(BA) Rome

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Rome was the capital city of the Roman Empire and the seat of the Papacy, the central institution of Roman Catholicism. It was relevant to Christianity virtually from the beginning: Paul's letter to the Romans, written about 56 CE, is often seen as the fullest statement of his theology, and presupposes the existence of a church in Rome already.

Rome continued as an important center of Christianity up to and beyond the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476. After the fall, the growing Roman Catholic Church continued to use Rome as its center until the present day.

About 451, with the Council of Chalcedon, which among other things worked out some of the intricacies of Trinitarian theology, a number of dissenting regional churches broke communion with the main line of Christianity, becoming what is know known as Oriental Orthodoxy.

For the next six hundred years, full communion between East and West continued, although with various tensions, which finally came to a head in a complete schism in 1054. After this, Rome was the center of Western Christianity, while Eastern Orthodoxy was ruled from a variety of locations, with Constantinople holding a position somewhat similar to Rome's.

After the beginning of the Protestant Reformation in 1517, Rome's power was both reduced and increased. It was reduced in that it no longer held a monopoly position in Western Christianity; the various break-away Protestant movements did not recognize its authority. However, in another way its power increased. Now that breaking away from Rome was a live option, many of the most dissatisfied Christians would repeatedly go their own way, leaving a remainder who could be more effectively ruled by Rome. This Counter-Reformation, including the Council of Trent, would lead to greater unformity of thought and practice within Catholicism.

In the last century or so, the Roman Catholic Church has found its control of doctrine and practices challenged by various modernizing tendencies. A response, and partial capitulation, to some of these challenges can be seen in Vatican II.