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Chronos Unveiled

A scholarly examination of the Common Era's evolution, its historical roots, and its role in global time reckoning.

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What Is CE/BCE?

Equivalent Notations

The terms Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are modern year notations that are precisely equivalent to the traditional Anno Domini (AD) and Before Christ (BC) systems, respectively.[1] For instance, the year 2025 CE is identical to AD 2025, and 400 BCE corresponds to 400 BC.[2] This equivalence ensures continuity in historical dating while offering an alternative nomenclature.

A Universal Standard

These notations are integral to the Gregorian and Julian calendars, which are widely adopted globally for civil purposes. The primary motivation behind the increasing use of BCE/CE is to provide a dating system that avoids explicit religious connotations, particularly the reference to Jesus as "Dominus" (Lord) inherent in "Anno Domini."[3][4][5] This makes the system more inclusive for diverse cultural and religious contexts.

Historical Evolution

Early Chronological Foundations

The foundational principle for numbering years from what is believed to be the date of Jesus' incarnation was devised around 525 CE by the Christian monk Dionysius Exiguus.[10] He labeled this new era "Anni Domini Nostri Jesu Christi" (the years of our Lord Jesus Christ), replacing the "Era of the Martyrs" to avoid commemorating persecutors of Christians.[10] This system gained wider acceptance in Europe, notably through Bede's work in England in 731 CE, who also established the practice of dating years backward before 1 CE without a year zero.[15]

The "Vulgar Era"

The expression "Vulgar Era" emerged to distinguish the widely used Anno Domini era from the regnal year system, which was common in national law.[14] The term 'vulgar' here signifies "of the ordinary people," devoid of any derogatory meaning.[15] Its earliest known appearance in Latin, as "annus aerae nostrae vulgaris" (year of our common era), dates back to Johannes Kepler's work in 1615.[7] An English translation in 1635 may mark its first use in English.[18]

Rise of "Common Era"

The phrase "Common Era" in English can be traced to 1708[9] and gained significant traction among Jewish religious scholars by the mid-19th century.[9] This shift reflected a desire for a more universally acceptable terminology. By the early 20th century, the "Catholic Encyclopedia" noted that "Christian, Vulgar, and Common Era" were all commonly understood terms, indicating a growing acceptance of alternative nomenclature.[32]

  • c. 525 CE: Dionysius Exiguus devises the Anno Domini system.
  • 731 CE: Bede popularizes the AD system and introduces BC dating.
  • 1615 CE: Johannes Kepler uses "annus aerae nostrae vulgaris" (year of our common era) in Latin.
  • 1635 CE: "Vulgar Era" appears in English, likely in an edition of Kepler's work.
  • 1708 CE: "Common Era" first appears in English.
  • Mid-19th Century: "Common Era" becomes more widely used by Jewish scholars.
  • 1825 CE: Abbreviation "VE" (Vulgar Era) used by Jews for Western calendar years.

Contemporary Usage

Academic Adoption

Academics across various disciplines, including theology, education, archaeology, and history, have increasingly adopted CE and BCE notations.[47] While some disagreement persists, a 2014 study indicated that both BCE/CE and BC/AD notations maintain relatively stable usage in scholarly literature, suggesting a co-existence rather than a complete replacement.[48]

Global and Regional Trends

The adoption of CE/BCE varies significantly across different regions and institutions:

  • Australia: Despite initial media reports in 2011 suggesting a full transition, the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority clarified that BC/AD would remain, with CE/BCE as an optional learning activity.[49][50]
  • Canada: The Canadian Museum of Civilization (now Canadian Museum of History) reverted to BC/AD for public materials in 2013, while retaining BCE/CE for academic content.[51]
  • Nepal: BCE/CE is commonly used to differentiate dates from local calendars like Bikram Sambat, whose era is numerically close to the Common Era.[52]

UK and US Practices

In the United Kingdom, an advisory panel recommended introducing BCE/CE in religious education in 2002, with some local authorities adopting it by 2018.[52] However, institutions like the National Trust and English Heritage maintain BC/AD as their house style.[53][54] In the United States, BCE/CE usage in textbooks was noted to be growing in 2005.[45] The "World Almanac" switched to BCE/CE in 2007, and the College Board, History Channel (for non-Christian topics), and Society of Biblical Literature prefer it.[57][58][60]

Rationales & Debates

Arguments for Adoption

Proponents argue that BCE/CE fosters inclusivity and religious neutrality. The explicit reference to "Our Lord" in AD is seen as problematic for non-Christians, particularly in Jewish scholarship where avoiding such theological claims is historically significant.[64][65] Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan emphasized the practical necessity of a shared, non-denominational time-reckoning system for global interaction.[68] Scholars like Joshua J. Mark highlight how BCE/CE facilitates easier communication among diverse academic communities without compromising individual religious beliefs.[71]

Criticisms and Opposition

Critics contend that since the epoch (the starting point) of both systems remains tied to the birth of Jesus, BCE/CE offers no true religious neutrality and can still be perceived as imposing a Christian-centric calendar.[72] Roman Catholic priest Raimon Panikkar described the "Common Era" as "the acme of colonialism" for this reason.[73] Some Christians are also offended by the removal of the direct reference to Jesus.[75] Furthermore, English-language expert Kenneth G. Wilson warned of a "slippery slope" where questioning the AD/BC convention might lead to questioning the entire numbering system itself due to its Christian origins.[74]

Stylistic Conventions

Placement and Punctuation

A key stylistic convention for BCE and CE is their placement: both abbreviations consistently follow the year number. This contrasts with AD, which traditionally precedes the year number (e.g., AD 2025), though it can also follow. For example, the current year is 2025 CE, and the year Socrates died is 399 BCE.[76] These abbreviations are often written in full capital letters (CE, BCE), but small capital letters or with periods (C.E., B.C.E.) are also accepted variations in some style guides.[77]

Global Linguistic Variants

Diverse Adaptations

The concept of a "Common Era" or "Our Era" has been adopted and translated into various languages, reflecting a global need for a shared, secular dating system:

  • German: Jewish communities in Berlin used terms translating to "(before the) common era" as early as the 18th century, such as "vor der gewöhnlichen Zeitrechnung" (before the common chronology).[78]
  • Spanish: Common forms include "a. n. e." (antes de nuestra era, 'before our era') and "d. n. e." (después de nuestra era, 'after our era'). "a. e. c." (antes de la era común) is the scholarly equivalent of BCE.[82]
  • Russian: Since the October Revolution (1917), "до н.э." (do n.e., 'before our era') and "н.э." (n.e., 'of our era') are almost universally used, replacing older Christian terms.[83]
  • Chinese: Mainland China adopted "公元" (gōngyuán, "Common Era") in 1949 for both internal and external affairs, with "公元前" (gōngyuánqián, "Before the Common Era") for BCE.[86]
  • Welsh: "OC" can mean "Oed Crist" (AD) or "Oes Cyffredin" (CE), while "CC" (Cyn Crist) is used for BC.
  • Polish: "p.n.e." (przed naszą erą, 'before our era') and "n.e." (naszej ery, 'of our era') are standard in academic contexts.[84]
  • Czech: "n. l." (našeho letopočtu, 'of our year count') and "př. n. l." (před naším letopočtem, 'before our year count') are common, with older Christian terms considered archaic.[87]
  • Croatian: "pr. n. e." (prije nove ere, 'before new era') and "n. e." (nove ere, 'of the new era') have been introduced alongside traditional "pr. Kr." (prije Krista, 'before Christ').[88][89]
  • Danish: "f.v.t." (før vor tidsregning, 'before our time reckoning') and "e.v.t." (efter vor tidsregning, 'after our time reckoning') are used, similar to BCE/CE.[90]
  • Estonian: "e.m.a." (enne meie ajaarvamist, 'before our time reckoning') and "m.a.j." (meie ajaarvamise järgi, 'according to our time reckoning') are used for BCE and CE, respectively.[92]
  • Finnish: "eaa." (ennen ajanlaskun alkua, 'before time reckoning') and "jaa." (jälkeen ajanlaskun alun, 'after the start of time reckoning') are used for BCE and CE.[93]

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References

References

  1.  Stonehenge glossary, "BC and AD" English Heritage
A full list of references for this article are available at the Common Era Wikipedia page

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