Lecture 17: The Emergence of Patriarchal Centers
o Each of these cities had its own claims to importance within
Christian history, and each was eager to emphasize that
importance. The practice of competition among Greek and
Roman cities was common, as attested by the orations of Dio
Chrysostom to the cities of Asia Minor, which fought to be
“number one” in their region.The Primacy of Rome
• After the loss of the symbolic first city of Jerusalem—the place
where the Christian movement started—the primacy of Rome
(and the bishop of Rome) was broadly recognized in the early
centuries, though this primacy
did not at first bear the sense
of administrative authority.
Jerusalem itself was recognized
as one of the patriarchates,
but its position was strictly
honorary, and it was not a player
in subsequent rivalries.• An important dimension of
Rome’s primacy was the
position ascribed to Peter in the
New Testament compositions
and Peter’s connection to Rome.
o In the Gospels, Peter is the
chief spokesman among
the disciples, the one who
recognized something of
Jesus’s identity before the
others. The “confession of
Peter” is found in all the Gospels in one form or another and
is most elaborated by Matthew, which has Jesus respond with
the declaration that he will build his church on the rock who
is Peter. Although he betrayed Jesus before his death—also
reported by all the Gospels—Peter is the primary witness of the
Resurrection, both in the Gospel narratives and as listed by Paul.The “confession of Peter” (“You
are the messiah”) is found in
all the Gospels; in the Gospel
of matthew, Jesus responds by
declaring that Peter is the rock on
which he will build his church.© iStockphoto/Thinkstock.