The fall of Christianity began in the first century as apostasy was already at work, then accelerated after the apostles and hardened into institutions.
The Fall of Christianity: When Did It Begin?
The Fall of the Western Roman Empire and Church Consolidation
How Rome’s western collapse accelerated the rise of the bishop of Rome, clerical hierarchy, and a more centralized church order.
The Rise of the Bishop of Rome and Papal Ambition
The bishop of Rome rose from overseer to pope through centuries of ambition, hierarchy, and departure from apostolic simplicity.
