HISTORY OF THEOLOGY AND CHRISTIANITY

To understand the life and organization of Christian communities today, it is enlightening to know the historical development that led to the current landscape.
This encyclopedia, although of Catholic origin, presents the history of Christianity according to the great epochs of world history, not only to highlight the accents of the Catholic Church but to place the evolution of Christian communities within the panorama of universal history.
Thus, we address ancient Christianity, with the first Christian community within Judaism and its expansion from the Apostle Paul; Christianity in the Roman world and the persecutions in antiquity. Then, medieval Christianity, with the evangelization of the Germanic and Slavic peoples; Charlemagne and the Frankish Empire; the Papal States; the Eastern Schism; the cathedrals; the universities; the Crusades; the Inquisition. Modern Christianity considers the discoveries and the expansion of Christendom; the evangelization and indigenous cultures; the Protestant Reformation; the Christian churches; popular religiosity. Contemporary Christianity focuses on the confrontation of the Enlightenment and Christianity; the social issue and the Christian Churches; the Catholic Church after the Second Vatican Council. The history of the Church in Latin America, from the discovery to the present date, is the subject of a special entry.
An overview of Patristics is also presented, the time of the first Christian thinkers in the context of their churches, a fundamental era for the various Christian Churches and their ecumenical relationships. The Ecumenical Councils are also discussed. A timeline of the history of Christianity completes the information available here.
In the future, this axis will be enriched with related topics, including considering other churches besides the Catholic one.
Luis Corrêa Lima – PUC-Rio