Forget NOT who, where did, when was... ... etc...
CHRONOLOGY OF CHURCH HISTORY:
AD 33
Pentecost – The Holy Spirit descends on the Apostles and gives birth to the Church. 33-100 are known as the Apostolic age. Rapid spread of the Church throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.
45-80
Apostles Paul, Peter, James, John and Judas write their epistles. Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are written.
49
Council at Jerusalem (Acts 15) establishes precedent for addressing Church disputes in Council. James presides as bishop. Gradually Sunday (called the Lord’s Day) replaces the Sabbath as the day of worship.
60-180
Several Gnostic sects appear which attempt to infiltrate Christian communities.
64-67
Persecution of Christians in Rome under Emperor Nero. Sts. Peter and Paul become martyrs.
69
Bishop Ignatius consecrated in Antioch in heart of New Testament era; St. Peter had been the first bishop there. Other early bishops include James, Polycarp, and Clement.
70
Destruction of Jerusalem, foretold by Jesus (Matt. Ch. 24).
95
Book of Revelation written by the Apostle John on island of Patmos; later John writes his Gospel.
96-98
Persecution of Christians under Emperor Domitian.
†110
St. Ignatius Bishop of Antioch, the author of several important epistles, is (†) martyred at Rome.
150
St. Justin Martyr describes the liturgical worship of the Church centered in the Eucharist. Liturgical worship is rooted in both the Old and New Testament.
†202
St. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons is martyred author of several books against heresies.
215-290
The rise of Christian schools in Alexandria and Antioch.
244-249
The Roman Emperor Decius persecutes Christians.
†258
St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, author and theologian is martyred.
300
Christianization of Britain.
†303
St. Alban is martyred.
300-305
The Emperor Diocletian vows to vanquish Christianity. Thousands of Christians, including St. George, St. Barbara, and St. Catherine are martyred.
313
Emperor Constantine ends persecution of Christians and gives them the right to freely exercise their faith. The Edict of Milan marks an end to the period of Roman persecution of Christianity.
325
The Council of Nicea settles the major heretical challenges to the Christian Faith posed when the heretic Arius asserts Christ was created by the Father. St. Athanasius defends the eternality of the Son of God. Nicea is the first of Seven Ecumenical (Church-wide) Councils (325 – 787).
326
Empress Helena finds the Cross of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem. Later she builds the Church of the Resurrection on the place of Christ’s Resurrection, where each year Orthodox Pascha (Easter) the Holy Fire descends.
330
Beginning and spread of monasticism in Egypt: St. Anthony and Pachomius.
397
Synod of Carthage ratifies Biblical Canon.
†343
St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in Lycia.
330-410
Period of the great Fathers of the Church: Sts. Athanasius, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, Ambrose of Milan, John Chrysostom and others.
381
The Second Ecumenical Council in Constantinople reaffirms the need to have five Patriarchates: Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem.
410
Alaric, leader of the Germanic Visigoths, takes Rome.
451
Council of Chalcedon affirms apostolic doctrine of two natures in Christ.
563
The Great Church, Hagia Sofia, consecrated in Constantinople.
584
St. Sabba founds his monastery in the Judean wilderness, where later the Typicon for church services is developed.
589
A local synod of the Roman Catholic Church in Toledo, Spain, adds filioque to the Nicene Creed. This error causes division between the Eastern & the Western Churches.
630
First the Persians, then the Arabs threaten the Byzantine Empire, persecute Christians and destroy churches.
685
The spread of monasticism on Mt. Athos begins.
726
Emperor Leo the Isaurian starts his campaign against the veneration of icons.
771
Arabs invade Spain.
†780
St. John Damascene the author of the Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith.
787
The era of Ecumenical Seventh Council ends at Nicea; the Seventh Council restores the centuries old use of icons to the church.
864
The Prince Boris of Bulgaria is baptized. About this time Sts. Cyril and Methodius spread the Orthodox faith among the Slavs.
988
Prince Vladimir is baptized and begins conversion of the Rus (Russians) to Christianity.
1051
Sts. Anthony and Theodosius found their monastery near Kiev.
1054
The Great Schism occurs. Two major issues include Rome’s claim to a universal papal supremacy and her addition of the filioque clause to the Nicene Creed. The Photian Schism (880) further complicates the debate.
1066
Norman conquest of Britain. Orthodox hierarchs are replaced with those loyal to Rome.
1095
The Crusades, begun by the Roman Church, weaken the Eastern Orthodox churches in Palestine and Syria.
1204
The Sack of Constantinople by the crusaders adds to the estrangement between East and West.
1333
St. Gregory Palamas defends the Orthodox practice of hesychast spirituality and the use of the Jesus Prayer.
1438
St. Mark of Ephesus defends the Orthodox faith at the Council of Florence.
1453
Turks overrun Constantinople; Byzantine empire ends.
1455
Gutenberg prints the Bible.
1517
Martin Luther nails his 95 Theses to the door of the Roman Church in Wittenburg, begins Protestant Reformation.
1529
Church of England begins pulling away from Rome.
1782
First publishing of the PHILOKALIA, a classic of spirituality.
1794
Russian missionaries, St. Herman and others arrive in Alaska; introduce Orthodoxy to North America.
1871
St. Nicholas establishes a Japanese mission.
1870
Papal infallibility becomes Roman Dogma.
1917
The revolution in Russia (Bolshevik) begins. Christians are persecuted and martyred.
1918
Bishop Tikhon of San Francisco becomes Patriarch of Russia.
1988
1000 years of Orthodoxy in Russia, as Orthodox Church worldwide maintains fullness of Apostolic Faith.
1988
The rebirth of Orthodoxy in Indonesia.
1990
Beginning of renewal of Orthodoxy in Russia.
2005
1,972 years of Orthodox Christianity
2019
... ... while waiting for the Second Coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
