Apostolic Church

Apostolic Fathers

Church Councils

Church History

Ca. 30AD 590 AD 1517 AD

Golden Age of Church Fathers

Reformation & Counter Reformation

Rationalism, Revivalism, & Denominationalism

Revivalism, Missions, & Modernism

?

Ancient Church History Medieval Church History Modern Church History

The Pre-Reformers

The First Medieval Pope

The Rise of the Holy Roman Empire

The Crusades

The Papacy in Decline

That the end of the Hellenistic-Roman phase of Christianity “did not lead to the slow strangulation of the total Christian presence in the world was due to the slow, painful, and far from satisfactory spread of Christian allegiance among the tribal peoples beyond the old frontiers…”

Andrew Walls The Missionary Movement in Christian History, p. 19

ULFILAS

“little wolf”

Four Centers of Missionary Movement in 2nd 500 years

1. Rome

2. Ireland

3. England

4. Persia/Constantinople

Cyril & Methodius

Prince Vladimir of Kiev,982

Reasons people were converting to Christianity

1. Some because they were forced to

2. Some because of perceived advantages

3. Some by a ‘power encounter’

How do you balance the reality of this?

God’s Providence was at work!

AGES OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

I. Period of Jewish Christianity

II. Period of Roman Empire

III. Period of Northern Europe, Central Asia

“A STRANGE WIND BLOWING IN THE DESERT”

BYZANTINE EMPIRE 600 C.E.

570

MECCA

MUHAMMAD

ABU TALIB

KHADIJAH

610 VISION FROM THE ANGEL GABRIEL

“Recite, in the name of your Lord, Who created mankind

from a clot of blood.

Recite, for your Lord is most generous; by the pen He

taught man what he did not know.”

610-622 REMAINED IN MECCA

ALLAH IS GOD ALONE

DUTY OF MAN: SUBMIT (ISLAM)

How do Muslims view the world?

dar al-islam Territory where Muslim governmentsrule Sharia

dar al-harb Territory where Islamic rule is not present

NOTE: This can exist within Muslim countrieswhere Sharia is not the recognized law

UTHMAN (644-656)

ALI BIN ABU TALEB (650-661)

CIVIL WAR

Ali’s followers Shi’ites

Aisha’s followers Sunnis

The Fruit of Islam (661-1095)

Turning point at Tours 732

Charles Martel (Charles the Hammer)

Baghdad rises in prominenceLife of the Messenger of God Ibn Ishaq

Cairo surges in prominenceal-Azhar University

THE CRUSADES (1095-1291)

FRONT LINES MOVE EAST (1298-1515)

ISLAM RESTORED TO SPLENDOR (1515-1919)

ISLAM ON THE DEFENSIVE (1919-)

RISE OF OTTOMAN TURKS

QUR’AN Books of “hadith”

ISLAMIC TEACHING (DOCTRINE) AND AUTHORITY

“shar’ia” books of law “Outh al-Figh”

FIVE PILLARS (DOCTRINES/PRACTICES) OF ISLAM

1. “Shahadah” “There is no god but ALLAH, and Muhammad is his Prophet”

2 “Salah” PRAYER

3. “Zakah” Giving Alms

4. “Sawm” Fasting

5. “Hajj” Pilgrimage

“Ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad vasul Allah”

ISLAM IS A RELIGION OF WORKS

‘Then as for him whose balance (of good deeds) will be heavy, he will live a pleasant life (in Paradise). But as for him whose balance (of good deeds) will be light, he will have his home in ‘Hawiyah” (pit; i.e. Hell)

Surah 101:6-9 Noble Quran

jihad struggle moral

militaryFight the enemy of Allah until enemy dies or Muslim dies

(Jihad) is fighting anybody who stands in the way of spreading Islam. Or fighting anyone who refuses to enter into Islam. (based on Surah 8:39)

Contract between Allah and a Muslim

“Let those (believers) who sell the life of this world for the Hereafter fight in the Cause of Allah, and whoso fights in the Cause of Allah, and is killed or gets victory, We shall bestow on him a great reward”

Surah 4:74 Noble Quran

“For them Allah has got ready Gardens (Paradise) under which rivers flow, to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success.”

Surah 9:89 Nobel Quran

ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS!

“Those who reject Islam must be killed. If they turn back (from Islam) take

(hold of) them and kill them wherever you find them.”

Surah 4:89 Noble Quran

“Let not the Unbelievers think that they can get the better (of the godly); they will never frustrate them. Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemis, of Allah and your enemies, and others besides, whom you may not know, but whom Allah knows.”

Surah 8:59-60 Ali Translation

Jihad is a command to all Muslims, enforced by the Quran