520- 530 CE -- The Benedictine Rule written by Saint Benedict of Nursia, 480- 543 CE , advocated an ideal of moderation for monks who wished to maintain a righteous lifestyle. The sense of the rule is that one should moderate, yet one might also be compelled to deprive themself and receive …

The Petrine Supremacy is the belief that bishops of Rome were granted special office by Jesus, and therefore held a superior position within the church. The Gospel of Matthew relates that Jesus gave Peter, the first bishop of Rome, "the keys to the kingdom of heaven."

Emperor Constantine initiated the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE to help address questions about Jesus' nature. Specifically, the council convened to determine if Jesus was human or God. The council eventually found that Jesus was made of the "same substance" as God, and therefore was a God.

To go against or contradict the ruling or teaching of the Catholic Church is to commit heresy. For much of the Common Era, those who committed or were accused of heresy were persecuted or killed.

In 313 CE Roman Emperor Constantine, Constantine the Great , issued the Edict of Milan. The Edict of Milan caused the Roman government to formally recognize and tolerate the Christian religion.

The Messiah is a figure held in Jewish thought who is anticipated to be the savior of the Hebrew people. Christians believe that Jesus of Nazareth, 6 BCE- 30 CE , was the Messiah, however most Jews do not accept that Jesus was a Messiah.