *681–686 Wilfrid converts

Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...

*687–691 Dome of the Rock built *690? Old English Bible translations *692 Orthodox Quinisext Council, convoked by Justinian II, approved Canons of the Apostles of Apostolic Constitutions, Clerical celibacy, rejected by Pope Constantine *698 Fall of

*711–718 Umayyad conquest of Hispania *717–718 Second Arab siege of Constantinople *718–1492

Reconquista The ''Reconquista'' (Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese for ) or the fall of al-Andalus was a series of military and cultural campaigns that European Christian Reconquista#Northern Christian realms, kingdoms waged ag ...

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...

retaken by Roman Catholic Visigoth monarchs *718

Saint Boniface Boniface, OSB (born Wynfreth; 675 –5 June 754) was an English Benedictines, Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of Francia during the eighth century. He organised significant foundations of ...

, archbishop of Mainz; an Englishman, given commission by

Pope Gregory II Pope Gregory II (; 669 – 11 February 731) was the Pope, bishop of Rome from 19 May 715 to his death on 11 February 731.evangelize the Germans *720?

Disentis Abbey Disentis Abbey () is a Benedictine monastery in the Grisons, Canton of Grisons in eastern Switzerland, around which the present town of Disentis () grew up. Early history Formerly the date of the foundation of this abbey, attributed to the local s ...

of Switzerland *730–787 First Iconoclasm: Byzantine Emperor Leo III bans Christian

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic, and Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, mother of ...

Pope Gregory II Pope Gregory II (; 669 – 11 February 731) was the Pope, bishop of Rome from 19 May 715 to his death on 11 February 731.English Church History written by

*732 Battle of Tours stops Islam from expanding westward *750? Tower added to St Peter's Basilica at the front of the atrium *752? Donation of Constantine, granted

Western Roman Empire In modern historiography, the Western Roman Empire was the western provinces of the Roman Empire, collectively, during any period in which they were administered separately from the eastern provinces by a separate, independent imperial court. ...

to the Pope (later proved a forgery) *756 Donation of Pepin recognizes

Papal States The Papal States ( ; ; ), officially the State of the Church, were a conglomeration of territories on the Italian peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope from 756 to 1870. They were among the major states of Italy from the 8th c ...

*781 Nestorian Stele, Daqin Pagoda, Jesus Sutras,

Christianity in China Christianity has been present in China since the early medieval period, and became a significant presence in the country during the early modern era. The Church of the East appeared in China in the 7th century, during the Tang dynasty. Catholic C ...

*787 Second Council of Nicaea, 7th ecumenical: ends first Iconoclasm *793 Sacking of the monastery of

Lindisfarne Lindisfarne, also known as Holy Island, is a tidal island off the northeast coast of England, which constitutes the civil parishes in England, civil parish of Holy Island in Northumberland. Holy Island has a recorded history from the 6th centu ...

marks the beginning of

Viking Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...

raids on Christendom

Middle Ages

*800 King

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

of the

is crowned first

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...

of the West by Pope Leo III *849–865 Ansgar,

Archbishop of Bremen This list records the bishops of the Archdiocese of Bremen, Roman Catholic diocese of Bremen (), supposedly a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Cologne, Archbishopric of Cologne, then of the bishops of Bremen, who were in personal union archbishops ...

, "Apostle of the North", began evangelisation of North Germany, Denmark, Sweden *855 Antipope Anastasius: Louis II, Holy Roman Emperor appoints him over Pope Benedict III but popular pressure causes withdrawal *863 Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius sent by the Patriarch of Constantinople to evangelise the

Slavic peoples The Slavs or Slavic people are groups of people who speak Slavic languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout the northern parts of Eurasia; they predominantly inhabit Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, Southeast ...

. They translate the Bible into Slavonic *869–870 Catholic Fourth Council of Constantinople condemns Patriarch Photius (rejected by Orthodox) *879–880 Orthodox Fourth Council of Constantinople restores Photius, condemns Pope Nicholas I and Filioque (rejected by Catholics) *897, January Cadaver Synod: Pope Stephen VI conducts trial against dead Pope Formosus, public uprising against Stephen leads to his imprisonment and strangulation *909

Abbey of Cluny Cluny Abbey (; , formerly also ''Cluni'' or ''Clugny''; ) is a former Benedictine monastery in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France. It was dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul. The abbey was constructed in the Romanesque architectural style, with ...

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

monastery, founded in France *966 Duke Mieszko I of Poland baptised; Poland becomes a Christian country *984 Antipope Boniface VII, murdered Pope John XIV, alleged to have murdered Pope Benedict VI in 974 *988? Christianization of Kievan Rus' *991 Archbishop Arnulf of Rheims accuses Pope John XV of being the Antichrist *997–998 Antipope John XVI, deposed by Pope Gregory V and his cousin

Otto III *1000 or 1001

Saint Stephen Stephen (; ) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first martyr of Christianity."St ...

of Hungary crowned; Hungary becomes a Christian country *1001 Byzantine emperor Basil II and Fatimid Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah execute a treaty guaranteeing the protection of Christian pilgrimage routes in the Middle East *1009 Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah destroys the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built over the tomb of Jesus in Jerusalem, and then rebuilds it to its current state *1012 Antipope Gregory VI, removed by

Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor Henry II (; ; ; 6 May 973 – 13 July 1024 AD), also known as Saint Henry, Order of Saint Benedict, Obl. S. B., was Holy Roman Emperor ("Romanorum Imperator") from 1014. He died without an heir in 1024, and was the last ruler of the Ottonian dy ...

*1030 Battle of Stiklestad, considered victory of Christianity over Norwegian paganism *1045 Sigfrid of Sweden, Benedictine evangelist *1046 Council of Sutri: Pope Sylvester III exiled, Pope Gregory VI admits to buying the papacy and resigns, Pope Benedict IX resigns, council appoints Pope Clement II *1054 East–West Schism split between Eastern ( Orthodox Christianity) and Western (Roman Catholic) churches formalized *1058–1059 Antipope Benedict X, defeated in war with

Pope Nicholas II Pope Nicholas II (; c. 990/995 – 27 July 1061), otherwise known as Gerard of Burgundy, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 January 1059 until his death in 27 July 1061. At the time of his election, he was bish ...

and

Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; ; ) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and locals of West Francia. The Norse settlements in West Franc ...

*1061–1064 Antipope Honorius II, rival of Pope Alexander II *1065 Westminster Abbey consecrated *1073–1085

Pope Gregory VII Pope Gregory VII (; 1015 – 25 May 1085), born Hildebrand of Sovana (), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 April 1073 to his death in 1085. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. One of the great ...

: Investiture Controversy with

Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV (; 11 November 1050 – 7 August 1106) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 to 1105, King of Germany from 1054 to 1105, King of Italy and List of kings of Burgundy, Burgundy from 1056 to 1105, and Duke of Bavaria from 1052 to 1054. He was t ...

, proponent of clerical celibacy, opponent of simony, concubinage, Antipope Clement III *1079 Stanislaus of Szczepanów, patron saint of Poland *1080 ''Hospital of Saint John the Baptist'' founded in Jerusalem by merchants from Amalfi and Salerno – serves as the foundation for the

Knights Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), is a Catholic military order. It was founded in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century and had headquarters there ...

*1082 Engelberg Abbey of Switzerland built *1093–1109 Anselm,

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...

, writes ''Cur Deus Homo'' (''Why God Became Man''), a landmark exploration of the Atonement *1095–1291 10

Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...

, first called by Pope Urban II at Council of Clermont against Islamic Empire, to reconquer the

Holy Land The term "Holy Land" is used to collectively denote areas of the Southern Levant that hold great significance in the Abrahamic religions, primarily because of their association with people and events featured in the Bible. It is traditionall ...

for Christendom *1098 Foundation of the reforming monastery of Cîteaux, leads to the growth of the

Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...

order *1101 Antipope Theodoric and Antipope Adalbert deposed by Pope Paschal II *1113

confirmed by Papal bull of Pope Paschal II, listing Blessed Gerard ( Gerard Thom) as founder, (a.k.a. Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, Knights of Malta, Knights of Rhodes, and Chevaliers of Malta) *1118

Knights Templar The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...

founded, to defend Holy Land *1123 Catholic First Lateran Council *1124 Conversion of Pomerania – first mission of Otto of Bamberg *1128 Holyrood Abbey in Scotland *1128 Conversion of Pomerania – second mission of Otto of Bamberg *1130 Peter of Bruys burned at the stake *1131 Tintern Abbey founded in Wales *1131–1138 Antipope Anacletus II *1139 Catholic Second Lateran Council *1140? Decretum Gratiani, Catholic

*1142 Peter Abélard, Letters of Abelard and Heloise *1144 The Saint Denis Basilica of Abbot Suger is the first major building in the style of

Gothic architecture Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High Middle Ages, High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved f ...

*1154–1159 Pope Adrian IV, first (and to date only) English pope *1155 Theotokos of Vladimir arrives to Bogolyubovo *1155 Carmelites founded *1163 Construction begins on Notre Dame de Paris *1168 Conversion of Pomerania – Principality of Rugia missioned by Absalon *1173

Waldensians The Waldensians, also known as Waldenses (), Vallenses, Valdesi, or Vaudois, are adherents of a church tradition that began as an ascetic movement within Western Christianity before the Reformation. Originally known as the Poor of Lyon in the l ...

founded *1179 Catholic Third Lateran Council *1191

Teutonic Knights The Teutonic Order is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem was formed to aid Christians on their pilgrimages to t ...

founded *1204–1261

Latin Empire The Latin Empire, also referred to as the Latin Empire of Constantinople, was a feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. The Latin Empire was intended to replace the Byzantin ...

of Constantinople *1205 Saint Francis of Assisi becomes a

hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Chr ...

, founding the

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

order of friars; renounces wealth and begins his ministry *1208 Start of the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars *1214 Rosary is reportedly given to St. Dominic (who founded

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic Church, Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilians, Castilian priest named Saint Dominic, Dominic de Gu ...

) by an apparition of Mary *1215 Catholic Fourth Lateran Council decrees special dress for Jews and Muslims, and declares

, founded by Peter Waldo, as heretics. One of the goals is the elimination of the heresy of the Cathars *1219 Francis of Assisi crosses enemy lines during the Fifth Crusade to speak to Sultan al-Kamil; the meeting ends with a meal. James of Vitry writes that Muslim soldiers returned Francis and another friar, Illuminato, "with signs of honor." *1220–1263 St Alexander Nevsky, holy patron of Russia *1231 Charter of the

University of Paris The University of Paris (), known Metonymy, metonymically as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, from 1150 to 1970, except for 1793–1806 during the French Revolution. Emerging around 1150 as a corporation associated wit ...

granted by Pope Gregory IX *1241 Pope Gregory IX denounced as Antichrist by Eberhard II von Truchsees, Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, at the Council of

Regensburg Regensburg (historically known in English as Ratisbon) is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Naab and Regen (river), Regen, Danube's northernmost point. It is the capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the ...

*1245 Catholic First Council of Lyon *1252, May 15 Ad exstirpanda: Pope Innocent IV authorizes use of

torture Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons including corporal punishment, punishment, forced confession, extracting a confession, interrogational torture, interrogation for information, or intimid ...

in Inquisitions *1260 Date at which a 1988 Vatican sponsored scientific study places the origin of the

Shroud of Turin The Shroud of Turin (), also known as the Holy Shroud (), is a length of linen cloth that bears a faint image of the front and back of a naked man. Because details of the image are consistent with depiction of Jesus, traditional depictions o ...

*1263, July 20–24 The Disputation of Barcelona is held at the royal palace of King James I of Aragon in the presence of the King, his court, and many prominent ecclesiastical dignitaries and knights, between a convert from Judaism to Christianity Dominican Friar Pablo Christiani and Rabbi Nachmanides *1274 Summa Theologiae, written by

Thomas Aquinas Thomas Aquinas ( ; ; – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican Order, Dominican friar and Catholic priest, priest, the foremost Scholasticism, Scholastic thinker, as well as one of the most influential philosophers and theologians in the W ...

, theologian and philosopher, landmark systematic theology which later becomes official Catholic doctrine *1274 Catholic Second Council of Lyon *1291 Last Crusader city (Acre) falls to the Mamelukes

Renaissance

* 1308–1321 The ''

Divine Comedy The ''Divine Comedy'' (, ) is an Italian narrative poetry, narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun and completed around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and one of ...

'' (''Divina Commedia'') is written in the Tuscan dialect by Dante Alighieri; The most commonly accepted dates for its composition are: Inferno, written between 1307 and 1308; Purgatorio, from 1307-1308 to 1313-1314; and Paradiso, from 1313-1314 to 1321 (the year of Dante's death). The epic poem is divided into three parts, each representing a journey through Hell,

Purgatory In Christianity, Purgatory (, borrowed into English language, English via Anglo-Norman language, Anglo-Norman and Old French) is a passing Intermediate state (Christianity), intermediate state after physical death for purifying or purging a soul ...

, and Heaven * 1307 The arrest of many of the Knights Templar, beginning confiscation of their property and extraction of confessions under torture *1305–1378 Avignon Papacy, Popes reside in Avignon, France *1311–1312 Catholic Council of Vienne disbands

* 1314 Jacques de Molay, last Grandmaster of the

, burned at the stake *1326 Peter of Moscow, Metropolitan Peter moves his see from Kiev to Moscow *1341–1351 Orthodox Fifth Council of Constantinople *1342 Marsilius of Padua *1345 Sergii Radonezhskii founds a hermitage in the woods, which grows into the Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra *1378–1418 Western Schism in Roman Catholicism *1380–1382 Wycliffe's Bible, by John Wycliffe, an eminent theologian at Oxford, NT in 1380, OT (with the help of Nicholas of Hereford) in 1382, translated the New Testament into Middle English, creating the first and complete English translation of the bible. The book included the deuterocanonical books and was marked by his criticisms of church abuses, anti-catholic views of the sacraments (Penance and Eucharist), the use of relics, and clerical celibacy. These views ultimately led to his excommunication by the church, and in 1428, long after his death, his remains were exhumed and burned as a heretic. *1388 ''Twenty-five Articles'' of the Lollardy, Lollards published *1408 Council of Oxford forbids translations of the Scriptures into the vernacular, unless and until they are fully approved by church authority *1409 Council of Pisa declares Roman Pope Gregory XII and Avignon Pope Benedict XIII deposed, elected Pope Alexander V (called the Pisan Pope) *1414–1418 Catholic Council of Constance asks Gregory XII, Benedict XIII, Antipope John XXIII, Pisan Pope John XXIII to resign their papal claims, then elects Pope Martin V; condemns John Wycliffe and Jan Hus, who is burned at the stake *1423–1424 Council of Siena *1425 Old University of Leuven, Catholic University of Leuven *1430? Andrei Rublev, the greatest of medieval icon-painters *1431 St. Joan of Arc, French national heroine, burned at the stake *1431–1445 Catholic Council of Basel, Council of Basel-Ferrara-Florence *1439 Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, highest building in the world until 1874 *1452 Dum Diversas, papal bull issued on 18 June 1452, credited with ushering in the West African slave trade in Europe and the New World *1453 Fall of Constantinople, overrun by Ottoman Empire *1455 Gutenberg Bible, first printed Bible, by Johann Gutenberg *1473–1481 Sistine Chapel built *1478 Spanish Inquisition established by Pope Sixtus IV *1483 Martin Luther born in Eisleben *1484 December 5, Summis desiderantes against Witchcraft issued by Pope Innocent VIII *1487 Persecution and crusade against the

instigated by Pope Innocent VIII *1492 Christopher Columbus, Columbus opens new continents to Christianity *1498 Girolamo Savonarola, Dominican priest, writes Bonfire of the Vanities *1506 Pope Julius II orders the Old St. Peter's Basilica torn down and authorizes Donato Bramante to plan a new structure (demolition completed in 1606); Swiss Guard, Vatican Swiss Guard founded *1508–1512 Michelangelo frescoes the Sistine Chapel's vaulted ceiling *1510s A number of theologians in the Holy Roman Empire start to preach reformational ideas shortly before Martin Luther, including Christoph Schappeler in Memmingen (1513), but fail to spark a larger movement *1512–1517 Catholic Fifth Council of the Lateran: condemned Conciliarism

Reformation

*1517 The Ninety-five Theses of Martin Luther, nailed to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, marked the beginning of the Reformation and the establishment of Lutheranism *1518 Heidelberg Disputation: Martin Luther puts forth his Theology of the Cross *1519 Leipzig Debate between Martin Luther and Johann Eck *1519 Huldrych Zwingli begins the Reformed tradition, sparking the Reformation in Switzerland *1520 Luther publishes three monumental works, ''To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation'', ''On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church'', and ''On the Freedom of a Christian'' *1521 Luther refuses to recant his works at the Diet of Worms *1521 Papal bull ''Decet Romanum Pontificem'' (''It Pleases the Roman Pontiff'') excommunicates Luther *1521 Ferdinand Magellan claims the Philippines for Spain, first Mass (liturgy), mass and subsequent conversion to Catholicism, first in East Asia *1522 Luther translated the Bible by himself, producing the German New Testament translation also known as the Luther Bible. *1524 De libero arbitrio diatribe sive collatio, The Freedom of the Will published by Desiderius Erasmus, Erasmus *1525 On the Bondage of the Will published by Luther in response to Erasmus *1525 Anabaptist movement begins *1526 William Tyndale#Printed works, Tyndale's NT, English NT translation from 1516 Textus Receptus, Greek text of Erasmus, first printed edition, reflects influence of Luther's NT in rejecting priest for Elder (religious), elder, Christian Church, church for Wiktionary:congregation, congregation, banned in 1546 by Henry VIII of England *1526 Luther publishes his ''Deutsche Messe, German Mass'' and ''The Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ—Against the Fanatics'', his first written work against the Sacramentarians *1528 Reformation in Denmark-Norway and Holstein, Lutheranism is officially adopted *1528 Luther affirms the real presence of Christ's body and blood in his ''Confession Concerning Christ's Supper'' *1529 Marburg Colloquy, Luther defends doctrine of Real Presence in discussion with Zwingli *1530 Augsburg Confession, first doctrinal statement of the Lutheran Church *1531 Huldrych Zwingli is killed during the Second war of Kappel *1531 ''Our Lady of Guadalupe'' in Mexico: According to tradition, when the roses fell from it the icon of the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared imprinted on the cactus cloth. The sudden, extraordinary success of the evangelizing of ten million Indians in the decade of 1531–1541. *1534 Henry VIII establishes new independent entity Church of England, see also English Reformation *1535–1537 Myles Coverdale's Bible, used Tyndale's NT along with Latin and German versions, included Apocrypha at the end of the OT (like Luther's Bible of 1534) as was done in later English versions, 1537 edition received royal licence, but banned in 1546 by Henry VIII *1535 Thomas More refuses to accept King Henry VIII's claim to be the supreme head of the Church in England, and is executed *1535–1679 Forty Martyrs of England and Wales *1536 Desiderius Erasmus, eminent Dutch humanist and editor of the Textus Receptus, dies *1536 Tyndale put to death, left his OT translation in manuscript, English ecclesiastical authorities ordered his Bible burned because it was thought to be part of Lutheran reform *1536 Institutes of the Christian Religion written by John Calvin (Calvinism) *1536 John of Leiden, fanatic Dutch Anabaptist *1536 Jacob Hutter, founder of Hutterites *1536 Helvetic Confessions of the Reformed Churches of Switzerland *1536–1540 Dissolution of the Monasteries in England, Wales and Ireland *1536 Pilgrimage of Grace *1536–1541 Michelangelo paints "The Last Judgement" *1537 Christian III of Denmark decreed Lutheranism state religion of Norway and Denmark *1537 Luther writes Smalcald Articles *1537–1551 Matthew Bible, by John Rogers (c.1500–1555), John Rogers, based on Tyndale and Coverdale received royal licence but not authorized for use in public worship, numerous editions, 1551 edition contained offensive notes (based on Tyndale) *1539–1569 Great Bible, by Thomas Cromwell, 1st English Bible to be authorized for public use in English churches, defective in many places, based on last Tyndale's NT of 1534–1535, corrected by a Latin version of the Hebrew OT, Latin Bible of Erasmus, and Complutensian Polyglot, last edition 1569, never denounced by England *1540 Society of Jesus, Jesuit order founded by Ignatius of Loyola, helped reconvert large areas of Poland, Hungary, and south Germany and sent missionaries to the New World, India, and China *1541 John Calvin returns to Geneva *1542 Roman Inquisition established by Pope Paul III *1542 Robert Bellarmine born – became a Cardinal Inquisitor under Pope Clement VIII *1543 List of Parliaments of England#Parliaments of Henry VIII, Parliament of England bans Tyndale's translation as a "crafty, false and untrue translation" *1545–1563 Catholic Council of Trent: Counter-Reformation against Protestantism, clearly defined an official theology and biblical canon *1549 Original Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England written by Thomas Cranmer *1551 The Stoglav Church Council (One Hundred Chapters) Moscow, Russia *1552 Joachim Westphal (of Hamburg), Joachim Westphal starts controversy against Calvinists, defending Lutheran doctrine of Real Presence *1552 Francis Xavier, Jesuit missionary, "Apostle of the Indies" *1553 Pontifical Gregorian University founded at Vatican City *1553 Michael Servetus founder of Unitarianism, burned at the stake in Geneva *1553–1558 Queen Mary I of England persecutes reformers: John Rogers (c.1500–1555), John Rogers, Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley (martyr), Nicholas Ridley, Thomas Cranmer; of 238 burned at the stake *1555 Peace of Augsburg gives religious freedom in Germany only to Lutheran Protestants *1558 Church of England permanently reestablished after Mary I of England dies *1559 Military Order of the Golden Spur founded by Pope Paul IV *1560 Geneva Bible, NT a revision of Matthew's version of Tyndale with use of Theodore Beza's NT (1556), OT a thorough revision of Great Bible, appointed to be read in Scotland (but not England), at least 140 editions, first Bible with chapter and verse numbers *1560 Scots Confession, Church of Scotland, Scottish Reformation *1560–1598 French Wars of Religion *1560–1812 Goa Inquisition, persecution of Hindus and Jews in India, see also Christianity in India *1561 Menno Simons, founder of Mennonites *1563 Thirty-Nine Articles of Church of England, also decreed Biblical canon *1563 Heidelberg Catechism of Reformed churches *1565-73 ''Examination of the Council of Trent'' by Martin Chemnitz *1566 Roman Catechism and Index of Prohibited Books published *1569 Metropolitan Philip of Moscow strangled by Malyuta Skuratov *1570 Pope Pius V issued a bull ''Quo primum''; He standardised the Holy Mass by promulgating the Tridentine Mass, 1570 edition of the Roman Missal. *1571 Dutch Reformed Church established *1571 Battle of Lepanto (1571), Battle of Lepanto saves Christian Europe; Pope Pius V organizes the Holy League led by Don Juan de Austria to defend Europe from the larger Islamic Ottoman forces (230 galleys and 56 galliots) *1572 John Knox founds Scottish Presbyterian Church, due to disagreement with Lutherans over sacraments and church government *1572–1606 Bishops' Bible, a revision of the Great Bible checked against the Hebrew text, 1st to be published in England by episcopal authority *1572 St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre: Thousands of Protestants murdered in France *1577 Formula of Concord adopted by German Lutherans *1579 Discovery of the holiest Russian icon, ''Our Lady of Kazan'' *1580 Book of Concord of Lutheranism published *1582 St Teresa of Avila dies *1582

of Pope Gregory XIII adopted at different times in different regions of the world *1582 Rheims New Testament published – it later became part of the 1610 Douay–Rheims Bible *1585 Jesuit scholar Francisco Ribera publishes first futurist interpretation, of the Biblical books of Daniel and Revelation *1587 Toyotomi Hideyoshi expels Jesuits from Kyūshū *1587? Mission Nombre de Dios, Mission Nombre De Dios in St. Augustine, Florida, considered first Catholic mission to North America *1588 Spanish Armada defeated in its efforts to reconquer England for Catholicism *1589 Patriarch Jove, Metropolitan Jove is elected the first Patriarch of Moscow *1590 Michelangelo's dome in St Peter's Basilica completed *1591 St John of the Cross *1592 The Sixto-Clementine Vulgate, Clementine Vulgate of Pope Clement VIII, replaced the Sistine Vulgate of 1590, the standard Latin Catholic Bible until the Second Vatican Council *1596 Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Ukrainian Catholic Church forms when Ukrainian subjects of the king of Poland are reunited with Rome's, largest Byzantine Catholic Church *1598 Edict of Nantes grants toleration to French Protestants (Huguenots) *1600 Giordano Bruno, Dominican priest, burned at the stake

17th century

*1604 Fausto Paolo Sozzini Socinianism *1606 Carlo Maderno redesigns St Peter's Basilica into a Latin cross *1607 Jamestown, Virginia founded *1608 Quebec City founded by Samuel de Champlain *1609 Baptist Church founded by John Smyth (Baptist minister), John Smyth, due to objections to infant baptism and demands for church-state separation *1609–1610 Douay–Rheims Bible, 1st Catholic English translation, OT published in two volumes, based on an unofficial Louvain text corrected by Sistine Vulgate, NT is Rheims text of 1582 *1611 King James Version (Authorised Version) is published, based primarily on Tyndale's work and Bishop's Bible of 1572, first printings included separate Apocrypha between the testaments *1614 Fama Fraternitatis, the first Rosicrucian manifesto (may have been in circulation ca. 1610) presenting "The Fraternity of the Rose Cross" *1615 Confessio Fraternitatis, the second Rosicrucian manifesto describing the "Most Honorable Order" as Christian *1616 Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz, the third Rosicrucian manifesto (an hermeticism, hermetic allegory presenting alchemy, alchemical and Christian elements) *1618–1648 Thirty Years' War *1620 Plymouth Colony founded by Puritans *1622–1642 Armand Jean du Plessis, Cardinal Richelieu *1630 City upon a Hill, sermon by John Winthrop *1634–1637 ''Confessio catholica'' by Lutheran theologian Johann Gerhard *1635 Roger Williams banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony, for advocating separation of church and state *1636 Founding of what was later known as Harvard University as a training school for ministers – the first of thousands of institutions of Christian higher education founded in the USA *1636–1638 Cornelius Jansen, bishop of Ypres, founder of Jansenism *1637–1638 Shimabara Rebellion *1638 Anne Hutchinson banished as a heretic from Massachusetts *1641 John Cotton (puritan), John Cotton, advocate of theonomy, helps to establish the social constitution of the Massachusetts Bay Colony *1642, 15 September – 27 October: Synod of Iași at Iași *1643 Acta Sanctorum *1643 John Campanius arrives in New Sweden *1644 Rhode Island founded by Roger Williams as first colony to establish complete religious liberty *1644 Long Parliament directs that only Hebrew canon be read in the Church of England (effectively removing the Apocrypha) *1646 Westminster Standards produced by the Assembly, one of the first and undoubtedly the most important and lasting religious document drafted after the reconvention of the Parliament, also decrees Biblical canon *1648 George Fox founds the Quaker movement *1648 Peace of Westphalia, Treaty of Westphalia ends Thirty Years' War, extends religious toleration to Calvinists *1650 Bishop James Ussher calculates Ussher chronology, date of creation as October 23, 4004 BC *1653–1656 Raskol of the Russian Orthodox Church *1653 Coonan Cross Oath at Mattancherry by Malankara Church *1655–1677, Abraham Calovius publishes ''Systema Iocorum theologicorum'', height of Lutheran scholasticism *1660–1685 King Charles II of England, restoration of monarchy, continuing through James II of England, James II, reversed decision of Long Parliament of 1644, reinstating the Apocrypha, reversal not heeded by non-conformists *1666 Paul Gerhardt, Lutheran pastor and hymnwriter, is removed from his position as a pastor in St. Nicholas Church, Berlin, Nikolaikirche in Berlin, when he refuses to accept "syncretistic" edict of the Elector Friedrich Wilhelm I of Brandenburg *1672 Eastern Orthodox Church, Greek Orthodox Synod of Jerusalem (1672), Synod of Jerusalem: decreed

*1675 Philipp Jakob Spener publishes ''Pia Desideria'', which becomes a manifesto for Pietism *1678 John Bunyan publishes ''Pilgrim's Progress'' *1682 Avvakum, leader of the Old Believers, burned at the stake in the Far North of Russia *1683 Roger Williams, advocate of Separation of church and state, founder of Providence, Rhode Island, dies *1685 Edict of Fontainebleau outlaws Protestantism in France *1685 James II of England baptizes his son as a Catholic *1685 Orthodoxy introduced to Beijing by Russian Orthodox Church *1688 'Glorious Revolution' overthrows James II of England over fears of Catholic restoration; William III of England, William of Orange takes English throne *1689 English bill of rights, English Bill of Rights establishes religious liberty *1692 Salem witch trials held in Colonial America *1692–1721 Chinese Rites controversy *1693 Jakob Amman founds Amish sect

18th century

*1701 Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands splits with Roman Catholicism *1706 Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg, missionary, arrives in Tranquebar *1707 ''Examen theologicum acroamaticum'' by David Hollatz (dogmatician), David Hollatz: the last great Lutheran doctrinal work before the Age of Enlightenment *1718–1722 Orthodox Lutheran Valentin Ernst Löscher publishes ''The Complete Timotheus Verinus'' against Pietism *1721 Peter I of Russia, Peter the Great substitutes Moscow Patriarchate with the Holy Synod *1722 Hans Egede, missionary, arrives in Greenland *1728 The Vicar of Bray (song) *1730–1749 First Great Awakening in U.S. *1735 Welsh Methodist revival *1738 Methodism, Methodist movement, led by John Wesley and his hymn-writing brother Charles Wesley, Charles, begins *1740 Johann Phillip Fabricius, missionary, arrives in South India *1741 Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, famous Fire and brimstone sermon *1741 George Frederick Handel performs his classic gospel oratorio "Messiah" for the first time *1754 An Historical Account of Two Notable Corruptions of Scripture, by Isaac Newton, published *1767–1815 Suppression of the Jesuits *1768 New Smyrna, Florida, Greek Orthodox colony, founded *1768 Hermann Samuel Reimarus, Reimarus dies without publishing his radical critic work distinguishing Historical Jesus versus Christ of Faith *1769 Mission San Diego de Alcalá, first California mission *1771 Emanuel Swedenborg publishes his "Universal Theology of the True Christian Religion", later used by others to found Swedenborgianism *1774 Ann Lee, leader of American Shakers, emigrates to New York from England *1774 Gotthold Ephraim Lessing starts publishing Reimarus' works on historical Jesus as Anonymous Fragments, starting Liberal Theology Era (in

) *1776–1788 Edward Gibbon, Gibbon's The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, critical of Christianity *1776 Mission San Francisco de Asis, Mission Dolores, San Francisco *1779 Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom: "Jesus never coerced anyone to follow him, and the imposition of a religion by government officials is impious" *1780 Robert Raikes begins Sunday schools to reach poor and uneducated children in England *1784 American Methodists form Methodist Episcopal Church at so-called "Christmas Conference", led by bishops Thomas Coke (Methodist), Thomas Coke and Francis Asbury *1784 Roman Catholicism is introduced in Catholic Church in Korea, Korea *1789–1815 John Carroll (priest), John Carroll, Archdiocese of Baltimore, first Roman Catholic US bishop *1789–1801 Dechristianisation of France during the French Revolution *1791 First Amendment to the United States Constitution: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" *1793 Herman of Alaska brings Orthodoxy to Alaska *1795 The Age of Reason, written by Thomas Paine, advocates Deism *1796 Treaty with Tripoli (1796), article 11: "the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion" *1800 Friedrich Schleiermacher publishes his first book, beginning Liberal Christianity movement

19th century

*1801 Cane Ridge Revival in Cane Ridge, Kentucky initiates the Christians (Stone Movement) wing of the Restoration Movement *1809 Disciples of Christ (Campbell Movement) wing of the Restoration Movement initiated with the publication of the ''Declaration and address, Declaration and Address of the Christian Association of Washington'' *1815 Peter the Aleut, orthodox Christian, tortured and martyred in Catholic San Francisco, California *1816 Bishop Richard Allen (reverend), Richard Allen, a former slave, founds the Methodism, African Methodist Episcopal Church, the first African-American denomination *1817 Claus Harms publishes 95 theses against rationalism (theology), rationalism and the Prussian Union of churches *1819 Thomas Jefferson produces the Jefferson Bible *1820, Spring: Joseph Smith, Joseph Smith Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, has his First Vision *1824 English translation of Wilhelm Gesenius' ''...Handwörterbuch...'': Hebrew-English Lexicon, Hendrickson Publishers *1827 Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg takes on the editorship of the ''Evangelische Kirchenzeitung'', the chief literary organ of the Neo-Lutheranism *1828 Plymouth Brethren founded; promotes Dispensationalism *1830 Catherine Laboure receives Miraculous Medal from the Blessed Mother in Paris, France *1830 Charles Finney's Christian revival, revivals lead to Second Great Awakening in America *1830, April 6 the Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints) founded by Joseph Smith. Book of Mormon also published *1831 William Miller (preacher), William Miller begins the Advent Movement, by preaching his first sermon on the Biblical books of Daniel and Revelation *1832 Christians (Stone Movement) and Disciples of Christ (Campbell Movement) merge to form the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement *1832, February 28: Persecution of Old Lutherans: by a royal decree all Lutheran worship is declared illegal in Prussia in favour of the Prussian Union of churches, Prussian Union agenda *1833 John Keble's sermon "National Apostasy" initiates the Oxford Movement in England *1838–1839 Saxon Lutherans objecting to rationalism (theology), theological rationalism Saxon Lutheran immigration of 1838–39, emigrate from Germany to the United States; settle in Perry County, Missouri. Leads to formation of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod *1843 Disruption of 1843, Disruption of: schism within the State religion, established Church of Scotland *1844 Hans Paludan Smith Schreuder, missionary, arrives in Port Natal, South Africa *1844 Lars Levi Laestadius experiences awakening—beginning of Laestadianism *1844, June 27, Joseph Smith, Joseph Smith Jr., founder of the Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints), Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, murdered at Carthage, Illinois *1844, October 22 Great Disappointment: false prediction of Second Coming, Second Coming of Christ by Millerites *1844, December Ellen G. White, co-founder and prophetess of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, has her first vision *1845 Southern Baptist Convention formed in Augusta, Georgia *1846 Our Lady of La Salette *1847 Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod founded in Chicago, Illinois *1847 John Christian Frederick Heyer, missionary, arrives in Andhra Pradesh, India *1848 Epistle to the Easterners and Encyclical of the Eastern Patriarchs response *1848 Oneida Community founded by John Humphrey Noyes in western New York state *1849 Johann Konrad Wilhelm Löhe founds the first deaconess house in Neuendettelsau, Bavaria *1850 Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod founded in Milwaukee *1853 Synod of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America founded outside Madison, Wisconsin *1854 Missionary Hudson Taylor arrives in China *1854 Immaculate Conception defined as Catholic dogma *1855 Søren Kierkegaard, founder of Christian existentialism *1855 Samuel Simon Schmucker begins attempt to replace the ''Augsburg Confession'' with the Definite Platform in the General Synod (Lutheran), General Synod, leading to schism in 1866 *1858 Bernadette Soubirous receives the first of 18 apparitions of ''Our Lady of Lourdes'' in Lourdes, France. *1859 Ashbel Green Simonton, missionary, arrives in Brazil and founds Igreja Presbiteriana do Brasil, the oldest Brazilian Protestant denomination *1863 Seventh-day Adventist Church officially formed 19 years after the Great Disappointment *1865 Methodist preacher William Booth founds the Salvation Army, vowing to bring the gospel into the streets to the most desperate and needy *1866 General Council (Lutheran) formed by ten Lutheran synods in the United States *1869–1870 Catholic First Vatican Council asserts doctrine of Papal Infallibility (rejected by Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland) *1870 Italy declares war on the

; Italian Army enters Rome; Papal States cease to exist *1871 Pontmain, France is saved from advancing German troops with the appearing of ''Our Lady of Hope'' *1871–1878 German Kulturkampf against Roman Catholicism *1872 Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America organized *1876 Evangelical Lutheran Free Church (Germany) founded *1878 First translation of the New Testament into Batak languages, Batak by Ludwig Ingwer Nommensen *1879 Knock, Ireland is location of apparition of ''Our Lady, Queen of Ireland'' *1879 Church of Christ, Scientist founded in Boston by Mary Baker Eddy *1881–1894 Revised Version, called for by Church of England, uses Greek based on Septuagint (B) and (S), Hebrew Masoretic Text used in OT, follows Greek order of words, greater accuracy than King James Version of the Bible, AV, includes Apocrypha, scholarship never disputed *1884 Charles Taze Russell founds Bible Student movement *1885–1887 Uganda Martyrs *1885 Baltimore Catechism published *1886 Moody Bible Institute founded *1886 Onesimos Nesib begins translation of the entire Bible into the Oromo language *1886 Johann Flierl, missionary, arrives in New Guinea *1893 Luther Alexander Gotwald#Heresy trial, Heresy trial of Luther Alexander Gotwald *1894 The Kingdom of God is Within You, by Leo Tolstoy, start of Christian anarchism *1897 Christian flag conceived in Brooklyn, New York *1899 Gideons International founded *1900 Eastern Orthodoxy is introduced in Korea

20th century

*1902 Geevarghese Gregorios of Parumala, Indian Orthodox Church dies *1902 The proclamation of the Philippine Independent Church *1903 First group baptism at Sattelberg Mission Station under Christian Keyser in New Guinea paves way for mass conversions during the following years *1904 1904–1905 Welsh Revival, Welsh revival *1904 Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil – ''Igreja Evangélica Luterana do Brasil'' – is founded on June 24 in São Pedro do Sul city, State Rio Grande do Sul * 1905 French law on the separation of Church and State *1906 Albert Schweitzer publishes ''The Quest of the Historical Jesus'' (English translation 1910) *1906 Biblia Hebraica (Kittel), Biblia Hebraica *1906–1909 Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles, California begins modern Pentecostalism, Pentecostal movement *1907 The Church of God in Christ is formed as a Pentecostal body *1907–1912 Nicholas of Japan, Archbishop of Japanese Orthodox Church *1908 Church of the Nazarene founded in Pilot Point, Texas *1909 Scofield Reference Bible published *1909–1911 The Rosicrucian Fellowship, an international association of Esoteric Christianity, Esoteric Christian mystics, founded at Mount Ecclesia *1910 Christian Congregation in Brazil founded in Santo Antônio da Platina, Brazil by Italo-American Louis Francescon. It begins Pentecostalism in Brazil and South America *1910 Edinburgh Missionary Conference launches modern Mission (Christian), missions movement and modern Christian ecumenism, ecumenical movement; 5-point statement of the Presbyterian General Assembly also used by Fundamentalists *1910–1915 The Fundamentals, a 12-volume collection of essays by 64 British and American scholars and preachers, forms foundation of Fundamentalism *1912 Re-establishment of Catholicate of the East of Indian Orthodox Church in Kerala, India. Baselios Paulose II as the Catholicose of the East. *1913 Catholic Encyclopedia *1914 Welsh Church Act 1914 *1914 Iglesia ni Cristo incorporated in the Philippines by its founder Felix Y. Manalo *1914 Paul Olaf Bodding completes his translation of the Bible into the Santali language *1915 Ellen G. White, co-founder and prophetess of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, dies *1915–1923 The Armenian genocide occurs *1916 Father Divine founds International Peace Mission movement *1916 And did those feet in ancient time *1917 Heinrich Hansen (theologian), Heinrich Hansen publishes Lutheran High Church Lutheranism, Evangelical Catholic theses ''Stimuli et Clavi'' *1917 ''Our Lady of Fatima'' appears Marian apparitions to 3 young people, in Fátima, Portugal – Jacinta Marto, Francisco Marto and Lúcia Santos ("Sister Lucia") *1917, 13 October: Miracle of the Sun is witnessed by as many as 100,000 people in the Cova da Iria fields near Fátima, Portugal ("How the Sun Danced at Midday at Fátima") *1917 Restitution of the Moscow Patriarchy with Tikhon of Moscow, Tikhon as patriarch *1917 True Jesus Church founded in Beijing *1918 Execution of Holy Martyrs of Russia, including the last tsar, Nicholas II, and his wife, Alexandra Fyodorovna of Hesse, Alexandra Feodorovna, by the Communists *1918 United Lutheran Church in America founded *1919 Karl Barth's ''Commentary on Romans'' is published, critiquing Liberal Christianity and beginning the Neo-orthodoxy, neo-orthodox movement *1920 Mount Ecclesia, The Ecclesia, an Esoteric Christianity, Esoteric Christian Temple, is erected and dedicated on Christmas Day (December 25) *1921 Oxford Group founded at Oxford *1922 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America founded *1922 ''The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments, a New Translation'' by James Moffatt published *1923 Aimee Semple McPherson builds Angelus Temple *1924 First religious radio station in the U.S., KFUO (AM), founded *1925 Scopes Trial *1925 United Church of Canada formed *1925 St. Therese of Lisieux canonized *1925 The ''World Conference of Life and Work'' is held in Stockholm, Sweden *1926 Father Charles Coughlin's first radio broadcast *1926–1929 Cristero War in Mexico: The Constitution of 1917 brings persecution of Christian practices and anti-clerical laws – approximately 4,000 Catholic priests are expelled, assassinated or executed *1927 Varghese Payyappilly Palakkappilly founds the Congregation of ''Sisters of the Destitute'' *1927 Pope Pius XI decrees Comma Johanneum open to dispute *1929 Lateran Treaty signed, containing three agreements between kingdom of Italy and the papacy *1929 Varghese Payyappilly Palakkappilly dies *1929 Voice of Prophecy radio ministry founded by Seventh-day Adventist pastor H.M.S. Richards Sr. *1930 Rastafari movement founded *1930 Old American Lutheran Church (1930), American Lutheran Church founded *1930 The Lutheran Hour begins with Walter A. Maier as speaker *1931 Jehovah's Witnesses formally separate from the Bible Student movement *1931 Christ the Redeemer (statue) built in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil *1932 Franz Pieper's ''A Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod'' adopted by the LCMS *1932 Marian apparitions to five school children in Beauraing, Belgium as ''Lady Virgin of the Poor'' *1933 Catholic Worker Movement founded *1933 ''The Holy Bible from Ancient Eastern Manuscripts'' by George Lamsa published *1934 Herbert W. Armstrong founds Radio Church of God *1935 Gunnar Rosendal publishes High Church Lutheran, Lutheran High Church manifesto ''Kyrklig förnyelse'' *1935 Dr. Frank C. Laubach, known as "The Apostle to the Illiterates", working in the Philippines, develops a literacy program that continues to teach millions of people to read *1935 Alfred Rahlfs, Alfred Rahlf's critical edition of the Koine Greek Septuagint published *1935 Billy Sunday, early U.S. radio evangelist, dies *1938 First Debbarma Christian, Manindra Debbarma, is baptized at Agartala *1938 Tripura Baptist Christian Union established at Laxmilunga, Tripura *1939 Southern and Northern US branches of the Methodist Episcopal Church, along with the Methodist Protestant Church, reunite to form The Methodist Church (USA), The Methodist Church (slavery had divided the church in the 19th century) *1940 Monumento Nacional de Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caidos, world's largest cross, 152.4 meters high *1942 National Association of Evangelicals founded *1945 On the Feast of the Annunciation, "Our Lady" appears to a simple woman, Ida Peerdeman, in Amsterdam. This is the first of 56 appearances as "Our Lady of All Nations", which took place between 1945 and 1959. *1945 Dietrich Bonhoeffer is executed by the Nazis *1945 Ludwig Müller (theologian), Ludwig Müller *1945 The Nag Hammadi library is discovered *1946–1952 Revised Standard Version, revision of AV "based on consonantal Hebrew text" for OT and best available texts for NT, done in response to changes in English usage *1947 ''Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism'' by Carl F. H. Henry, a landmark of Evangelicalism versus Fundamentalism in US *1947 Oral Roberts founds the Evangelistic Association *1947 Dead Sea scrolls discovered *1947 Lutheran World Federation founded *1948 World Council of Churches is founded *1948 Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel, see also Christian Zionism *1949 Evangelist Billy Graham preaches his first Los Angeles Crusade (1949), Los Angeles crusade *1949, October 2: Saint John Evangelical Lutheran Community – Comunidade Evangélica Luterana São João da Igreja Evangélica Luterana do Brasil – is founded in Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul *1950 First part of the ''Common Confession'' between the American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod is adopted, resulting in the schism of the Orthodox Lutheran Conference *1950 ''New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures'' released *1950 Assumption of Mary decreed by Pope Pius XII *1950 Missionaries of Charity founded by Mother Teresa *1951 Bishop Fulton Sheen (1919–1979) debuts his television program ''Life is Worth Living'' on the DuMont Television Network, DuMont Network, a half hour lecture program on Roman Catholic theology that remained the number one show on U.S. television for its time slot, winning several Emmys until Sheen ended the program in 1957 *1951 ''The Last Temptation of Christ (novel), The Last Temptation of Christ'', a fictional account of the life of Jesus written by Nikos Kazantzakis, wherein Christ's divinity is juxtaposed with his humanity, is published, and promptly banned in many countries *1951 Campus Crusade for Christ founded at UCLA *1952 Novum Testamentum Graece, critical edition of Greek NT, basis of modern translations, published *1952 C. S. Lewis' Mere Christianity published *1954 Unification Church founded by Reverend Sun Myung Moon, under the name Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (acronym HSA-UWC) *1956 Anchor Bible Series *1956 The Ten Commandments (1956 film) *1956 It Is Written television ministry founded by Seventh-day Adventist pastor George Vandeman *1957 United Church of Christ founded by ecumenical union of Congregationalists and Evangelical & Reformed, representing Calvinists and Lutherans *1957 English translation of Walter Bauer's ''Wörterbuch ...'': A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, University of Chicago Press *1958 Sedevacantism, the belief that the office of the pope is vacant, begins with the death of Pope Pius XII *1959 Family Radio founded by Harold Camping *1959 Franz Pieper's ''A Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod'' reaffirmed by the LCMS *1960 Merger creates the "new" American Lutheran Church *1960 John F. Kennedy becomes the first Roman Catholic to be elected President of the United States *1961 New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures published *1961 Christian Broadcasting Network founded by Pat Robertson *1962 Engel v. Vitale, first U.S. Supreme Court decision against School prayer *1962 Karl Rahner, Joseph Ratzinger, Yves Congar, John Courtney Murray, Hans Küng among others appointed "periti" for upcoming Second Vatican Council. Rahner famous for paraphrasing Augustine's axiom: "Many whom God has the Church does not have; and many whom the Church has, God does not have." *1962–1965 Catholic Second Vatican Council, announced by Pope John XXIII in 1959, produces 16 documents which become official Roman Catholic teaching after approval by the Pope, purpose to renew "ourselves and the flocks committed to us" *1963 Martin Luther King Jr. leads a civil rights march in Washington, D.C. *1963 A campaign by atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair results in U.S. Supreme Court ruling prohibiting reading of Bible in public schools *1963 Oral Roberts University founded *1963 Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America dissolves in schism *1963 New Testament of Beck's American Translation completed, thousands of copies distributed through The Lutheran Hour *1965 Reginald H. Fuller's ''The Foundations of New Testament Christology'' *1965 Rousas John Rushdoony founds Chalcedon Foundation *1965 ''Nostra aetate'' declaration promulgated at Vatican II that repudiates the charge of deicide against Jews *1966 Roman Catholic Index of Prohibited Books abolished *1966 Raymond E. Brown's ''Commentary on the Gospel of John'' *1967 Lutheran Council in the United States of America organized *1968 In Zeitoun, Egypt, a bright image of the Virgin Mary as ''Our Lady of Zeitoun'' was seen over the Coptic Orthodox Church of Saint Demiana for over a 3-year period. *1968 United Methodist Church formed with union of Methodist Church (USA), Methodist Church and Evangelical United Brethren Church, becoming the largest Methodism, Methodist/Wesleyan church in the world *1968 Troy Perry established the first congregation of what later became the Metropolitan Community Church, first denomination formed for LGBT people *1970s The Jesus movement begins in the U.S. *1970 Mass of Paul VI replaces Tridentine Mass *1970 The Late, Great Planet Earth, futurist book by Hal Lindsey, published *1970? Chick Publications founded *1971 New American Standard Bible published *1971 Liberty University founded by Jerry Falwell Sr., Jerry Falwell *1972 Most Lutheran free churches in Germany merge, forming the Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church *1972, William Johnson becomes first openly gay man ordained by the United Church of Christ *1973, June 12: Near the city of Akita, Akita, Akita, received a Marian apparition known as Our Lady of Akita in which three messages were given to her over a period 5 months *1973 Trinity Broadcasting Network founded by Paul and Jan Crouch *1973 New International Version of the Bible is first published (revised in 1978, 1984), using a variety of Greek texts, Masoretic Hebrew texts, and current English style *1973 Walkout at Concordia Seminary begins the Seminex controversy in the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod *1974 Jim Bakker founds PTL television ministry *1975 Bruce Metzger's ''Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament'' published *1976 Anneliese Michel, Bavarian woman, undergoes exorcism against demon possession *1976 Suicide by self-immolation of East German pastor Oskar Brüsewitz, leads to mass protests against communism *1977 New Perspective on Paul movement begun with E. P. Sanders' 1977 work ''Paul and Palestinian Judaism''. *1977 Focus on the Family founded by James Dobson *1978 Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy issued *1978–2005 Pope John Paul II: reaffirmed moral traditions (''The Splendor of Truth'') *1979 Nova Vulgata replaces Clementine Vulgate *1979 Moral Majority founded by Jerry Falwell *1979 Jesus (1979 film), most watched movie of all time according to New York Times *1979–1982? New King James Version, complete revision of the 1611 Authorized King James Version, Authorized (King James) Version, updates archaisms while retaining style *1980 Glacier View Conference: Seventh-day Adventist pastor and professor Desmond Ford is defrocked for questioning the sanctuary doctrine of the church, in a 1979 lecture at Pacific Union College *1981 Kibeho, Rwanda, reported that "Our Lady" appeared to several teenagers telling them to pray to avoid "rivers of blood" (Marian apparitions) *1981 Mother Angelica launches EWTN; it grows to become one of the largest television networks in the world; the operation expands to radio in 1992 *1981 Institute on Religion and Democracy is founded *1981 Pope John Paul II shot by Mehmet Ali Agca; survives and later forgives him *1982 Chicago Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics *1985 Jesus Seminar founded *1985 E. P. Sanders' ''Jesus and Judaism'' published *1986 Chicago Statement on Biblical Application *1986 Dutch Remonstrant Brotherhood becomes the first Protestant church worldwide to approve seme-sex marriage. *1986 Desmond Tutu becomes Anglican Archbishop of South Africa; joins anti-apartheid movement *1987 Danvers Statement – Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood *1988 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America founded *1988 Lutheran Council in the United States of America dissolved *1988 Christian Coalition of America, Christian Coalition founded by Pat Robertson *1988 The Last Temptation of Christ (film), The Last Temptation of Christ, directed by Martin Scorsese, is released by Universal Pictures, and promptly attacked as heretical by organized Christian and Catholic groups *1988 The celebration of 1,000 years since the baptism of Kievan Rus throughout the R.O.C. *1988 Assemblies of God pastor Jimmy Swaggart caught in sex scandal *1989 New Revised Standard Version *1991 John P. Meier's series ''A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus'', v. 1 *1992 New Catechism of the Catholic Church published *1993 Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference founded *1993 International Lutheran Council founded *1994 "Evangelicals & Catholics Together" *1994 Porvoo Communion *1994 Answers In Genesis founded by Ken Ham *1994, July 3: Glorification of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco *1996 Cambridge Declaration – Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals *1997, March 5–10
World Council of Churches: Towards a Common Date for Easter
see also Reform of the date of Easter *199
International House of Prayer
in Kansas City begins non-stop 24/7 continual prayer *1999, October 31: signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification between the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church *1999 Gospel of Jesus Christ – An Evangelical Celebration; a consensus Gospel endorsed by various evangelical leaders including J.I. Packer, John Ankerberg, Jerry Falwell, Thomas C. Oden, R.C. Sproul, Wayne Grudem, Charles Swindoll, et al. *1999 Radical orthodoxy Christian theological movement begins, critiquing modern secularism and emphasizing the return to traditional doctrine; similar to the Paleo-orthodoxy Christian theological movement of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, which sees the consensual understanding of the faith among the Church Fathers as the basis of Biblical interpretation and the foundation of the Church *2000 Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ founded in schism from Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) over fellowship with the Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal Church *2000 Visions of the Virgin Mary are reported in Assiut, Upper Egypt; phenomena associated to Mary is reported again in 2006, in a church at the same location during the Alexandrian Rite, Divine Liturgy. Local Coptic priests and then the Coptic Orthodox Church of Assiut issue statements in 2000 and 2006 respectively

21st century

*2001 Armenia marks 1,700th anniversary of Armenian Apostolic Church, Christianity as its state religion (First country to adopt

as its state religion – Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity), Kingdom of Armenia – 301 AD) *2003 Mission Province is established in Church of Sweden: heralding a new era for confessional Lutheranism in Scandinavia *2003 – Publication of ''Back To Jerusalem Called to Complete the Great Commission'' *2003 – Coptic priest Fr. Zakaria Botros begins his television and internet mission to Muslims, resulting in thousands of conversions *2005 Death of Pope John Paul II, election of Pope Benedict XVI *2005 United Church of Christ becomes first Protestant denomination to support same-sex marriage in the U.S., and one of the first denominations worldwide to do so *2006 Legion of Christ begins to rapidly decline following the Sexual scandal of Marcial Maciel, disgrace of its founder Marcial Maciel *2006 World Methodist Council votes unanimously to adopt the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification *2006 Abdul Rahman (convert), Abdul Rahman, an Afghan Christian convert, is forced out of Afghanistan by local Muslim leaders and exiled to Italy *2006 Jerusalem Declaration on Christian Zionism, signed by several Christian denominations in the Middle East, criticizes the doctrine as associating the Gospel with imperialism and militarism *2007 American Association of Lutheran Churches and LCMS declare pulpit and altar fellowship *2007, May 17: Russian Orthodox Church is Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate, reunified after 80 years of schism with Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, a formerly True Orthodoxy, True Orthodox sect that officially became semi-Autonomous *2007 Pope Benedict XVI issues his motu proprio ''Summorum Pontificum'', which liberalized the use of the traditional Latin Mass *2008 Conservative Anglican Church, Anglicans indicate plans to split from liberal Anglicans in "The Jerusalem Declaration" *2009 Father Damien, Damien of Molokai canonized; apostle to lepers *2009, August 21: 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, Minneapolis Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA passes four ministry policy resolutions that permit clergy in committed homosexual partnerships to be rostered leaders within the ELCA *2009 Mar Varghese Payyappilly Palakkappilly declared Servant of God *2009 ''Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience'' is issued, signed by over 150 American religious leaders *2009 Anglican Church in North America is founded by former Episcopalian churches *2009 Pope Benedict XVI issues apostolic constitution ''Anglicanorum coetibus'', establishing personal ordinariates for Anglican Use Catholics *2010 Lutheran CORE creates North American Lutheran Church in schism from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA *2010, October 31: Attack on Baghdad church results in 52 deaths"Eyewitness: Baghdad church siege"
1 November 2010, www.bbc.com, accessed 2024-11-13 *2011, January 1: A church in Alexandria, Egypt, 2011 Alexandria bombing, is bombed, killing 21 people, mostly Christians *2011 Martyrdom of Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistani politician, the only Christian elected member of the National Assembly of Pakistan, National Assembly, and outspoken critic of Blasphemy law in Pakistan, Pakistan's blasphemy laws *2012: ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians established by former members of the Presbyterian Church (USA) *2013, March: Pope Francis, an Argentinean, becomes the first non-European pope in modern times, first pope from the Jesuit order, the first pope from the Americas, and the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere *2014 No Mass is said in Mosul for the first time in 1,600 years due to the city's Fall of Mosul, fall to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, ISIL *2015: Catholicos Karekin II Canonization, canonizes 1.5 million Armenians killed in Armenian genocide as martyrs *2015 2015 kidnapping and beheading of Copts in Libya, Coptic Martyrs in Libya *2016, June 19 – June 26: The Pan-Orthodox Council at Crete *2016: Four cardinals issue ''Amoris laetitia#Dubia, dubia'', asking Pope Francis to clarify his statements on divorced and civilly remarried couples receiving Holy Communion *2018: Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò accuses Pope Francis of removing sanctions placed on then-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick *2018: Pope Francis China–Holy See relations#September 2018 Holy See–China Agreement, signs agreement allowing Chinese Communist Party to appoint bishops while crackdown on Chinese Catholics continues *2018, early October: Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople decides to grant autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine on January 6, 2019. See Autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine *2018, October 15: Russian Orthodox Church announces 2018 Moscow–Constantinople schism, break in relations with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople over objections of communion with the formerly noncanonical Ukrainian Orthodox Churches *2018, December 15: Unification council of the Eastern Orthodox churches of Ukraine, Unification council merges former Ukrainian Orthodox Churches of UOC-KP, UAOC, and parts of UOC-MP into the unified Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Ukrainian Orthodox Church *2020, March: Public masses suspended in cities around the world due to COVID-19 pandemic *2021, July 12: Baselios Marthoma Paulose II (Catholicose of the East and Malankara Metropolitan) Supreme Head of the Indian Orthodox Church, dies *2025, May: Pope Leo XIV, an American, becomes the first pope from North America, first pope from Peru, and first pope from the Order of Saint Augustine

Footnotes

Sources

*''Academic American Encyclopedia'' (on Compuserve)
''Catholic Encyclopedia'': Biblical Chronology
*English Versions of the Bible by John Berchmans Dockery O.F.M. *''Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary'' *''World Almanac and Book of Facts''

External links

Christian History Project
Online Version of the 12-Volume Popular History Series ''The Christians : Their First Two Thousand Years'', Sponsored by the Society to Explore and Record Christian History *Flavius Josephus

earlyjewishwritings.com *Flavius Josephus

earlyjewishwritings.com

– Important events, locations, people and movements in World Evangelism *Orthodoxwiki:Timeline of Church History, OrthodoxWiki: Timeline of Church History (from the Orthodox POV)
St. Ignatius Church: Timeline
(from the Orthodox POV) {{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline Of Christianity Timelines of Christianity,