| A | B |
|---|
| Emperor Constantine I | (r. 310-37) Issued the Edict of Milan |
| Edict of Milan | Issued in 313 by emperor Constantine I= Legalized Christianity and allowed the church to own property |
| Emperor Theodosius I | In 392, made Christianity the official religion and suppressed others, except Judaism= The church organized itself on the model of the empire, with territories called DIOCESES and a hierarchy of local churches, bishops, and archbishops headed by patriarchs in Rome, etc.= By 600, almost whole area once controlled by Rome was Christian |
| Christianity | Came from Jewish roots, & some elements of Christian observances reflect those origins, mainly chanting of Scripture and the singing of PSALMS |
| Psalms | poems of praise from the Hebrew Book of Psalms |
| The Second Temple of Jerusalem | Was built in late 16th c. on the site of the original Temple of Solomon= Was place for public worship until Romans destroyed it= Observances centered around sacrifice (usually of lamb) performed by priests, assisted by LEVITES (=members of the priestly class, including musicians) and witnessed by lay worshipers= During the ritual, a choir of Levites sang psalms assigned to that day, accpompanied by harp and psaltery (trumpets and cymbals were also used) |
| Synagogues: Ancient Times | Were centers for readings and homilies rather than worship= Public reading from Scripture was performed in chant employing a system of CANTILLATION based on melodic formulas that reflected the phrase divisions of the text |
| Cantillation | chanting of sacred texts |
| Christian parallels to Jewish Practice | Most immediate link to Jewish practice lies in the Mass, which commemorates the Last Supper Jesus shared with his disciples and thus imitates the festive Passover meal |
| Growing # of converts in 4th century | As number of converts grew in 4th century and official recognition grew, small informal gathernings gave way to public meetings in large rectangular buildings called BASILICAS |
| Basilicas | In these buildings, the chanting of prayers and Scripture helped carry the text clearly throughout the large space |
| Singing Psalms | was seen as a practice that used the pleasures of music to discipline the soul, turn the mind to spiritual things, and build a Christian community,a nd became a central focus of monastic life= By late 4th century, Christian observances began to reflect a standardized format, and singing was a regular feature, drawing texts both from the Book of Psalms and from nonbiblical hymns |
| The practice of singing psalms and hymns | was codified in the rites of the medieval church |
| "The Church Fathers" | Influential Christian writers such as St. Basil, St. john Chrysostom |
