Our recent ti morceaux have offered a very brief survey of Church history. It’s divided into various eras. First the familiar Apostolic Age, from the time of Jesus through to about A.D. 100; then came the Patristic Age, until about A.D. 500 or so. The Medieval Age – which lasted until about 1400, came next, followed by what Church historians had already begun calling the Modern Age. I’ve offered a very brief overview, summarizing things as best we can.
But that Modern Age of Church history pretty much came to an end around 1850. Since that time, scholars have generally dubbed the present period as the Contemporary Age, an era which began around the time of the Industrial Revolution and led to the development of technological civilization as we now know it. Of course, two World Wars and many lesser conflicts (often involving resistance to totalitarianism) have had profound impact, leading to what’s usually called globalization, the interconnectedness of all nations and societies.
Of course, even before 1850 the Church and secular society had begun moving away from each other, but the unification of Italy in the mid-1800s saw the Church finally lose real political power and influence. For this reason a priority for the Church in the Contemporary Age has been “engagement with the world,” but obviously not assertions of dominance.
Along this line, the influential teachings of the Vatican Councils (the first in 1869-1870 and the second in 1962-1965) dominate ecclesiastical history in this time: the former emphasized the unique central spiritual authority of the Church, and the latter respect for human freedom and diversity within both civil society and the Church.
If one figure can be selected to “represent” contemporary Catholicism, I would choose Pope St. John Paul II (1920-2005). His own life began with the Great Depression and World War II in the mid-1900s, and lasted into the 21st century. He was a victim of and ultimately a victor over fascism and communism, while overcoming economic hardship to become a leading intellectual. He participated at Vatican II and then assisted in the careful, studied implementation of that Council’s wisdom over his long papacy.
In the last morceau of this series, we’ll try to look to the future. History, remember, hasn’t ended, it goes on!
