Expert: Edward Bode - 8/24/2007

Question
QUESTION: What are some changes Christianity underwent from its founding and why? Difference in practice/belief from past to present.

ANSWER: You question is very vast. In short, challenges to the teaching and practices imparted by Jesus came very quickly from within [heresy] and outside [persecution].  An early heresy wanted to make Jesus not a human but a spirit; another wanted to make Jesus only a man and not divine.  Persecution came from the ancient Roman Empire and has continued down through the centuries.
Why?  I suppose a general answer would be that heresy did not want to understand Jesus as He had taught, and that persecution has been grounded in fear and in greed.
If you would like to see a history of Christianity, I recommend:  Joseph McSorley, An Outline History of the Church by Centuries [St. Louis and London: B. Herder, 1961]; the book should be available through the services of a local library.  Also, the Catholic Encylopedia is available online: www.newadvent.org
If you have some specific issues, I would be Happy to address them in a follow-up.
Best wishes, Parekh.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I actually wanted to know some traditional differences in christianity. For example in Hinduism Child marriage is abolished, widows can marry, and sati is mostly abolished. These were traditional beliefs that changed, so what are some in Christianity?

Answer
In the Catholic Church, in accord with the teaching of Jesus, marriage was considered permanent [while both persons lived]and divorce was not allowed. During the Roman Empire, the Church allowed persons of different social status to marry.  By the sixth century, some places required that clergy not marry; this became the rule in the middle ages.  In the fifteenth century, a goodly number of persons were taking marriage vows without the presence of a priest.  Because such practice led to many difficulties, the Church required that Catholics be married before a priest.  Throughout the centuries, widows and widowers were allowed to marry.  Widows were never put to death at the death of their spouse.
Such is a brief survey of the practice of marriage.  More can be found in McSorley.
The Church has constantly maintained that the teachings of Jesus change or be changed.  However, some doctrines have become clearer and explained further.  I already referred to the teaching that Jesus was a divine Person -- not a spirit or a mere man -- these issues were settled in the second through the fourth centuries with no change in official teaching either before or after that time.
Before the fourth century, some were not sure that infants should receive Baptism.  At that time, it became clear and universal that infants should be baptized.
If you have some more specific issues, I would comment on them.
Again, best wishes.