A Glimpse of the
medieval missionary
Germanic warriors
to be converted
 “The missionaries of the middle ages were nearly all monks. They
were generally men of limited education and narrow views, but
devoted zeal and heroic self-denial. Accustomed to primitive
simplicity of life, detached from all earthly ties, trained to all sorts of
privations, ready for any amount of labor, and commanding attention
and veneration by their unusual habits, their celibacy, fasting and
constant devotions, they were upon the whole the best pioneers of
Christianity and civilization among the savage races of Northern and
Western Europe. The lives of these missionaries are surrounded by
their biographers with such a halo of legends and miracles, that it is
almost impossible to sift fact from fiction. Many of these miracles no
doubt were products of fancy or fraud; but it would be rash to deny
them all.”
 “The same reason which made miracles necessary in the first
introduction of Christianity, may have demanded them among
barbarians before they were capable of appreciating the higher
moral evidences.”

Philip Schaff and David Schley Schaff, History of the Christian Church (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos
Research Systems, Inc., 1997).
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John of
Montecorvino
Missions from 500-1000
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Introduction
to the Period
 476 marked the end of the Christian Roman Empire in the West –
Beginning of the German rulers
 Rome had been sacked by the Goths (Germans) in 410. At 100 AD pop. in
Rome was 450,000, but by 600 the pop. was 20,000!
 Visigoths were persuaded to leave Italy for Gaul (France); the Suevi
tribesman took over NW Spain; Vandals, S. Spain.
 In Constantinople Christian fanatic Empress Pulcheria bought off the
Huns and issued harsher edicts against unbelievers
 Britain had been abandoned by the Romans (to defend the Empire) and
was in anarchy
 Next 500 years in establishing external acceptance and internal doctrinal
issues– identity with decadent Roman culture was thought bad
 Each Christian Church in their region demanded submission to their
doctrinal position and persecuted dissidents. With no central authority,
powerful individuals built a following.
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Latin mss
Introduction to
the Period
 The Empire was in a state of decay and deterioration thus disadvantage to being
identified with “Christian” Rome. Plagues of 510 to 700 killed 50% of pop.
Greek mss
 A chief means of expanding Catholicism was through the Church brokered strategic
marriages: Catholic brides for barbarian kings, and thus Catholic bishops brought into
pagan royal households, thus tutoring royalty on rewards and terrors of aligning with
Catholic Church
 The Dark Ages is period between Classical Roman (Greek) culture (thru 6th cent) and
the early Renaissance (11th cent)
 The developing German-Roman culture evolved a syncretistic religious culture of the
new Roman Catholicism
 Civilizing meant Christianizing, every aspect of life was made to relate to Christian
concepts, to build the kingdom of Christ – Church began writing Canon Laws
 With no emperor in the West, the Bishop of Rome took on greater authority in
Europe, including temporal powers over much of Italy
 Soon Celtic Christians, Arian Christians and Catholic Christians were at war with each
other for centuries
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Four main events of the Early
Middle Ages or the Dark Ages
1. Barbarian Rule
2. Feudalism
3. Islam
4. Holy Roman Empire
Cultured life only in the
monasteries
Emperor Justinian (527-65) Byzantines able to
reestablish Roman rule in Italy and N. Africa
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Europe at 450
Hunnic Empire 450
Attila the
Hun
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Barbarians
Germanic tribes by Red) 750 BC; pink)
500 BC; yellow) 250 BC; Green 1 AD
Migrations from 200-500
 A term which refers to people who speak a language no one understands
 Refers to the Vikings, Huns, Vandals and Goths who created the chaos of
the Dark Ages.
 Germanic people were not necessarily the invaders but the mercenaries
hired to defend the nation’s borders, giving opportunity to rise in high
rank of the Army. Soon the defense of the nation was in their hands, then
the rule quickly followed.
 Much paganism was retained in their superficial conversion to Christianity
 All were converted to Arian Christianity before becoming part of Roman
Empire
 Most converted to Roman Christianity by armed force of Charlemagne (i.e.
The Saxon Wars)
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Priest, knight, commoners
Feudalistic
social structure
 From warring bands in conquered territory to civilized social structures took centuries
beginning in 757, Pepin, Duke of the Franks
 Vassalage: Most trusted generals were eventually given tracts of land – only way to
generate wealth. Land, a fief, for military service (“knight’s key”)
 Three Key concepts:
 Lords: a feudal tenant who holds land directly from the king (i.e. a baron), thus
aristocrat
 Vassals: (serfs who live on land of a Lord, who swore an oath of loyalty to the Lord
 Fiefs: (land)- inheritable lands or revenue-producing property (i.e. fiefdom)
 Three Estates of society:
 First Estate: clergy (divided into higher and lower clergy) (owned 10-15% of land in
France) – typically 2nd son of a Lord or others who joined the clergy.
 Second Estate: Nobility (typically 0.5% of population- only 1st born inherited estates)
 Third Estate: commoners, workers, farmers, (typically 97% of population)
 Catholic Church was ally to this civil-military structure with its right to share (tithe) in
the society’s output, and dominance in the10moral and material welfare
Irish Peregrini [“pilgrims”]
 The invading Germanic groups destroyed monasteries and
learning centers, except in Isles
 In 510 Irish peregrini, “itenerating teacher/preachers,”trained in
Irish monasteries, traveled throughout Europe
 With abundant sheep, copies of Scriptures more easily available.
 Irish “miniscule” – first use of small letters
 Over the next 300 years their monasteries produced “thousands”
of scholars all over Europe
 Columbanus took abandoned Roman forts and turned them into
monasteries, eventually reaching Italy
 To counter the conversion of Europe to Celtic Christianity, Rome
sent Bishop Augustine to Britain
 The free-roving independent Celtic Christianity became
unacceptable and was ejected from England as Roman trained
priests took over Britain by mid-7th cent.
 At Synod of Whitby (664) Catholicism won: King Oswy said, “I
dare not longer contradict the decrees of him who keeps the
doors of the Kingdom of Heaven, lest he should refuse me
admission.” (a reference to the pope).
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Monasticism (“the art of dwelling
alone”)
or Mission Compounds
 The goal of the monastery was to become holy by isolation from cares and
sins of public life – the only haven for godliness
 Took vows of poverty, obedience, service, celibacy and some silence
 Learning was preserved mostly in monasteries and agricultural
experimentation
Abby on Iona
 As Roman Empire disintegrated, Latin ceased to be used except in the
monasteries and Mass – everyone spoke their distinct dialect
 The Irish or Celtic monastic cycle: evangelize (find those interested in God
and Church), build a monastery to house disciples, educate and train for
livelihood (agriculture, carpentry, teach literacy, etc) and evangelism, then
send out groups to repeat the cycle
 Admiration for the monks because they exorcized demons, helped the
poor and defended the oppressed against abusive officials
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Dynastic MarriageConversion Method
 Fleeing before the Huns, the Burgundians settled N. of Italy and S. of
Gaul.
 As Burgundia grew in power until they cut off Roman Catholic Soissons
in N. Gaul from Rome
 Burgundians had converted to Arianism
 “In a method which would be used repeatedly by the Catholic hierarchy,
a Catholic princess, would be found for the “hoary Germanic warrior.”
 Though the warlord might never convert, the bride would arrive with her
own Catholic bishop as ‘private confessor’ and the offspring would be
raised in the Catholic faith.
 Clovis, king of Franks was married to 17-yr old Clothilde in 493. Her
daughter was married to King of Visigoths in the repetition of Catholic
marriage broking.
 The peasants and plebs were forced to follow their king
 Thus barbarian Europe was converted to Catholicism
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