Three Periods of Evolution of Christianity
The Western Roman Empire collapsed in 476, though the Eastern Roman Empire survived till 1453.
It was in 1492 that Columbus first reached the New World or part of America. It means it took about 1000 years since the extinction of the Western Roman Empire that America was found by Europeans or partial descendants of ancient Romans.
For example, the world 1000 years ago from today was just almost century before the start of the Crusades. So, it is very significant that it took 1000 years for Europeans to turn their eyes from the Mediterranean, where the Roman Empire had hegemony, to the Atlantic Ocean.
As Columbus' adventurous voyage was supported by the Christian royal family of Spain, who had just ousted Judaists from the country at the time, it should be viewed in the context of development of Christianity. Put simply, Christianity took 1000 years to fully develop in Europe after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. And then, situations in Europe changed to allow Columbus to venture into the voyage to America across the Atlantic.
It might sound strange but it seems to reasonable to think that one of critical conditions for realization of Columbus' voyage to reach America is maturation of Christianity in Europe. And it took 1000 years since the collapse of ancient Rome.
Indeed Rome was not built in a day, and Christianity or the Vatican that helped Columbus' adventure, though circumferential, was built in 1000 years.
It also implies that Christianity between AD 1 and 500, that between 500 and 1500, and that between 1500 and 2000 might be critically different. Or the evolution of Christianity can be divided roughly into these three periods.
**** **** ****
Joh 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
Joh 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.