Common Era: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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The '''Common Era''' (CE), alsomore commonly known as the '''CurrentChristian Era''' orand occasionally,sometimes as the '''ChristianCurrent Era''', is the period beginning with the year [[1]] onwards. The term is synonymous with ''[[Anno Domini]]'' (AD) ([[Latin]] for "In the year of [our] Lord"), so named because the creators of theas [[ChristianExiguus Dionysus]], calendarwho originallydevised consideredthis numbering system calculated that [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] to have beenwas born in that same year,. thusAlthough "commonCommon eraEra" iswas sometimesa term first used by some Christians in an age when Christianity was the commonr religion, it is now a term preferred by some as a religiously neutral alternative. It has its equivalents in other languages. For example, [[Chinese language|Chinese]] uses a translation of the term, ''gōngyuán'' (公元), for date notation.

The period prior to Common Era is known as '''Before Common Era''' (BCE) which is synonymous with ''Before Christ'' (BC).

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Thus, according to this international standard, the [[French Revolution]] occurred in the year [[1789]], and human beings first [[Apollo 11|walked on the Moon]] in the year [[1969]].

Users of common era nomenclature consider these events to have occurred in years "of the common era". However, this terminology is generally not understood outside certain academic circles.

When used as a replacement for BC/AD notation, the common era is abbreviated as ''CE'' and is the direct chronological equivalent of ''AD''. Similarly, the time before the common era is written as ''BCE'' and is the direct chronological equivalent of ''BC''. Both abbreviations are written following the year, thus [[Aristotle]] was born in [[384 BC|384 BCE]] (or 384 BC), and [[Genghis Khan]] died in [[1227|1227 CE]] (or AD 1227).

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According to Peter Daniels (a [[Cornell]] and [[University of Chicago|Chicago]] trained linguist), "CE and BCE came into use in the last few decades, perhaps originally in Ancient Near Eastern studies, where (a) there are many [[Jewish]] scholars and (b) dating according to a Christian era is irrelevant. It is indeed a question of sensitivity."

However, CEthe term Common Era has earlier antecedents. In a [[1716]] book by English Bishop John Prideaux, we find, “The"The vulgar era, by which we now compute the years from his incarnation.”" In [[1835]], in his book ''Living Oracles'', [[Alexander Campbell]], wrote “The"The vulgar Era, or Anno Domini; the fourth year of Jesus Christ, the first of which was but eight days.” " In its article on Chronology, the [[1908]] ''[[Catholic Encyclopedia]]'' uses the sentence: "Foremost among these (dating eras) is that which is now adopted by all civilized peoples and known as the Christian, [[Vulgar]], or Common Era, in the twentieth century of which we are now living."

{{dubious}} This [[1908]] example from the ''Catholic Encyclopedia'' is the first use of "common era", although some claim that [[Jehovah's Witness]]es used the common era terminology as early as the late [[1800s]]. "Vulgar" comes from the [[Latin]] word vulgāaris (from vulgus, the common people), meant "of or belonging to the common people, everyday," and acknowledges that the date was commonly used, even by people who did not believe that Jesus was divine. By the late 1800s, however, vulgar had come to mean "crudely indecent" and the Latin word was replaced by its English equivalent, "common".

The first known Jewish use of this practice is from an inscription on a gravestone in a Jewish cemetery in [[Plymouth, England]]:

:"Here is buried his honour Judah ben his honour Joseph, a prince and honoured amongst philanthropists, who executed good deeds, died in his house in the City of Bath, Tuesday, and was buried here on Sunday, 19 Sivan in the year 5585. In memory of Lyon Joseph Esq (merchant of [[Falmouth, Cornwall]]). who died at Bath June [[Anno Mundi|AM]] 5585/VE 1825. Beloved and respected."

This inscription, like most, uses the Jewish calendar (5585), but ends by providing the common year (1825); presumably the “VE”"VE" means “Vulgar"Vulgar Era",” and presumably VE was used instead of AD in order to avoid the Christian implications.

== Usage ==

Jewish and Christian scholars have developed the BCE/CE terms for the benefit of cross-cultural dialogue.[http://www.torontoareamennonites.ca/danforth/dmc_notes/witmer10.htm]. Some Islamic scholars and others outside the [[Judeo-Christian]] religious traditions have used the system. Some Christians have used the term CE to mean 'Christian era' . NonSome non-religious academics in the fields of [[history]], [[theology]], [[archaeology]], and [[anthropology]] have also in recent decades begun using the system.

More visible uses of common era notation have recently surfaced at major museums in the English-speaking world: Canada's [[Royal Ontario Museum]] adopted BCE/CE in 2002 [http://www.rom.on.ca/ossuary/ossuary_intro.html], and the [[Smithsonian Institution]] also prefers common era usage, though individual museums are not ''required'' to use it.[http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/field_trips/standards/world_history_standards.html] As well, many style guides now prefer or mandate its usage. [http://www.egyptstudy.org/OstraconGuidelines.html][http://chass.colostate-pueblo.edu/natrel/pom/pomstyle.html][http://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/american_journal_of_philology/guidelines.html][http://www.sagepub.com/journalManuscript.aspx?pid=10754][http://www.yorku.ca/topia/docs/styleguide] Some style guides for Christian churches even mandate its use; for example, that of [[Anglicanism|Episcopal]] Diocese of Maryland.[http://www.ang-md.org/mcn/style-guide.pdf (pdf)]

However, the terminology is not widely known or used throughout the English-speaking world. Most newspapers, popular websites and internationally-focussed encyclopaedias continue to use BC/AD notation, being the one most of their readers most easily recognise and understand.

==Opposition==

Changing dates expressed in BC terminology to BCE has given rise to some opposition. Perhaps most notably, when BC was changed to BCE in one examination question in [[New South Wales]], it prompted questions and protestations of offence in both chambers of the State Parliament, and an acceptance from the Education Minister that the change should not have been made. When the teaching of what BCE/CE meant was introduced into the English National Curriculum in [[2002]], it prompted confused letters to national newspapers.

Arguments against the common era designation include:

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* It downplays the prominence of [[Jesus]] in societies that have a largely Christian heritage.

* Some object to the common era's retention of the year 1 as its [[epoch]] because it preserves a [[Christocentric]] worldview at the expense of a religiously neutral timekeeping system.

* Many, and in some places such as England or Australia, most people do not know what BCE/CE means - they do know what BC/AD means.

== Support ==