Catacomb or Cathedral Christianity?

As you're reading this, I'm in Italy leading a Southern Seminary study tour through Rome. In the past two days, I've spent time praying in Saint John Lateran Cathedral here, and in the ruins of the ancient Christian catacombs. It struck me that we Christians sometimes forget the paradoxical grace of God in giving us a legacy of both cathedrals and catacombs.

The catacombs, of course, are the legacy of a tiny persecuted band of believers, meeting in their graveyards to escape the all-seeing eye of imperial Rome. The cathedrals represent a very different turn in church history: a church that not only could grow in size but could, in fact, outgrow and outlast the Empire itself. The catacombs represent simplicity and earthiness; the cathedrals transcendence and wonder.

We need both, somehow.

Sometimes American evangelicals, traveling to sites of significance in church history, are disappointed. They want to see a Disney-type restoration of "the early church" in a way that makes it seem as though the faith went by time-warp straight from a pristine golden era to the Graham Crusades. This sort of Christian tends to like the catacombs, for the same reason some people love working on their antebellum family histories but don't like family reunions.

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Robert De Leon

Excelent article. Actually we never estimate the beginning of our Christian Faith, before Protestantism arrived and spoiled everything,not just the Bible (Holly and Sacred) but churches as well.
Robert.
- petroskhan1262
  
  What "spoiled everything" was paganism and idolatry, disguised as Christianity, by the catholic church. Protestantism, although flawed, was at least a small step in the right direction, away from the satanic influences of catholicism.
- http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22306708/Jn6.37.png Despeville
  
  DeMelon,
  
  A picture is worth a thousand words. Here is a glimpse at the nefarious, Babylonian and satanic nature of Roman Catholicism:
  
  http://bit.ly/KbYPqd
http://conservativebyte.com Michael G.

As a suggestion check out the Vatican's web site.
smogdew

I remember learning about the early persecution of Christians and catacombs many, many years ago in my parochial education. The stories impacted me as I was too young to understand why people were subject to such treatment if they were people of God………..all these centuries later, nothing has changed and man has learned very lttle.
- Evermyrtle
  
  You are right!! After all of these years we seem to be farther from GOD'S plan for us, than we have ever been and getting better looks very unlikely. The ruling segment of out country, the government seem determined to turn us into a non, Christin, non GODLY nation. 95% of the laws they have made in the last three years have been anti-GOD laws.
  - smogdew
    
    When liberalism (in the 60s), started impacting this country (to be followed by 'political correctness'), it didn't just invade politics, it crept into our schools, our churches – society in general. So religion, its beliefs, as a whole, was an easy mark for the radical progressives – and here were are in a virtually Godless country by the dictates of our liberal Muslim pandering leaders. It's going to be a fight that we are not going to win. I do believe God will punish the US for what it has done to Him and His Name – and it is going to be worse than any historical or biblical event in history.
    You really can't look to Washington any more – just look to heaven –
- cwinbaltimore
  
  Petroskhan1262 & Despeville, "Try the spirits, and see whether they be of God. Whatever spirit confesseth Jesus Christ is Lord is of God, they that confesseth not are not", "By their fruits shall ye know them". If there's one thing I've learned is this, in any spiritual dispute, the first one to stop fighting is the winner. I am a non-denominational beliver. If we can agree that Jesus is the. Son.of. God He died on the cross, no kind of, no soft of
lambsev11

"The catacombs represent simplicity and earthiness; the cathedrals transcendence and wonder."

Say wha ?????

To me the catacombs represent the trancendence of faith beyond human comforts, and the cathedrals represent a congregation dunned for the money to build to the ostentatious tastes of the clerical hierarchy.
- Robert De Leon
  
  lambsev11:
  You are so funny! But of course, an ignorant regarding Culture.
  Robert
  - petroskhan1262
    
    Face it, Mr. De Leon, those towering edifices constructed by the papacy honor no one but the builders. God has no need of such trappings; the money would have been much better spent actually HELPING people with things like food and housing, instead of serving the avarice and pride of pagan priests.
    - smogdew
      
      Whatever subject comes up relative to relgion, there is always one Catholic basher; your comment wasn't necessary but you just HAD to get ugly because that's what you do best. Please know Catholics do not have the opulance market cornered – there are mosques – one in Mecca seats 820,000 people – sounds excessive, temples, non-Catholic cathedrals etc. ad infinitum, ad nauseam. Try research.
      Also, by citing 'avarice and pride of pagan' priests', you excluded Catholics completely as they do/did not worship false idols, satan or multiple gods – so before you say anything further, research it.
      Regarding these superstructures, since I wasn't there, I don't know what Jesus wanted – I realize He went around in sandals and robes, and these buildings might be 'overkill' where He is concerned. But they were built by man to honor their Lord and some people thought that Jesus/God/Holy Spirit were just wonderful enough to warrant such glory.
      - petroskhan1262
        
        I'm sorry…did you just try to say that catholics don't worship false idols, or multiple gods?
        
        What do you call praying to Mary, or those so-called "saints"? What do you call it when various popes equate themselves to God?
        
        And you want to honor God by constructing a building? Try to find the logic in that one before you toss it out there. He doesn't need your buildings. He needs to see His work done, and His word honored. And no one is honored by those huge things but those who ordered their construction. Take a good look at how the pope and other higher-ups live, and tell me they are following Christ's example.
        
        Honoring God, and giving glory to His name is found within each of us, not in buildings.
      - http://twitter.com/lambsev11 @lambsev11
        
        Jeremiah 9:23-24
        23 Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
        24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.
  - http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22306708/Jn6.37.png Despeville
    
    DeMelon,
    
    A picture is worth a thousand words. Here is a glimpse at the nefarious, Babylonian and satanic nature of Roman Catholicism:
    http://bit.ly/KbYPqd
  - lambsev
    
    I notice you capitalize "culture." Culture and things cultural enjoy the status of idols today. But i think of culture as something growing in a petri dish. One must examine the thing which grows to see what it really is.
    
    1 Thessalonians 5:21
    Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
    http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20T…
lambsev

2 Samuel 7
4 And it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came unto Nathan, saying,
5 Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the Lord, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?
6 Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.
7 In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?
- Evermyrtle
  
  Excellent response!!!
http://twitter.com/lambsev11 @lambsev11

Jeremiah 9:23-24
23 Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.