Church history has often been divided into various categories. At TheologicalStudies.org, we assert that there are six main eras of church history:

APOSTOLIC PERIOD (A.D. 30-100)

The first time period, the Apostolic Period, covers the public ministry of Jesus and the apostles through the writing of the last book of the New Testament-the Book of Revelation.

PATRISTIC PERIOD (100-451)

The Patristic Period is the era of the early church fathers after the deaths of the apostles. This period covers the time after the writing of the Book of Revelation through the fourth great ecumenical council-the Council of Chalcedon. Theologians of note during this period include Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Origen, Athanasius, and Eusebius. Especially prominent during this period was Augustine of Hippo. Major areas of doctrine examined during this time include the person of Christ, the New Testament canon, and later the doctrines of man and salvation. During this time period, Christianity went from being a persecuted sect to the primary religion of the Roman Empire.

MEDIEVAL PERIOD (452-1517)

The teachings of Augustine became accepted doctrine during this era. The power of the papacy increased and the for the most part, the church was associated with the Roman Catholic Church. In 1054, however, the Western and Eastern churches split. The predominant theologian of this era was Thomas Aquinas.

REFORMATION PERIOD (1517-1648)

Martin Luther and John Calvin spearheaded the Protestant Reformation. Important doctrines of the Reformation included (1) justification by faith alone; (2) scripture alone as the source of authority; and (3) two marks of the church-Word preached and the sacraments of Baptism and Lord's Supper rightly administered. In addition to the Magisterial Reformation led by Luther and Calvin, there was also the Radical Reformation of the Anabaptists and the Counter Reformation of the Roman Catholics.

MODERN PERIOD (1648-1950)

With the Enlightenment came a strong emphasis on the power of reason and man to solve all problems. During this era, the major traditional Christian doctrine came under severe intellectual attack. Rene Descartes moved the staring point of knowledge from God to the human subject. Immanuel Kant denied the possibility of having real knowledge of metaphysics, including God. Friedrich Schleiermacher tried to realign Christianity in the wake of the Enlightenment by stressing "feeling" and rejecting many of the traditional Christian beliefs. The books of the Bible also came under withering analysis from those involved with textual criticism.

POSTMODERN PERIOD (1950-Present)

The Postmodern Period has witnessed the collapse of many ideas of the Enlightenment. For the most part, much of the optimism concerning the abilities of man and reason to solve problems has been replaced by pessimism. In addition, truth is no longer viewed as universal and absolute but as culture-bound and relative.

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