The period of the rise of Christianity. Place, time and conditions for the emergence of Christianity

Among all religions, Christianity is the most widespread and influential teaching. It includes three official directions: Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism, and many unrecognized sects. The modern religion of Christianity is the doctrine of the God-Man Jesus Christ. Christians believe that he is God's son and was sent to Earth to atone for the sins of all mankind.

Fundamentals of Christianity: what is the essence of religion

According to the surviving documentary sources, Christianity originated in the 1st century AD, on the territory of modern Palestine. Born in Nazareth, in a simple family of a potter, the preacher Jesus Christ brought to the Jews a new doctrine - about the one God. He called himself the son of God, whom the Father sent to people to save from sin. The teaching of Christ was the teaching of love and forgiveness. He preached non-violence and humility, confirming his convictions with his own example. The followers of Jesus were called Christians, and the new religion was called Christianity. After the crucifixion of Christ, his disciples and supporters spread the new teaching throughout the Roman Empire, and soon throughout Europe.

In Russia, Christianity appeared in the 10th century. Prior to this, the religion of the Russians was paganism - they deified the forces of nature and worshiped them. Prince Vladimir, having married a Byzantine, adopted her religion. Despite the resistance arising everywhere, soon all of Russia was subjected to the rite of baptism. Gradually, the old faith was forgotten, and Christianity began to be perceived as a primordially Russian religion. Today, there are more than 2 billion followers of the teachings of Christ in the world. Among them, about 1.2 billion identify themselves as Catholic, about 0.4 billion as Protestant, and 0.25 billion as. Many wear silver crosses.

The essence of God in the view of Christians

According to the Old Testament (original) Christian religion, God is one in His appearance. He is the beginning of everything and the creator of all living beings. This perception of God was a dogma - the only true and inviolable position approved by the church. But in the 4th-5th centuries, a new dogma appeared in Christianity - the Trinity. Its compilers represented God as three hypostases of one essence:

• God the Father;
• God the Son;
• God is the Holy Spirit.

All entities (Persons) are equal and come from one another. The new addition was actively rejected by representatives of the Eastern confessions. In the 7th century, the Western Christian Church officially adopted the filioque, an addition to the Trinity. This served as an impetus for the schism of the One Church.

Man in the representation of religion is the creation of God, and he is not given to know the essence of his creator. Questions and doubts are taboo for a true believing Christian. Everything that a person should and can know about God is set forth in the Bible, the main book of Christians. It is a kind of encyclopedia containing information about the formation of religion, descriptions of historical events before the appearance of Jesus, and key moments in his life.

The God-Man: Who Was Jesus

The doctrine of the God-man - Christology - tells about Jesus, both as the incarnation of God and as the son of God. He is human because his mother is a human woman, but like God because his father is the One God. At the same time, Christianity does not consider Jesus a demigod, and does not include them among the prophets. He is the only unique incarnation of God on Earth. There cannot be a second person like Jesus, because God is infinite and cannot be incarnated twice. The appearance of Jesus was foretold by the prophets. In the Old Testament, he is presented as the Messiah - the savior of mankind.

After the crucifixion and physical death, the human hypostasis of Jesus was embodied in the divine. His soul was united with the Father in Paradise, and his body was buried in the earth. This paradox of Jesus the man and Jesus the God is expressed in the Ecumenical Council by the formula of 4 negatives:

1. unmistakably;
2. untransformed;
3. inseparably;
4. inseparable.

The orthodox branches of Christianity revere Jesus as the God-man - an entity that embodied divine and human features. Arianism reveres him as a creation of God, Nestorianism - as two separate entities: divine and human. Those who profess Monophysitism believe in Jesus the God who swallowed up his human nature.

Anthropology: the origin of man and his destiny

Initially, man was created in his image of God, and possesses his power. The first people Adam and Eve were similar to their Creator, but they committed original sin - they succumbed to temptation and ate an apple from the tree of Knowledge. From that moment on, man became sinful, and his body was mortal.

But the human soul is immortal and can go to Paradise, where God is waiting for it. To be in Paradise, a person must atone for his sin by physical and spiritual suffering. In the Christian understanding, evil is temptation, and good is humility. Suffering is a way to fight evil. Ascension to God and return to one's original essence is possible only through humility. It leads to freedom of spirit and understanding of the true essence of life. Hell awaits people who succumb to temptations - the kingdom of Satan, in which sinners suffer forever, paying for their sins.

What are sacraments

In the Christian faith there is a unique concept - the sacrament. It arose as a definition of a special action, which cannot be attributed to either rites or rituals. Only God can know the true essence of the sacrament; it is not accessible to man because of his imperfection and sinfulness.

The most important sacraments are baptism and communion. The first is the initiation of the believer, introducing him into the number of charitable people. The second is a connection with the essence of Jesus, by eating the sacred bread and wine, symbolizing his flesh and blood.

Orthodoxy and Catholicism recognize five more sacraments:

1. chrismation;
2. ordination;
3. repentance;
4. marriage;
5. unction.

Protestantism denies the sacredness of these phenomena. This branch is also characterized by a gradual rejection of asceticism, as the only way for a person to approach the divine essence.

The role of the monarchy in the development of religion

The official state religion of Rome was paganism, suggesting the deification of the current emperor. The new doctrine was accepted with hostility. Persecution and prohibitions have become part of the history of religion. Christianity was forbidden not only to confess, but also to remember its existence. Preachers were subjected to torture, life imprisonment or the death penalty. But adherents of Christianity revered them as martyrs, and every year Christianity spread more and more actively.

Already in the 4th century, Emperor Constantine was forced to recognize the new belief. The pagans staged riots, protesting against the interference of the emperor in the affairs of the Church. Christians went to the desert and organized monastic settlements there. Thanks to this, the nomads learned about the new religion. Christianity gradually spread to other countries.

The emperor's power was weakening. The abbot of the Roman Church, the Pope, declared himself the sole representative of religion, and the full ruler of the Roman Empire. Attempts to find a balance between the desire for power and the preservation of the Christian way of life have become a major moral dilemma for representatives of high church rank.

Key moments of the ancient religion: the split of the Church

The reason for the split of Christianity into three conflicting faiths was the dispute about the union of the divine and human essence of Jesus Christ into one person. Due to cultural and historical differences, there was constant debate among followers about the need to choose one official version. The growing conflict led to a division into confessions, each of which adhered to its own version.

In 1054, Christianity split into Orthodox and Catholic branches. Attempts to reunite them into one Church were unsuccessful. An attempt at unification was an agreement on the unification of churches on the territory of the Commonwealth - the Union of Brest, signed in 1596. But in the end, the conflict between confessions only escalated.

Modern times: the crisis of Christianity

In the 16th century, world Christianity is experiencing a series of military conflicts. Churches sought to supplant each other. Humanity entered the Age of Enlightenment: religion was subjected to harsh criticism and denial. A search began for new models of human self-consciousness, independent of Biblical doctrines.

Innovators countered the progress of Christianity - gradual development, the transition from simple to complex. Based on the idea of ​​progress, later Charles Darwin would develop a theory of evolution based on scientific facts. According to it, man is not a creation of God, but the result of an evolutionary process. Since the 17th century, science and religion have been in continuous conflict.

In the 20th century, in the post-revolutionary Soviet Union, Christianity is going through a period of strict prohibitions and a categorical denial of the religious view of the world. Church ministers are being defrocked, churches are being destroyed, and religious books are being burned. Only with the collapse of the USSR did religion gradually regain its right to exist, and freedom of religion became an inalienable human right.

Modern Christianity is not a totalitarian religious belief. Christians are free to accept the rite of baptism or refuse to follow its traditions. Since the middle of the 20th century, the idea of ​​reuniting the three confessions into a single belief has been promoted as an attempt to avoid the extinction of religion. But none of the Churches is taking concrete actions, and the denominations are still divided.

Christianity has existed for more than two thousand years, it arose in the 1st century BC. e. There is no consensus on the exact place of origin of this religion, some researchers are sure that Christianity originated in Palestine, others argue that it happened in Greece.

Palestinian Jews before the 2nd century BC. e. were under foreign domination. But they still managed to achieve economic and political independence, significantly expanding their territory. Independence did not last long, in 63 BC. e. Roman commander Gnei Poltei brought troops into Judea, annexing these territories to the Roman Empire. By the beginning of our era, Palestine had completely lost its independence, management began to be carried out by the Roman governor.

The loss of political independence led to the strengthening of the position of radical nationalist Jewish religious groups. Their leaders spread the idea of ​​divine retribution for violations of religious prohibitions, customs and fathers. All groups waged an active struggle against the Roman conquerors. For the most part, the Romans won it, so by the 1st century AD. e. the hope of the coming of the Messiah among the people grew stronger every year. This also proves that the first book of the New Testament, the Apocalypse, is dated precisely to the 1st century AD. The idea of ​​retribution is most strongly manifested in this book.

The ideological foundation laid by Judaism, together with the prevailing historical situation, also contributed to the emergence of Christianity. The Old Testament tradition received a new interpretation, the rethought ideas of Judaism gave the new religion faith in the second coming of Christ.

Ancient philosophical teachings also had a significant impact on the formation of the Christian worldview. The philosophical systems of the Neo-Pythagoreans, Stoics, Plato and Neo-Platonists gave the Christian religion many mental structures, concepts and even terms, which were subsequently reflected in the texts of the New Testament.

The stages of the formation of Christianity

The formation of Christianity took place in the period from the middle of the 1st century to the 5th century AD. In this period, several main stages in the development of Christianity can be distinguished.

Stage of actual eschatology (second half of the 2nd century). At the first stage, the Christian religion can be called Judeo-Christian, since it has not yet completely separated. The arrival during this period was expected literally from day to day, therefore it is called actual eschatology.

During this period, there was no centralized Christian organization, there were no priests. Religious communities of charismatics, preached the doctrine among the people of the didascala, solved technical issues. A little later, bishops appeared - observers, overseers and presbyters - elders.

Adaptation stage (II - early III century). During this period, the moods of Christians change, the doomsday does not happen soon, tense expectation is replaced by adaptation to the existing world order. General eschatology gives way to individual eschatology based on the doctrine of the immortality of the soul. The national and social composition of Christian communities is gradually changing. More and more representatives of the educated and wealthy segments of the population of different nations are converting to Christianity, as a result of which the doctrine becomes more tolerant of wealth.

In the same period, Christianity completely separated from Judaism, and there were fewer and fewer Jews among Christians. Jewish rituals are replaced by new ones, religious holidays are filled with new mythological content. Baptism, prayer, communion and other rites borrowed from the religions of different peoples appear in the cult of Christianity. Large church Christian centers begin to form.

The stage of the struggle for dominance in the empire. At the third stage, Christianity is finally established as the state religion. From 305 to 313, Christianity is persecuted and persecuted, the so-called "era of martyrs" passes. Since 313, according to the Milan edict of Emperor Constantine, Christians receive equal rights with pagans and become under the protection of the state. In 391, Emperor Theodosius finally establishes Christianity as the official state religion and forbids paganism. After that, councils begin to be held, at which church dogmas and principles for the further development and strengthening of Christianity are developed and approved.

The emergence of Orthodoxy Historically, it so happened that on the territory of Russia, for the most part, several Great world religions have found their place and have peacefully coexisted from time immemorial. Paying tribute to other Religions, I want to draw your attention to Orthodoxy as the main religion of Russia.
Christianity(originated in Palestine in the 1st century AD from Judaism and received a new development after the break with Judaism in the 2nd century) - one of the three main world religions (along with Buddhism and Islam).

During the formation Christianity broke up into three main branches:
- Catholicism,
- orthodoxy,
- Protestantism,
in each of which the formation of its own, practically not coinciding with other branches, ideology began.

ORTHODOXY(which means - to praise God correctly) - one of the directions of Christianity, isolated and organizationally formed in the XI century as a result of the division of churches. The split occurred in the period from the 60s. 9th century until the 50s. 11th century As a result of the split in the eastern part of the former Roman Empire, a confession arose, which in Greek began to be called orthodoxy (from the words “orthos” - “straight”, “correct” and “doxos” - “opinion”, “judgment”, “teaching”) , and in Russian-speaking theology - Orthodoxy, and in the western part - a confession, which its followers called Catholicism (from the Greek "catholikos" - "universal", "universal"). Orthodoxy arose on the territory of the Byzantine Empire. Initially, it did not have a church center, since the church power of Byzantium was concentrated in the hands of four patriarchs: Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem. As the Byzantine Empire collapsed, each of the ruling patriarchs headed an independent (autocephalous) Orthodox Church. Subsequently, autocephalous and autonomous churches arose in other countries, mainly in the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

Orthodoxy is characterized by a complex, elaborate cult. The most important postulates of Orthodox doctrine are the dogmas of the trinity of God, the incarnation, redemption, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. It is believed that dogmas are not subject to change and clarification, not only in content, but also in form.
The religious basis of Orthodoxy isHoly Scripture (Bible) and sacred tradition.

The clergy in Orthodoxy is divided into white (married parish priests) and black (monastics who take a vow of celibacy). There are male and female monasteries. Only a monk can become a bishop. Currently in Orthodoxy highlighted

• Local Churches
• Constantinople
• Alexandria
• Antioch
• Jerusalem
• Georgian
• Serbian
• Romanian
• Bulgarian
• Cypriot
• Helladic
• Albanian
• Polish
• Czecho-Slovak
• American
• Japanese
• Chinese

Orthodoxy in Russia

The history of the Orthodox Church in Russia still remains one of the least developed areas of Russian historiography.

The history of the Russian Orthodox Church was not unambiguous: it was contradictory, replete with internal conflicts, reflecting social contradictions throughout its path.

The introduction of Christianity in Russia was a natural phenomenon for the reason that in the VIII - IX centuries. the early feudal class system begins to emerge.

Major events in history Russian Orthodoxy. In the history of Russian Orthodoxy, nine main events, nine main historical milestones can be distinguished. Here's what they look like in chronological order.

Second milestone - 1448. This year the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) became autocephalous. Until this year, the ROC was an integral part of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Autocephaly (from the Greek words “auto” - “self” and “mullet” - “head”) meant complete independence. This year, Grand Duke Vasily Vasilyevich, nicknamed the Dark One (in 1446 he was blinded by his rivals in the interfeudal struggle), ordered not to accept the metropolitan from the Greeks, but to choose his metropolitan at the local council. At a church council in Moscow in 1448, Ryazan Bishop Jonah was elected the first metropolitan of the autocephalous church. The Patriarch of Constantinople recognized the autocephaly of the Russian Orthodox Church. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire (1553), after the capture of Constantinople by the Turks, the Russian Orthodox Church, being the largest and most significant among the Orthodox Churches, became a natural stronghold of Universal Orthodoxy. And to this day the Russian Orthodox Church claims to be the "Third Rome".

The fourth milestone - 1656. This year, the Moscow Local Cathedral anathematized the Old Believers. This decision of the council revealed the presence of a schism in the church. The denomination separated from the church and became known as the Old Believers. In its further development, the Old Believers turned into a set of confessions. The main reason for the split, according to historians, was the social contradictions in Russia at that time. The Old Believers were representatives of those social strata of the population who were dissatisfied with their position. Firstly, many peasants became Old Believers, who were finally enserfed at the end of the 16th century, abolishing the right to transfer to another feudal lord on the so-called “St. George's Day”. Secondly, a part of the merchant class joined the Old Believer movement, because the tsar and the feudal lords, by the economic policy of supporting foreign merchants, prevented the development of trade for their own, Russian merchants. And finally, some well-born boyars, dissatisfied with the loss of a number of their privileges, joined the Old Believers. The reason for the split was the church reform, which was carried out by the higher clergy under the leadership of Patriarch Nikon. In particular, the reform provided for the replacement of some old rites with new ones: instead of two-fingered rites, three-fingered rites, instead of earthly bows in the process of worship, half-length ones, instead of a procession around the temple in the sun, a procession against the sun, etc. title.

Fifth milestone - 1667. The Moscow Local Council of 1667 found Patriarch Nikon guilty of blaspheming Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, deprived him of his rank (proclaimed a simple monk) and sentenced him to exile in a monastery. At the same time, the cathedral for the second time anathematized the Old Believers. The Council was held with the participation of the Patriarchs of Alexandria and Antioch.

Seventh milestone - 1917 . This year the patriarchate was restored in Russia. On August 15, 1917, for the first time after a break of more than two hundred years, a council was convened in Moscow to elect a patriarch. On October 31 (November 13, according to the new style), the cathedral elected three candidates for patriarchs. On November 5 (18) in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the elder monk Alexy drew lots from the casket. The lot fell on Metropolitan Tikhon of Moscow. At the same time, the Church experienced severe persecution from the Soviet authorities and underwent a series of schisms. On January 20, 1918, the Council of People's Commissars adopted a Decree on freedom of conscience, which “separated church from state.” Every person received the right to “profess any religion or not profess any.” Any infringement of rights on the basis of faith was prohibited. The decree also "separated the school from the church." The teaching of the Law of God was forbidden in schools. After October, Patriarch Tikhon at first spoke out with sharp denunciations of Soviet power, but in 1919 he took a more restrained position, urging the clergy not to participate in the political struggle. Nevertheless, about 10 thousand representatives of the Orthodox clergy were among the victims of the civil war. The Bolsheviks shot priests who served thanksgiving services after the fall of local Soviet power. Some of the priests accepted Soviet power and in 1921-1922. started the renewal movement. The part that did not accept this movement and did not have time or did not want to emigrate went underground and formed the so-called "catacomb church". In 1923, at the local council of the Renovationist communities, programs for the radical renewal of the Russian Orthodox Church were considered. At the council, Patriarch Tikhon was deposed and full support for the Soviet government was proclaimed. Patriarch Tikhon anathematized the Renovationists. In 1924, the Supreme Church Council was transformed into a Renovationist Synod headed by the Metropolitan. Part of the clergy and believers who found themselves in exile formed the so-called "Russian Orthodox Church Abroad". Until 1928, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia maintained close contacts with the Russian Orthodox Church, but these contacts were subsequently terminated. In the 1930s, the church was on the verge of extinction. Only since 1943 did its slow revival as a Patriarchate begin. In total, during the war years, the church collected over 300 million rubles for military needs. Many priests fought in partisan detachments and the army, were awarded military orders. During the long blockade of Leningrad, eight Orthodox churches did not cease to operate in the city. After the death of I. Stalin, the policy of the authorities towards the church became tougher again. In the summer of 1954, the decision of the Central Committee of the party to intensify anti-religious propaganda appeared. At the same time, Nikita Khrushchev made a sharp speech against religion and the church.

About a third of the world's inhabitants profess Christianity in all its varieties.

Christianity arose in the 1st century. AD. within the territory of the Roman Empire. There is no consensus among researchers about the exact place where Christianity originated. Some believe that this happened in Palestine, which was then part of the Roman Empire; others suggest that it happened in the Jewish diaspora in Greece.

Palestinian Jews have been under foreign domination for many centuries. However, in the II century. BC. they achieved political independence, during which they expanded their territory and did a lot for the development of political and economic relations. In 63 BC Roman general Gnei Poltei brought troops into Judea, as a result of which it became part of the Roman Empire. By the beginning of our era, other territories of Palestine also lost their independence, management began to be carried out by the Roman governor.

The loss of political independence was perceived by part of the population as a tragedy. Religious meaning was seen in political events. The idea of ​​divine retribution for violations of the precepts of the fathers, religious customs and prohibitions spread. This led to the strengthening of the position of Jewish religious nationalist groups:

• Hasidim- orthodox Jews;
• Sadducees, who represented conciliatory sentiments, they came from the upper strata of Jewish society;
• Pharisees- fighters for the purity of Judaism, against contacts with foreigners. The Pharisees advocated the observance of external norms of behavior, for which they were accused of hypocrisy.

In terms of social composition, the Pharisees were representatives of the middle strata of the urban population. At the end of the 1st century BC. appear zealots- people from the lower strata of the population - artisans and lumpen proletarians. They expressed the most radical ideas. From their midst stood out sicaria- terrorists. Their favorite weapon was a curved dagger, which they hid under a cloak - in Latin "sika". All these groupings, with more or less perseverance, fought against the Roman conquerors. It was obvious that the struggle was not in favor of the rebels, so the aspirations for the coming of the Savior, the Messiah, intensified. It is the first century of our era that dates back to the oldest book of the New Testament - Apocalypse, in which the idea of ​​retribution to enemies for the unfair treatment and oppression of the Jews was so strongly manifested.

The most interesting is the sect Essenes or Essenes, because their teaching had features inherent in early Christianity. This is evidenced by those found in 1947 in the Dead Sea area in Qumran caves scrolls. Christians and Essenes had ideas in common messianism- waiting for the coming of the Savior, eschatological notions about the coming end of the world, interpretation of the idea of ​​human sinfulness, rituals, organization of communities, attitude to property.

The processes that took place in Palestine were similar to those that took place in other parts of the Roman Empire: everywhere the Romans robbed and mercilessly exploited the local population, enriching themselves at its expense. The crisis of the ancient order and the formation of new socio-political relations were painful for people, caused a feeling of helplessness, defenselessness before the state machine and contributed to the search for new ways of salvation. Mystical moods increased. Oriental cults spread: Mitra, Isis, Osiris, etc. There are many different associations, partnerships, the so-called colleges. People united on the basis of professions, social status, neighborhood, and so on. All this created fertile ground for the spread of Christianity.

Origins of Christianity

The emergence of Christianity was prepared not only by the prevailing historical conditions, it had a good ideological basis. The main ideological source of Christianity is Judaism. The new religion rethought the ideas of Judaism about monotheism, messianism, eschatology, chiliasme- faith in the second coming of Jesus Christ and his millennium kingdom on earth. The Old Testament tradition has not lost its significance, it has received a new interpretation.

The ancient philosophical tradition had a significant influence on the formation of the Christian worldview. In philosophical systems Stoics, Neo-Pythagoreans, Plato and Neo-Platonists mental constructions, concepts and even terms were developed, rethought in the New Testament texts and the works of theologians. Neoplatonism had a particularly great influence on the foundations of Christian doctrine. Philo of Alexandria(25 BC - c. 50 AD) and the moral teaching of the Roman Stoic Seneca(c. 4 BC - 65 AD). Philo formulated the concept Logos as a sacred law that allows one to contemplate being, the doctrine of the innate sinfulness of all people, of repentance, of Being as the origin of the world, of ecstasy as a means of approaching God, of logoi, among which the Son of God is the highest Logos, and other logoi are angels.

Seneca considered the achievement of freedom of the spirit through the realization of divine necessity as the main thing for every person. If freedom does not flow from divine necessity, it will prove to be slavery. Only obedience to fate gives rise to equanimity and peace of mind, conscience, moral standards, universal values. Seneca recognized the golden rule of morality as a moral imperative, which sounded like this: Treat those below as you would like to be treated by those above.". We can find a similar formulation in the Gospels.

A certain influence on Christianity was the teaching of Seneca on the transience and deceitfulness of sensual pleasures, caring for other people, self-restraint in the use of material goods, preventing rampant passions, the need for modesty and moderation in everyday life, self-improvement, gaining divine mercy.

Another source of Christianity was the Eastern cults flourishing at that time in various parts of the Roman Empire.

The most controversial issue in the study of Christianity is the question of the historicity of Jesus Christ. In solving it, two directions can be distinguished: mythological and historical. mythological direction argues that science does not have reliable data about Jesus Christ as a historical person. The gospel stories were written many years after the events described, they have no real historical basis. historical direction claims that Jesus Christ was a real person, a preacher of a new religion, which is confirmed by a number of sources. In 1971, a text was found in Egypt "Antiquities" by Josephus Flavius, which gives reason to believe that it describes one of the real preachers named Jesus, although the miracles performed by him were spoken of as one of the many stories on this topic, i.e. Josephus himself did not observe them.

Stages of the formation of Christianity as a state religion

The history of the formation of Christianity covers the period from the middle of the 1st century. AD until the 5th century inclusive. During this period, Christianity went through a number of stages of its development, which can be summarized in the following three:

1 - stage current eschatology(second half of the 1st century);

2 - stage fixtures(II century);

3 - stage struggle for dominance in the empire (III-V centuries).

During each of these stages, the composition of believers changed, various new formations arose and disintegrated within Christianity as a whole, internal clashes were incessantly boiling, which expressed the struggle for the realization of vital public interests.

Stage of actual eschatology

At the first stage, Christianity has not yet completely separated from Judaism, so it can be called Judeo-Christian. The name "actual eschatology" means that the defining mood of the new religion at that time was the expectation of the coming of the Savior in the near future, literally from day to day. Enslaved, destitute people suffering from national and social oppression became the social basis of Christianity. The hatred of the enslaved for their oppressors and the thirst for revenge found their expression and détente not in revolutionary actions, but in the impatient expectation of the massacre that would be inflicted by the coming Messiah on the Antichrist.

In early Christianity there was no single centralized organization, there were no priests. The communities were led by believers who were able to perceive charisma(grace, the descent of the Holy Spirit). Charismatics united groups of believers around them. There were people who were engaged in explaining the doctrine. They were called didaskaly- teachers. Special people were appointed to organize the economic life of the community. Originally appeared deacons performing simple technical duties. Later appear bishops- observers, overseers, as well as presbyters- elders. Over time, the bishops assume a dominant position, and the presbyters become their assistants.

adaptation stage

At the second stage, in the II century, the situation changes. Doomsday does not come; on the contrary, there is some stabilization of Roman society. The tension of expectation in the mood of Christians is replaced by a more vital attitude of existence in the real world and adaptation to its order. The place of eschatology, which is common in this world, is occupied by individual eschatology in the other world, and the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is being actively developed.

The social and national composition of communities is changing. Representatives of the wealthy and educated segments of the population of different peoples that inhabited the Roman Empire begin to convert to Christianity. Accordingly, the doctrine of Christianity changes, it becomes more tolerant of wealth. The attitude of the authorities to the new religion depended on the political situation. One emperor carried out persecution, the other showed humanity, if the internal political situation allowed it.

The development of Christianity in the II century. led to a complete separation from Judaism. Jews among Christians in comparison with other nationalities became less and less. It was necessary to solve problems of practical cult significance: food prohibitions, the celebration of the Sabbath, circumcision. As a result, circumcision was replaced by water baptism, the weekly celebration of Saturday was transferred to Sunday, the Easter holiday was converted to Christianity under the same name, but was filled with other mythological content, just like the feast of Pentecost.

The influence of other peoples on the formation of a cult in Christianity was manifested in the fact that rites or their elements were borrowed: baptism, communion as a symbol of sacrifice, prayer, and some others.

During the III century. there was the formation of large Christian centers in Rome, Antioch, Jerusalem, Alexandria, in a number of cities of Asia Minor and other areas. However, the church itself was not internally united: there were differences among Christian teachers and preachers regarding the correct understanding of Christian truths. Christianity was torn from within by the most complex theological disputes. Many directions appeared, interpreting the provisions of the new religion in different ways.

Nazarenes(from Hebrew - “refuse, abstain”) - ascetic preachers of ancient Judea. An external sign of belonging to the Nazirites was the refusal to cut hair and drink wine. Subsequently, the Nazirites merged with the Essenes.

Montanism originated in the 2nd century. Founder Montana on the eve of the end of the world, he preached asceticism, the prohibition of remarriages, martyrdom in the name of faith. He considered ordinary Christian communities as mentally ill, he considered only his adherents to be spiritual.

Gnosticism(from Greek - “having knowledge”) eclectically connected ideas, borrowed mainly from Platonism and Stoicism, with Eastern ideas. The Gnostics recognized the existence of a perfect deity, between which and the sinful material world there are intermediate links - zones. They included Jesus Christ. The Gnostics were pessimistic about the sensory world, they emphasized their God's chosenness, the advantage of intuitive knowledge over rational knowledge, they did not accept the Old Testament, the redemptive mission of Jesus Christ (but recognized the saving mission), his bodily incarnation.

Docetism(from the Greek. - "seem") - a direction that separated from Gnosticism. Corporeality was considered evil, the lower principle, and on this basis they rejected the Christian doctrine of the bodily incarnation of Jesus Christ. They believed that Jesus only seemed to be clothed in flesh, but in reality his birth, earthly existence and death were ghostly phenomena.

Marcionism(after the name of the founder - Marcion) advocated a complete break with Judaism, did not recognize the human nature of Jesus Christ, in his basic ideas was close to the Gnostics.

Novatians(named after the founders - Rom. Novatiana and carf. Novata) took a tough stance towards the authorities and those Christians who could not resist the pressure of the authorities and compromised with them.

Stage of the struggle for dominance in the empire

At the third stage, the final approval of Christianity as the state religion takes place. In 305, the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire intensifies. This period in church history is known as "age of martyrs". Places of worship were closed, church property was confiscated, books and sacred utensils were confiscated and destroyed, plebeians recognized as Christians were enslaved, senior members of the clergy were arrested and executed, as well as those who did not obey the order to renounce, having honored the Roman gods. Those who yielded were quickly released. For the first time, the burial places belonging to the communities became for a time a refuge for the persecuted, where they performed their cult.

However, the measures taken by the authorities had no effect. Christianity has already become strong enough to offer worthy resistance. Already in 311 the emperor galleries, and in 313 - the emperor Konstantin adopt decrees on religious tolerance towards Christianity. The activities of Emperor Constantine I are of particular importance.

During a fierce struggle for power before the decisive battle with Makentius, Constantine saw in a dream the sign of Christ - a cross with a command to come out with this symbol against the enemy. Having done this, he won a decisive victory in the battle in 312. The emperor gave this vision a very special meaning - as a sign of his election by Christ to establish a connection between God and the world through his imperial ministry. This is how his role was perceived by the Christians of his time, which allowed the unbaptized emperor to take an active part in solving internal church, dogmatic issues.

In 313 Constantine published Edict of Milan, according to which Christians become under the protection of the state and receive equal rights with pagans. The Christian Church was no longer persecuted, even during the reign of the emperor Juliana(361-363), surnamed Renegade for the restriction of the rights of the church and the proclamation of religious tolerance for heresies and paganism. under the emperor Feodosia in 391, Christianity was finally consolidated as the state religion, and paganism was prohibited. The further development and strengthening of Christianity is associated with the holding of councils, at which church dogma was worked out and approved.

Christianization of pagan tribes

By the end of the IV century. Christianity was established in almost all provinces of the Roman Empire. In the 340s. through the efforts of Bishop Wulfila, it penetrates to the tribes ready. The Goths adopted Christianity in the form of Arianism, which then dominated the east of the empire. As the Visigoths moved westward, Arianism also spread. In the 5th century in Spain it was adopted by the tribes vandals and Suebi. in Galin - Burgundians and then Lombards. Orthodox Christianity adopted by the Frankish king Clovis. Political reasons led to the fact that by the end of the 7th century. in most parts of Europe, the Nicene religion was established. In the 5th century The Irish were introduced to Christianity. The activity of the legendary apostle of Ireland dates back to this time. St. Patrick.

The Christianization of the barbarian peoples was carried out mainly from above. Pagan ideas and images continued to live in the minds of the masses of the people. The Church assimilated these images, adapted them to Christianity. Pagan rites and holidays were filled with new, Christian content.

From the end of the 5th to the beginning of the 7th century. the power of the Roman pope was limited only to the Roman ecclesiastical province in Central and Southern Italy. However, in 597 an event occurred that marked the beginning of the strengthening of the Roman Church throughout the kingdom. Dad Gregory I the Great sent preachers of Christianity led by a monk to the Anglo-Saxons-pagans Augustine. According to legend, the pope saw English slaves on the market and was surprised by the similarity of their name with the word "angels", which he considered a sign from above. The Anglo-Saxon Church became the first church north of the Alps, subordinate directly to Rome. The symbol of this dependence is pallium(a kerchief worn on the shoulders), which was sent from Rome to the primate of the church, now called archbishop, i.e. the highest bishop, who was delegated powers directly from the pope - the vicar of St. Peter. Subsequently, the Anglo-Saxons made a great contribution to the strengthening of the Roman Church on the continent, to the alliance of the pope with the Carolingians. Played a significant role in this St. Boniface, a native of Wessex. He developed a program of deep reforms of the Frankish Church with the aim of establishing uniformity and subordination to Rome. Boniface's reforms created the overall Roman church in western Europe. Only the Christians of Arab Spain preserved the special traditions of the Visigothic Church.

Christianity (from the Greek word cristos - anointed one, "Messiah") is the second world religion in terms of time. The birth of Christianity falls on the middle of the 1st century. AD Initially, Christianity was a sect in Judaism, therefore, it appears in the Jewish environment. Some researchers consider the territories of the Eastern Mediterranean outside Palestine to be the place of origin of Christianity, while others consider Palestine. The traditional church version connects the origin of Christianity only with Palestine, because. This is where the life of Jesus Christ took place. However, there is much evidence that Christianity originated among Jews living in the diaspora, perhaps in Asia Minor or Egypt. So, for example, in the oldest document of Christianity "Apocalypse" dating back to 68 AD. Christian communities of seven Greek cities of Asia Minor are listed. This may serve as evidence that the first Christian communities were formed here and it is from here that Christianity begins to penetrate into other areas of the Roman Empire.

conditions for the rise of Christianity. The emergence and spread of Christianity fell on a period of deep crisis of ancient civilization, the decline of its basic values. By the 1st century AD the power of the Roman Empire was undermined, the latter was in the process of decay and disintegration. Different countries and peoples that were part of the empire stood at different levels of socio-economic and cultural development, and contradictions within Roman society itself were aggravated. The crisis of the ancient order gave rise to general uncertainty, a sense of apathy and hopelessness. The collapse of old traditional ties led to the emergence of a sense of instability in society. The authority of the ancient gods was falling, witchcraft, magic, and belief in predictions were becoming widespread. Along with the decline of their own beliefs, the veneration of various foreign gods spread. The place of ancient deities in the beliefs of the inhabitants of the empire began to be occupied by ancient Eastern dying and resurrecting deities. The evolution of religious ideas of that time is characterized by the formation of monotheism. The functions of individual gods were intertwined, the old official gods were forgotten, and their place was taken by monotheistic cults of previously insignificant gods.

Thus, by the beginning of the 1st c. AD in the Roman Empire there were quite complex religious relations between the bearers of different beliefs. On the one hand, there was a process of decomposition of traditional religions. On the other hand, it is the process of spontaneous interaction and interpenetration of various national and tribal beliefs (first of all, the penetration of Middle Eastern ideas and images into the consciousness and religious life of ancient society).

Under these conditions, Christianity began to form in the eastern part of the Roman Empire as a synthesis of Judaism, Hellenistic philosophy, Eastern religious beliefs, and some other elements of the cultural life of the Roman Empire. At the same time, many ideas of Christian doctrine, rituals and cult initially had an independent meaning.

The greatest influence on the formation and development of Christianity was exerted by the Jewish religious tradition with clearly expressed monotheism. With its roots, Christianity goes back, first of all, to the teachings of the Jewish religious sects (Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes). The most significant influence on Christianity was the sect of the Essenes (Essenes), which arose in the 2nd century BC. BC. and existed until the 1st century. AD Many ideas of the Essenes, such as the concept of the dualism of the world, belief in the end of this world, the preaching of messianism, the doctrine of the free will of a person who chooses his own path of salvation, and some others, as well as the model of organizing a community, were later adopted by early Christians. However, there were very significant differences between Christianity and the Essene teaching, the most important of which was the belief of Christians in the already accomplished coming of the Messiah - Jesus, the lack of isolation of the first Christian communities. The openness of Christian preaching to the world was one of the basic principles of the new religion.

In addition to Judaism, some ideas of Hellenistic philosophy played a significant role in the formation and development of Christianity. Neoplatonism (first of all, the teaching of Philo of Alexandria), the philosophical and ethical views of the Stoics had a particularly significant influence on the foundations of Christian doctrine. With Neoplatonism, Christianity is brought together by the teaching of Plotinus about a single, inaccessible to sensory perception and reason, a supernatural principle as the source of being. The One is the Absolute, which does not depend on anything, but all other existence depends on it. The One does not create, but radiates from itself all other being.

The Judeo-Hellenistic philosopher-Neoplatonist Philo of Alexandria in his work combines the concept of the Logos in the biblical (word of God) and in the Hellenistic (inner Law that guides the movement of the Cosmos) traditions. Philo's logos is a sacred word that allows one to contemplate beings. The highest Logos is the son of God, who acts as an intermediary between God and the material world. In addition, in the writings of Philo one can find a number of points especially close to Christianity - the doctrine of the sinfulness of human nature; the idea of ​​the existence of God beyond the boundaries of the world he created; the idea that God is not accessible to sensory knowledge, but it can be contemplated in divine ecstasy, etc.

Stoicism became one of the most important sources of Christian ideology. In particular, the sermon of Lucius Annei Seneca on the equality of people before the Rock, love for one's neighbor, his teaching on the afterlife bliss. Christianity was consonant with Seneca's attitudes about the transience and deceitfulness of sensual pleasures, caring for other people, self-restraint in the use of material goods, preventing rampant passions that are disastrous for society and man, modesty and moderation in everyday life. He was also impressed by the principles of individual ethics formulated by Seneca. Personal salvation involves a strict assessment of one's own life, self-improvement, and the acquisition of divine mercy. Close to the early Christians was the idea of ​​the Stoics that it is in the power of a person to be virtuous, free from passions, not afraid of misfortune and death.

Separate moments were adopted by early Christians from pagan beliefs. In particular: the doctrine of the death and resurrection of God, the birthday of Jesus Christ - the day of the winter solstice, the veneration of the Mother of God, the idea of ​​the birth of God as a virgin, the cult of the Cross, the veneration of the divine Trinity, ritual meals, etc.

At the same time, new features appear in Christianity that make pagan beliefs weaker in comparison with Christianity:

1. Christianity did not recognize national and ethnic differences in the field of faith - its preaching was directed to all tribes and peoples. Paganism had a predominantly national character;

2. The priority of spiritual rather than ritual cleansing in Christianity. Paganism is characterized by an earthly orientation;

3. Christianity completely abandoned sacrifices, and in the initial period of its existence from rituals;

4. Refusal of social and estate partitions in the Christian doctrine.

Features of early Christian Christian doctrine. The formation of Christian doctrine and worship continued for several centuries. The early Christian communities did not have special places for worship, they did not know the sacraments and icons. They did not have the dogma and cult of later Christianity. The original basis of early Christianity was the belief in the redemptive sacrifice of the Messiah Christ, who, having come into the world, suffered for the sins of people, was crucified and resurrected. He will return to the world in order to establish the Kingdom of God on Earth. They are promised salvation to all who believe in him. Thus, the main ideas of early Christian doctrine are:

1. The idea of ​​the sinfulness of the entire human race, which inherited original sin from its forefathers Adam and Eve;

2. The idea of ​​the salvation of every person and the atonement of the guilt of all people before God through faith;

3. The Son of God, Jesus Christ, opened this way to mankind through his sufferings and voluntary sacrifice;

4. The idea of ​​the Last Judgment, which was thought by the early Christians as a punishment for the pagans, all those who did not believe in the new Revelation.

The core of early Christian ethics was the preaching of patience, humility, non-resistance to evil by violence, forgiveness of insults, and personal spiritual perfection. The foundations of early Christian ethics required the believer to renounce the norms of the sinful world and unite in faith in Christ. At the heart of the worldview of the early Christians was the rejection of the surrounding reality, the renunciation of the earthly world, where evil rules. Christians countered this world with asceticism, self-sacrifice, love of neighbor. Christian preaching was addressed to any person, suffering, unfortunate, promising salvation through faith. It was the suffering, according to the first Christians, that God's grace was to be revealed. Christianity could not save the world from effort, and therefore the latter was deified in a peculiar way.

Christians perceived themselves as temporary wanderers on earth. And at the same time, the individual is at the center of Christian doctrine: he is responsible not only for his personal actions, but also for world injustice. Man has free will, i.e. opportunity to choose the path that would lead him to salvation.

Person of Jesus Christ(Jesus is an abbreviated form from the Hebrew name Yehoshua - “God the Savior; Christ is the Greek form from the Hebrew “moshiach” - anointed, king). Christianity could not have arisen without people who carried out the mission of forming and propagating its teachings. Therefore, as long as Christianity exists, so many disputes about the identity of its founder exist. Two schools have developed in science, reflecting opposing views on the person of Jesus Christ - mythological and historical.

Representatives of the first of them believe that science does not have reliable data about Jesus as a historical figure. Gospels written a century later cannot serve as authentic historical sources. Moreover, the Gospels contain contradictions and errors. In addition, historical sources from the beginning of the 1st c. nothing is said about such extraordinary events as the resurrection from the dead, about the miracles performed by Christ, about his preaching activity. The mythological school considered the non-Palestinian origin of Christianity as one of the important arguments in favor of its point of view, as well as the presence of analogies with legends about the birth, death and resurrection of gods in other Eastern cultures, the presence in the Gospels of a large number of contradictions, inconsistencies, and inaccuracies. Therefore, Christ is interpreted within the framework of the mythological school as an echo of ancient and Eastern myths. The main trump card of the mythological school for a long time was the absence of impartial written evidence about the life of Jesus Christ.

The second - historical - school considers Jesus Christ to be a real person, a preacher of a new religion, who formulated a number of fundamental ideas that laid the foundation for Christian doctrine. The reality of Jesus is confirmed by the reality of a number of gospel characters, such as John the Baptist, the apostle Paul, and others directly connected with Christ in the gospel plot. Science now has at its disposal a number of sources confirming the conclusions of the historical school. Thus, for a long time, the fragment about Jesus Christ contained in the Antiquities of Josephus was considered a later interpolation. However, the Arabic text of “Antiquities” found in 1971 in Egypt, written by the Egyptian bishop Agapius in the 10th century, gives every reason to believe that Flavius ​​described one of the preachers known to him named Jesus, although Flavius’s description does not mention those committed by Christ. miracles and his resurrection is described not as a fact, but as one of the many stories on this subject. In recent years, most religious scholars share the opinion of representatives of the historical school.

Formation of the canon of the New Testament. The term "New Testament" arose as a contrast between Christian books and the set of sacred books of the Jews, accepted by Christians as the Old (i.e. old) Testament. The New Testament includes four Gospels (from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), the Acts of the Apostles, 21 epistles (including 14 attributed to the Apostle Paul) and the Revelation of John. The theme of the gospels is the life, miracles and teachings of Jesus Christ. "The Acts of the Apostles" is a story about the preaching of Christianity among the pagans and Jews by the apostles Peter and Paul. The epistles attributed to various apostles are devoted to questions of doctrine, organization and life of the early Christian communities. "The Revelation of John" tells about the chaotic "visions" and prophecies of the Evangelist John regarding the coming "end of the world" and the "Last Judgment". With the exception of the Gospels and the Pauline epistles, the works of the New Testament, both in genre and in content, are loosely related to each other.

According to church teaching, all the writings included in the New Testament were compiled either by the apostles or their closest disciples (i.e., dated no later than the second half of the 1st century) and are divinely inspired, i.e. written by revelation from above. Scholars believe that the compilation of the writings included in the New Testament lasted from the second half of the 1st century BC. for at least a century. The texts included in the New Testament are only a part of the extensive Christian literature of the 1st-2nd centuries.

The compilation of the canon of the New Testament was to prevent the spread of heresies, as well as pave the way for reconciliation between the church and the pagan imperial power. Thanks to the beginning from the end of the II century. the process of establishing the canon of the New Testament, the process of further Christian myth-making was significantly limited and the foundations of dogma were determined. The canon was finally approved by the Council of Laodicea in 364. However, editing of the texts of individual works continued later. The selection took place in the struggle between individual communities and was the result of a compromise between the most influential currents in early Christianity.

The spread of Christianity. The rise of the Episcopal Church. Initially, Christian communities were small, consisting mainly of slaves and the poor. Up to the II century. these communities did not have a single creed, they were united only by faith in the imminent coming of a savior. Christians did not have a clearly developed dogma and clergy. They called their associations "ekklesia" (from the Greek "assembly"), and themselves - brothers and sisters. At the meetings of early Christians, sermons and prophecies about the imminent end of the world and the Last Judgment were delivered, messages were read. Sermons were delivered in private homes, in the open air, wherever believers gathered. Labor was considered the duty of Christians. The activity of the community was carried out at the expense of voluntary contributions. Most of the Christian communities were very poor.

For organizational and economic activities, the community chose an elder - a presbyter, and the apostles introduced him to office (rite of ordination). Deacons (from the Greek "servant") were appointed assistants to the presbyter, among whom were women. In the II century. from the elders-presbyters stood out the highest officials - bishops. They could ordain other elders and deacons. The nomination of bishops was facilitated by the influx of wealthy and educated people to Christians. Soon, the bishops begin to fully manage the life of Christian communities: they performed the rite of communion, represented their community in relation to other Christian communities, and could impose punishment on the guilty.

In the III century. in times of persecution of Christianity, the church also takes on the function of forgiveness, i.e. forgiveness of sins. This further separated the clergy from the main mass of believers and made their position privileged. In addition, the bishops carried out the selection of sacred books. Women were gradually removed from church positions, even the lowest ones. Joint meals ceased to be practiced. There is an order of worship, during which the clergy read passages from the sacred writings. For the meetings of Christians, special rooms began to be used, where services and ceremonies were held. They were called "kirikaon" (from the Greek "house of the Lord"). At the same time, there is a break with Jewish traditions. Instead of circumcision, water baptism is introduced, the celebration of Saturday is transferred to Sunday.

In the II-III centuries. Christianity is spreading among wealthy people, including those who belonged to the very top. The educated elite creates a Christian philosophy and theology that is far from always clear to the majority of believers. At this time, Christianity spread not only in different social strata, but also in different provinces of the empire. It should be noted that in the west of the empire (with the exception of Rome), the spread of Christianity proceeded at a much slower pace than in the east.

In the III century. a special position among the bishops of a particular province began to be occupied by the bishop of the community from its main city. He was considered superior to other bishops and could convene local councils. Leading bishops began to be called metropolitans. From the beginning of the 3rd century there are bishops of the regions - archbishops. In parallel, the number of lower church ranks is increasing - assistant deacons, readers, and various servants appear. The Church turns into a hierarchical multi-level organization. However, there was still no unity in it. From the end of the 2nd century Bishops of Rome began to claim the leading role in Christianity. However, these claims met with a decisive rebuff from the provincial clergy. During such conflicts, the leaders of the communities began to turn to the Roman authorities and even to the emperors for help. In the IV-V centuries. the process of formation of the organization of the Christian church was completed, and the church itself becomes dominant.

Even longer was the process of the formation of the Christian sacraments and the rituals associated with them. By the end of the 5th century the sacrament of baptism, the Eucharist (communion), during which the believer, as it were, is united with Christ, finally took shape. Then, over the course of several centuries, chrismation was introduced (to strengthen the life force of the Holy Spirit, a person is given strength for a new life), anointing (the grace of God is called upon to heal bodily and spiritual suffering), marriage, repentance, priesthood. In addition to the development of doctrinal dogmas and cult practices, in the period from the 4th to the 8th centuries. there was a strengthening of the Christian church: there is a centralization and strict implementation of the instructions of the highest officials of the church.

Official recognition of Christianity. The path passed by Christianity from misunderstanding to declaring it the state religion was very difficult. Having spread widely, this religion began to seem dangerous to the Roman authorities. The hostile attitude towards Christians on the part of the Roman emperors was caused by the fact that Christians put the church above the state and, recognizing the emperor as an earthly ruler, refused to honor him as God.

In the III century. The first serious persecution of Christians took place. Although many adherents of Christianity renounced their faith as a result, on the whole, persecution did not weaken, but even strengthened the Christian church. Over time, with the entry of representatives of higher social groups into Christian communities, Christianity turned from a force that opposes emperors into a factor of political and social stability. A deep socio-economic crisis, which in the middle of the III century. put the Roman state on the brink of death, created new circumstances favorable for the spread of Christianity.

Under these conditions, the imperial power felt an urgent need to supplement the world empire with a world ideology. A new religion was needed, understandable and accessible to all the peoples of the empire. Past persecution of Christianity at the beginning of the 4th century. were replaced by active support for the new religion. The legalization of Christianity was carried out by the Roman emperor Galerius in 311. He issues an edict, according to which Christians received the right to practice their faith. The Edict of Milan” in 313 by the allied emperors Constantine and Licinius confirmed and developed the decree of Galerius. Christians received the right to openly practice their worship, church organizations could now own any property, confiscated property was returned to Christians. However, some researchers question the authenticity of this document. The edict of 324 by Emperor Constantine laid the foundation for the transformation of Christianity into the state religion. Paganism, unlike Christianity, was declared "an untrue religion."

However, during the IV century. Christianity still coexisted with traditional cults. The last attempt to return to paganism its rights was made under the emperor Julian the Apostate (360-363). The death of Julian put an end to the policy of restoration of paganism. Subsequent emperors, without exception, supported Christianity. Christianity won its final victory at the end of the 4th century, when Emperor Theodosius banned all, public and private, pagan worship. Pagan temples were destroyed and their property confiscated, land holdings were transferred to Christian churches. At the same time there is a process of transformation of a poor apostolic church into a rich episcopal one. Great wealth accumulates in the hands of the church. And by the beginning of the 5th c. the church becomes the largest landowner, and the wealth of not only the church organization, but also its leaders grows.

In the IV century. as a kind of reaction to the participation of the church in worldly affairs, the monastic movement spreads. In addition to numerous hermits, conscientious dwellings of ascetics appear - kinovia, which were the embryos of monasteries. The founder of the first monastery is Zinovy, a former soldier of the Roman army, who created a monastery on an island on the Nile. The monasteries spread rapidly, especially in the east of the empire. Their well-being grew mainly due to donations. In the 5th century By decision of the Council of Chalcedon, the monasteries became part of the church organization.