For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Doctrinal development and changing views of Christ

• Changes occur slowly, accumulating incrementally. Probably most people never even noticed.
• But in the 4th century the church rockets into worldliness.
  • Majority authentic disciples -> only the minority (Matthew 7).
  • At odds with the world -> friends with the world (James 4).
  • Apostolic message authoritative -> Roman message reinterprets and adds to the message.
  • The church “baptizes” pagan practices, attitudes, etc. – creative and certainly pragmatic, but what about authentic  Christian culture?
  • If we want to locate a pivotal date, perhaps 325 (Nicaea) or 381 (Christianity the official imperial religion)

Mary

• Mother of God, Ephesus, 431 AD
• West (Catholic and Orthodox Christianity) v.  East (Church of the East, 400s+)
• The stern Christ (his mother is more approachable)
• She will be understood as Queen of Heaven (see Jeremiah 7:8. 4417-19, 25)), and become a de facto goddess.

Accommodation

• Many martyrs are venerated, and days are assigned to remember them.
• Saint days take over pagan holidays.
• Many pagan customs are accepted, after minor tweaking, as Christian traditions.

Eucharist

• A spectacle
• The cup eventually forbidden to the laity.
• Eucharist brings luck -- even when committing a crime!

Violence

• Christus Victor
• Inquisition (13th century +)
• Christ of the Crusades
• Papal bodyguards and armies
• Meditation on Matthew 5:9.
  • Blessed are the peacemakers.
  • How does the medieval Christ square with Jesus' teaching and character?
    • Jesus' treatment of outsiders?
    • Jesus' teaching about enemies (later in Matthew 5)?
    • Jesus' attitude towards those who have wronged us?
    • Paul’s comments on the gentleness of Christ, e.g. in Philippians 2?
    • Paul's observation that we do not wage war as the world does, in 2 Corinthians 10?
    • The fact that, whereas OT warfare is often literal, NT warfare is spiritualized (Ephesians 6 etc)?
  • How distinctive was the church in its attitude and practice? How distinctive are we?

Next: Christ in Church History: 500 Years of Alternative Christs