Lecture 10: The Shaping of Orthodoxy

The Shaping of Orthodoxy................................................................

Lecture 10

W

e have surveyed some of the variety to be found in 2nd- and

3 rd-century Christianity: prophetic utterances and promises in

Montanism; wonder-working in the apocryphal acts, mystical

ascent in Gnosticism. But when does diversity become deviance? When

are more definite boundaries required? In the middle of the 2nd century, at

least partly in response to extreme impulses, Christianity took on a clearer

shape. This period represents the most important stage of self-definition for

Christianity, when it emerged fully and identifiably as a new religion.

Challenges for Emerging Christianity

•    A religious movement that began with scattered, diverse, small

household groups, held together by certain convictions, practices,

and experiences, faced increasing challenges from multiple

directions as it grew in size and extent.

o From the side of Greco-Roman culture: What elements of the

dominant society could Christians affirm, and which ones must

they oppose?

o From the side of Judaism: In what sense could Christians lay

claim to the heritage of Israel?

•    But the strongest challenges came from within. As we have seen,

many versions of Christianity made claims to the experience

of power that had always been a distinguishing feature of the

movement, but they expressed these claims in sometimes extreme

ways; in the eyes of many, diversity threatened to become deviance

and division.

•    In the face of ever-increasing growth and expansion, the challenge

was to secure a framework of the religion that would not only

survive but also thrive and adapt to changing circumstances.