Section 2:
The Church in the Middle
Ages (pp. 67-118)
Section 2, Part 1
The Early Medieval Period (pp.
68-82)
Introduction
• Fall of Rome and West in 476 led to social change, even chaos
• Power vacuum led to increased Germanic and Scandinavian
barbarian invasions
• Social instability and tribal rule ensued
• Lasting changes began that endure to this day
• Western monasticism under Benedict of Nursia
• Rise and spread of Islamic religion and culture
• Papal and secular authority developed often with conflict
• Church reform initiated by Gregory VII
• 4 Articles
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A. 15—Western Monasticism
A. 16—The Development of Islam
A. 17—Charlemagne: Holy Roman Emperor
A. 18—Gregorian Reform
Article 15: Western Monasticism
(pp. 69-72)
• Eremitical (hermit) life—St. Anthony of the Desert/Egypt (251-356)
• Cenobitic (centered around an abbot) life—Pachomius (292-346)
• Center of monastic life is prayer—communal and private
•
Mass, Liturgy of the Hours and Meditation, Arrow Prayers
• Life of Anthony by Athanasius exiled in Germany spread to West
• Martin of Tours in Gaul; Patrick and Brigid in Ireland; Columba in
Scotland; back to mainland Europe after barbarian invasions stop
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Apostolic work: evangelization, learning & culture, preserving literature
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Illuminated manuscrips copied and illuminated by the hands of monks for
hours a day in the scriptorium
• Especially Benedict of Nursia (480-550) & Scholastica
•
Rome, Subiaco cave, Monte Cassino in 529, rule and motto
• Influences of monasticism upon western civilization
•
Evangelization, Knowledge/Learning, Art/Architecture/Music,
Agricultural/Farming advances, and Education
Article 16: The Development of Islam (pp. 72-76)
• Christianity was firmly established in Europe by the 7th century
• Arabian peninsula was polytheistic, tribal, and nomadic still
• Mohammed (570-632) born in Mecca & receives prophetic call in 610
from Gabriel
• Followers record revelations from Allah and compile into Koran as basis
for Islam (“submission”)
• Many similarities to Christianity including monotheism but not in the
notion of Jesus = human prophet (possible Arian influence?)
• 622 emigration (hijra = 0 a.d.) from Mecca to Medina
• Organize into a religious, political, and military authority
• Invited back to Mecca, convert city and unify entire Arabian Peninsula
• Successors spread rapidly
•
Damascus, 636; Antioch, 637; Jerusalem, 638; Alexandria, Iraq, and Persia,
642; west across North Africa; Spain, 711; Gaul attempted, 732 (Charles
Martel); east into Asia; north and east into Asia Minor; Constantinople
attempted, 717 (Leo Isaurian)
A 16 cont.: The Development of Islam (pp. 72-76)
• Reasons why Islam spread so quickly
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•
No forced conversion; favored Christians and Jews (OT); heavy taxation;
exclusion from government and other favors; order and stability; cohesive
system unlike barbarian invasions
Complex function of many variables
• Effects upon Christianity
•
Ancient patriarchates of Jerusalem, Antioch, and Alexandria nullified;
constant threat of a new enemy; power shift from Pope in Rome to secular
Frankish kingdom in Gaul (coincided with feudalism); widening gap between
West and East; East safe for now but would never recover before 1453; etc…
• Pope Benedict’s challenge in 2009 while visiting Jordan
Homework
• Read pp. 76-81 (AA. 17-18) in the e-Book
for discussion tomorrow
• Edit review questions 1-4 on p. 82 of the
e-Book if necessary
Article 17: Charlemagne: Holy Roman
Emperor (pp. 76-78)
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Germanic tribe of the Lombards threatened Church in north Italy
Church allied with Franks under Pepin after Martel died
Pepin sought to legitimize his rule against Clovis’ descendants
Pepin asked Pope Zachary who asked Boniface to crown him king
Pepin conquers Lombards and gifts Papal States to pope in 756 in
the Donation of Pepin; lasted until 1870 with the pope as ruler
Pepin dies in 768 and his son Charlemagne succeeds him in 771
after brief rule of his brother—Christian, ambitious, and leadership
Entitled “Protector of Papacy” in 774 after defeat of Lombards
Military campaigns in West until 800 led to vast empire (France,
Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Austria,
Spain)—forced conversion
Pope Leo III crowned Charles the Great “Holy Roman Emperor” in
800 at Christmas Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica
Signaled another break between Rome and Constantinople
Article 17cont.: Charlemagne: Holy Roman Emperor
(pp. 76-78)
• Tradition would continue until 1200—Christendom (+ and/or - ?)
•
Modern separation of Church and State (+ and/or - ?)
• Carolingian Renaissance under Charlemagne—western enlightenment
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Centered at palace in Aachen, Germany
Emphasis on learning
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Enlightened men in government positions
Founded a school that attracted most enlightened men
• “You are dust and unto dust you shall return”
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Empire was split by his sons at his death in 814
Empire declined due to ineffective leadership and Viking invasions
Officially ended in 888 with death of his son Charles the Fat (ironic)
• Conversion of the Vikings and the Slavs
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Norway, Denmark, British Isles—libraries in monasteries via waterways
Missionary Ansgar as well as intermarriage and treaties
Russians, Polish, Czechs, and other Eastern Europeans
Byzantine Greek brothers Cyril and Methodius—Cyrillic translation of Bible
Article 18: Gregorian Reform (pp. 79-81)
• Feudalism provides political & economic order in weak empire but
also promotes chaos and secularism in the Church b/c every state is
an independent kingdom
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Secular control of Church offices—civil officials appoint bishops/abbots
Church control of secular offices—bishops and abbots serve in office
• Simony, Nepotism, Lay Investiture, and Married Clergy
• Papal Estates—dependence on kings/emperors and Pope as civil ruler
• Gregory VII (1073-85) against simony, nepotism, married clergy
• The key issue was lay investiture so he began reform there
• Inspired by time as a Benedictine monk under the Cluny Reform
• Nicholas II’s papal bull (bulla) In Nomine Domini (1059)—first step
•
Cardinals elect, antipopes anathema, but ignored by rulers
• Struggle illustrated by Gregory VII and Henry IV
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Mutual depositions in 1076, Henry penance in 1077 but deposed again
in 1080, deposed Gregory who died in exile and appointed Clement III
• Concordat of Worms in 1122 finally solved—secular approval of
1059 bull and extended to all bishops
Homework
• Answer review questions 5-7 on p. 82 of
the e-Book
• Study for the Section 2, Part 1 Quiz
Monday (pp. 68-82; AA. 15-18)
• Make sure the Section 2, Part 1 Homework
is ready to turn in on Monday (p. 82; 1-7)