Christian Timeline

Two thousand years, in order

Filter by era, click council and father entries to dive deeper, or search anywhere in the atlas.

Jesus and the Apostles

c. 4 BC – c. 100 AD

The Early Church

c. 100 – 313

The Ecumenical Councils

Jesus and the Apostles · c. 4 BC – c. 100 AD
- Birth of Jesus
  c. 4 BC
  The Incarnation in Bethlehem.
- Ministry of Jesus
  c. 27 AD
  Three-year public ministry in Galilee and Judea.
- Crucifixion
  c. 30 AD
  Jesus is crucified under Pontius Pilate.
- Resurrection
  c. 30 AD
  The third-day rising, foundation of Christian proclamation.
- Ascension
  c. 30 AD
  Christ ascends forty days after the Resurrection.
- Pentecost
  c. 30 AD
  Descent of the Holy Spirit; birth of the Church.
- Apostolic Age
  33–100
  The Twelve and Paul plant churches across the Roman world.
- Martyrdom of Peter
  c. 64–67
  Peter is martyred in Rome under Nero, traditionally by inverted crucifixion.
- Martyrdom of Paul
  c. 64–67
  Paul is beheaded in Rome under Nero after his missionary labors.
- Destruction of Jerusalem
  70 AD
  Roman destruction of the Second Temple under Titus, ending Second-Temple Judaism.
- New Testament Writings
  c. 50–100
  Gospels, Acts, and Epistles composed across the latter half of the first century.
The Early Church · c. 100 – 313
- Dawn of the Early Church
  c. 100
  With the apostolic generation gone, the sub-apostolic Church takes shape under their disciples.
- Clement of Rome
  c. 96
  Bishop of Rome; author of 1 Clement to the Corinthians.
- Ignatius of Antioch
  c. 107
  Martyr-bishop; wrote seven letters defending unity under the bishop.
- Polycarp of Smyrna
  c. 155
  Disciple of John; martyred in old age.
- Justin Martyr
  c. 165
  Apologist who described the second-century Eucharist.
- Irenaeus of Lyons
  c. 180
  Against Heresies; defender of apostolic tradition.
- Roman Persecutions
  64–311
  Sporadic and empire-wide persecutions under Nero, Decius, Diocletian.
- Edict of Milan
  313
  Constantine legalizes Christianity in the Roman Empire.
The Ecumenical Councils · 325 – 787
The Unified Church · 325 – 1054
- Rise of Monasticism
  c. 270–500
  Anthony, Pachomius, and the desert tradition.
- The Pentarchy
  5th century
  Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem.
- Augustine of Hippo
  354–430
  Confessions, City of God; Western theological foundation.
- Cyril and Methodius
  9th c.
  Mission to the Slavs; Glagolitic alphabet.
The Great Schism · 1054
- The Great Schism
  1054
  Mutual excommunications formalize the East–West divide.
- Catholic Church
  1054 →
  The Latin West continues in communion with the Bishop of Rome.
- Eastern Orthodox Church
  1054 →
  The Greek East continues as a communion of self-governing churches.
The Reformation · 1517 – 1648
- Luther's 95 Theses
  1517
  Posted at Wittenberg; sparks the Reformation.
- Lutheran Tradition
  1530
  Augsburg Confession formalizes the Lutheran reform.
- English Reformation
  1534
  Act of Supremacy; Church of England separates from Rome.
- John Calvin
  1536
  Institutes of the Christian Religion; Reformed tradition.
- Anabaptist Movement
  1525
  Believer's baptism and a free-church ecclesiology emerge.
- Council of Trent
  1545–63
  Catholic response to the Reformation.
Modern Christianity · 1648 – present
- John Wesley
  1738
  Methodist revival within Anglicanism.
- First Vatican Council
  1869–70
  Defined papal infallibility ex cathedra.
- Azusa Street Revival
  1906
  Birth of modern Pentecostalism in Los Angeles.
- Second Vatican Council
  1962–65
  Major Catholic reform council.
- Modern Orthodoxy
  20th–21st c.
  Diaspora, the 2016 Council of Crete, and renewed theological voice.
- Global South Growth
  20th–21st c.
  Christianity's center of gravity shifts to Africa, Asia, Latin America.