Greatest time period of the Church?

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What time period, in your opinion, do you think was the greatest for the Church? I’ll leave what exactly “great” means up to you guys. 😛

Would it be today’s period? Perhaps the time when the whole of Europe was Catholic, although, one must keep in mind that during this time there was great corruption and excesses within the Curia. Bishops seemed to exercise quite a lot of material wealth back in those days, and not sure how I feel about that. Or of course, those humble beginnings of the early church!

(Psst you can’t say the time when Jesus walked the earth, because that’s cheating and we all know that would be the time we were closest to God physically. Not to mention the visible Church only started at Pentecost, I guess. I’m also closing off the time of the apostles, because they were too awesome. :D)
 
I voted for 21st century only because it doesn’t really matter when we think the best time for the Church is when all times are equally good or bad. The Church has always had to deal with internal and external difficulties, challenges, persecutions, corruptions (remember Judas?), etc. To say there was a “golden age” in the Church is to deny that it is still Christ’s body ministering to the world as she has always done and will continue to do until Christ returns to rule in person. 😉
 
I would believe that the greatest time for the church would have been during the 14th to 16th century. At least regarding its influence.
 
I voted 21st Century because we are a church of the Now not the past.
 
If my “greatest,” you mean having the most influence and power, then that would be during the reign of Innocent III.
 
It hasn’t happened yet, at the second coming it will be the greatest period.
 
Not sure if I’m allowed to vote, but I did. 🙂

I say the 2-5th centuries. Let’s face it, with all the persecution going on, the chaff was definitely separated from the wheat. Real devotion and faith was needed to get through those times, alive or dead, and maintain the faith.
 
TC2 said:
Not sure if I’m allowed to vote, but I did. 🙂

I say the 2-5th centuries. Let’s face it, with all the persecution going on, the chaff was definitely separated from the wheat. Real devotion and faith was needed to get through those times, alive or dead, and maintain the faith.
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This is true, and please don’t think I’m jumping on your comments because you are SB. 🙂 I just wanted to say that this process is still going on. Every age faces challenges to the faith–some more blatantly obvious than others, but being that the Church must “be in the world, but not part of the world” makes it interesting in upholding the faith in the midst of sinful mankind.

Also, a few very serious heresies were sorted out in the centuries you cited. But we have certainly seen a resurgence of them in our own times. The idea that Jesus may not have been fully God and fully man, for instance. The neglecting of gathering together in corporate worship with many claiming they are “spiritual” (whatever that’s supposed to mean) but not religious. And the list goes on. The modern world is rejecting Christ and the Gospel in a way it didn’t for many centuries. I think it’s a heads-up to us people of faith to get our game faces on and show the world once again what the power of Christ’s agape love can do.
 
In terms of influence the Church probably has more of it today than it ever did in history, because it has become so cosmopolitan. It’s true that it dominated Europe in the 14th century, but Europe didn’t mean a whole lot back then compared to China or India and the Golden Horde of the Khans. European powers didn’t become enormous until starting in the 18th centry, and by then Europe was already fragmented with protestantism and nationalism, which would lead up to the World Wars and its inevitable decline.
 
2nd thru the 5th century because some of the greatest Councils were held then and the Bible books were put together.
 
TC2 said:
Not sure if I’m allowed to vote, but I did. 🙂

I say the 2-5th centuries. Let’s face it, with all the persecution going on, the chaff was definitely separated from the wheat. Real devotion and faith was needed to get through those times, alive or dead, and maintain the faith.
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I gave the same answer, for basically the same reason. “The blood of martyrs waters the seed of faith.”

And I’m Catholic. 🙂
 
I don’t like the categories. For instance the 13th century was vastly different, and in many ways much better, than the 10th.
 
Not sure, but this question makes one face the reality that the church is losing influence.
 
Now, because every second we are closer to the return of our Lord.
 
I voted for the first centuries, when we were many people’s, many varying beliefs, trying to define our one faith. What a time to live, during the Councils, when the person on the street could discuss the nature of the Trinity? One could speak to someone who knew someone who knew an Apostle or Christ Himself…wow, heady times! bob.c
 
2nd-5th century because the five great patriarchates were in union with each other.
 
10-13th Centuries. If not the greatest, certainly one of the most interesting.

-Rise of the friars
-Monastic reforms
-Crusades
-Beginnings of the Inquisition

NOTE: Not all of the above turned out great… fall more into the ‘interesting’ side.
 
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