CHURCH HISTORY I

Objectives of the course

 Imparting and sharing all available information to students is
CHURCH HISTORY

the main objective of the course.

 It also tries to familiarize the students with the historical
perspectives and internal and external developments of
Ethiopian history and the church, the various types of
narrations, legends, fancy tales etc.
 Also efforts will be made to correct some historical fallacies
by crosschecking available documents and at the end an
Ethiopian historical perspective will be developed.
ETYMOLOGY OF ETHIOPIA, ORTHODOX, TEWAHIDO

History is a more powerful and dominant social

science subject in the world.
Each citizen of different nations expected to know his
country history.
History examines past events of human being and all
existed living organisms and non-livings.
Institution also included in this concept. Any
existence has its own past history. History has
tremendous benefit to connect yesterday with today
and forecast tomorrow.
 What is History?
ETYMOLOGY OF ETHIOPIA, ORTHODOX, TEWAHIDO

 The term history derived from a Greek word “ἱστορία”

 Historia implies acquiring knowledge by investigate past event records

and oral traditions of people, a firm or places.

 History is a brief summary or result based on a factual research and deals

with the sequence of important events.

 As of an American historian David McCullough perspective “History is

the study of who we are?

 Why we are?

 And the way we are?”

 Thomas Carlyle (1795 –1881) was a British historian and
ETYMOLOGY OF ETHIOPIA, ORTHODOX, TEWAHIDO

teacher, “History is nothing but the biography of great men,

and is a record of human accomplishment”.

 Charles Seignobos (1854-1942), was a French scholar of

historiography and an historian who specialized in the history
of the French “History is a science of reasoning.”

 Rousseau was Geneva philosopher (1712-1778), “History is

the art of choosing from the many lies, one which most closely
resembles the truth.”
 ETYMOLOGY OF ETHIOPIA, ORTHODOX, TEWAHIDO

 History provides societies knowledge to them. It is the way that

knowledge transfers from generations to generations.
 History helps us to examine the challenges happens in the
present.
 History also provides identity.
 History is essential for good citizenship.
 It lays the foundation for genuine citizenship returns, in one
sense, to the essential uses of the study of the past.
History
 Polytheism

 Polytheism belief in many gods, monotheism belief in one God

and atheism belief that there is no god and agnosticism, belief in
the existence or nonexistence of a god is unknown or unknowable.
 The word polytheism derived from Greek word poly represents
multiple and theism represents “theos” or god respectively. The
word poly indicates:- many and
 Theism indicates:- belief
 Polytheism is belief or worship many gods.
 The cause of polytheism to come exist is different reason.
 Polytheism

 The majors reason indicates how people examine their

environment.
 The second reason indicates lacking of modern scientific
knowledge. Hinduism is unique in that the religion can be
considered both polytheistic and monotheistic.
 Many Hindus believe that Brahman is the main deity.
 Par-alley they believe all other gods and goddesses are
manifestations of Brahman.
 Therefore, there is a belief in multiple deities, but the deities all
stem from one supreme being.
 Polytheism

 Polytheism practice history in ancient Ethiopia directly

connected to South Arabia immigrants.
 The first South Arabia immigrants in Ethiopia was 1000 B.C.
they were merchants of the sabean kingdom.
 The first immigrants were stated in south Arabia inscriptions
called Habesha and the seconed stated in Adulis inscriptions
called Agazi tribes.
 In pre-Christian period of Ethiopia peoples used to worship
different gods those not found in south Arabia.
 Polytheism

 Gadle Afse stated in the Year of 3510 that creation of world

south Arabia peoples migrated to Ethiopia due to their country
highly populated.
 They established their capital city in Yeha.
 They built a palace there were two kings Soba and Noba. The
regime existed for 362 years.
 When the war began in Asia immigrants departed to their
mother land to protect their country.
 The cushtic tribes rose inside the country and destroyed the
existed palace then conquered the throne till 982 B.C
 Polytheism

 The pantheon of south Arabia consisted of many gods.

 One of the main gods was Astar or Astater, the male god of
heaven. In some semitic peoples this god was female goddes.
 Worshipped Astar was common in all semitic countries.
 Another god was god of moon it called Almouqah.
 There were also woreshipped god of light, god of famine and
god of sun.
 The main gods in Ethiopia were Maharem, paron and
emperors personal gods.
 Polytheism

 Ezana also called himself son of Mahrem before his

conversion to Christianity
 Lule Melaku (Ass.prof) also agrees that there were people
worshiping nature such as the sun, moon, trees, rivers,
dragons,
 some EOTC scholars not belived there were polytheism
practice period in Ethiopia.
 Instead they classified the eras
 Religion before the law (ሕገ ልቡና), Religion by the law
(Judaism) and Christianity period.
God in monotheism is conceived of as the creator of the
Monotheism

world and of humanity.

God has created not only the natural world and the
order existing therein but also the ethical order to which
humanity ought to conform and, implicit in the ethical
order, the social order.
Everything is in the hands of God. God is holy, supreme
and unique.
 The three religions approach of monotheism considered as
exclusive monotheism. Which deals there is only one God exists;
other gods are false gods.
 There are two types of exclusive monotheism.
 Thus are ethical monotheism and intellectual monotheism.
Monotheism characterizes the traditions of Judaism,
Monotheism

Christianity, and Islam.

Monotheists beliefs that the God is the one and real
God that is believed to exist or, in any case, that is
acknowledged as such.
God’s essence and character are believed to be unique
and fundamentally different from all other beings that
can be considered more or less comparable.
In Ethiopia monotheism practice historically directly
inter connected with Ethiopians early relations with
Israel.
According to Kabra Nagest the relation started before
thousands of years but officially it counted from
In ethical monotheism, individuals choose one God,
Monotheism

because that is the God whom they need and whom

they can adore, and that God becomes for them the one
and the only.
 In intellectual monotheism, the one god is nothing but the logical
result of questions concerning the origin of the world.
 Inclusive monotheism
 Inclusive monotheism accepts the existence of a great number of
gods but holds that all gods are essentially one and the same.
 That it makes little or no difference under which name or
according to which rite a god or goddess is invoked.
 Such conceptions characterized the ancient Hellenistic religions.
Jewish sources considered the empress queen of Egypt.
Monotheism

When Queen of Sheba heard about Solomon, she came

to challenge him with difficult question. …she visited
Solomon and discussed with him everything that was
on her mind. …‛ (1kings 10; 2chronicles 9
Tamrin was the empress merchant who told about the
Wisdom of Solomon, to the Queen of Sheba and
initiated her to go to King Solomon.
In her journey the empress brought camels, gold and
precious stones.
After her visit she returned to homeland with the son
who bore from the king and called Menilik.
conventionally the history of Judaism in
Monotheism

Ethiopia starts with the visit of Queen of Sheba.

Ethiopia’s inherited ideology was a Zionist one,
embodied in a book called the Kebra-Negast.
Solomonic ideology ruled Ethiopia for
thousands years and it was center of practical
expression.
When the son grew up he traveled to visit his
father and returned to homeland with first born
of Israelites, the Sons of the Levites, Arc of
Covenant.
Religious practices those occurred due the coming of
Monotheism

Levites.
The development of temple (Mekurab) constructions.
Observing the Seventh day/Sabbath/
Circumcision even if it is replaced by baptism some
followers still consider as religious duty.
Dietary laws:- which indicate the foods to be eaten or
not.
Ceremonial vestments and Musical Instruments
 Evangelism commonly associated with missionary
Evangelization of Eunuch

work, evangelism is derived from a Greek term

meaning “good news.”
The mission of evangelicals is to spread the good news
of Jesus Christ and his ministry.
Evangelism can be examined in four different stages:
the time of Christ, missionary operations, the modern
era, and the late 20th century to the present.
Evangelism has a global objective in increasing faith in
Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, Christ tells his
disciples to “go make disciples of all nations.”
After the death of Christ, some interpreted this passage
literally, and evangelism soon became a Christian
Throughout the New Testament period it is assumed
Evangelization of Eunuch

that the primary mode of the growth of the Church is

effective evangelism.
Regarding evangelism within parishes, there are only
three means whereby people become members of the
Church-birth, transfer, and evangelism.
Christian parenting is not expected to be the primary
means of parish growth, nor is transfer membership,
because transfer to a "new" parish entails an "old"
parish losing a member.
Evangelism is still the primary means of healthy parish
growth.
 Rufinus and Socrates said that Saint Matthew came to
Evangelization of Eunuch

Ethiopia and taught.

Jerome, who was the father of the Latin Church, said
that Ethiopian was apostle Andrew.
St. John Chrysostom also said that St. Thomas was the
first apostle of Ethiopia.
But Argens of Alexandria said that not found any
apostle came to Ethiopia.
In his second book Eusabius stated Eunuch was the first
evangelized person who were not from Judaic society.
And he was the first evangelizer of his people.
 Christianity was implanted in Ethiopia as early as the
Evangelization of Eunuch

first century A.D. with the conversion of the Ethiopian

Eunuch by Phillip the Apostle. (Acts 8)
Even though Ethiopia was mentioned as early as the
Acts of the Apostles 8:26-39, this Semitic people is not
recognized as having its own local church until the
fourth century.
Its beginnings are credited to a Syrian monk,
Frumentius, who received episcopal consecration from
Athanasius of Alexandria.
Eunuch was not the first evangelizer for Ethiopian
people he also the first for all Africans. (Jonathan
Hildebrandt)
 Philip, by Divine direction, meeting with the Ethiopian
Evangelization of Eunuch

eunuch, to whom he communicated the knowledge of

Christ and baptized him into the faith of it.
By which means the gospel would be carried down to
Ethiopia, and the prediction of the Psalmist
consequently fulfilled, “Ethiopia shall stretch out her
hands unto God.” (Psalm 68:31.) THE HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN
CHURCH VOL. 1 by William Jones

Eunuch was a treasurer of Queen Candace of Ethiopia,

who went to Jerusalem to worship the God of Israel
The local name of Eunuch is Bacos.
 It is also possible to have an idea that the good news
Evangelization of Eunuch

arrived prior to Bacos.

 By one of the three wise men who traveled from Ethiopia to
present a gift for the child Christ.
 Some stories tell us that the person was an Ethiopian king
Bazen.
 The second reason is Ethiopians capital city geographical
location was near to Red Sea. So due to this the people were
got Christianity information before Bacos evangelization.
 The third reason is the symbolic journey of Holy family to
Ethiopia.
 As of Kirch and Shule work the journey is the renewal of
the covenant which was initiated by the transportation of the
arc from Jerusalem to Ethiopia by Menelik I.
 In his homily on Pentecost, St. John Chrysostom
Evangelization of Eunuch

mentioned that the Ethiopians were present in the holy

city on the day of Pentecost.
St. Luke did not mention them only because they were
few in number.
Those few people might have introduced Christianity is
the very crucial point.