medieval christianity

Medieval Christianity

Medieval Period (450 – 1450)

Medieval Period- Medieval comes from the Latin words 'med'

(meaning middle) and 'eval' (meaning age).- Also known as Middle Age or Dark Ages.

Three Classes:1. Nobility – knights, kings, queens, prince and

princesses.2. Clergy – priests, monks (only powerful and

educated)3. Peasants – lower class

Characteristics:O Pervasiveness of Christianity.O People were deeply religious, and religion

inserted itself into all aspects of medieval life and society.

O The medieval Church had a great deal of influence and power.

O High-ranking clergy members would often have more influence, wealth and power than many secular (non-religious) rulers.

EMPEROR CONSTANTINE

• Constantine was born in Naissus or Nish in modern Serbia probably from 274 to 288 CE.

• His parents were Constantius, an emperor, and Elena, a Christian.

• When Constantius died in 306 CE, his troops proclaimed him Augustus.

“ In hoc signo vinees”- Conquer this sign

What did Constantine do for the Christians?

O he favored Christianity openly and supported it in every way .

O Christianity as full equality with the religions in the empire.

O the abolition of death on the cross.

O gave the church permission to accept bequests and donations and decreed Sunday as a public holiday.

In this council, Constantine was known as the Pontifex Maximus which means “the greatest bridge-maker.”

Church faced a truly new world situation:

O Constantine was wary of alienating his pagan subjects by seizing their sites and temples.

O a prophet of Apollo was tortured at Antioch, another at Didyma was forced to confess to fraud, and a shrine of Aphrodite was razed at the site of the crucifixion at Jerusalem.

O Decreed that all pagan temples should close and he prohibited sacrifices to the gods on pain of death.

O Christians turned from persecuted to persecutors.

Christianity: “Education as an instrument of salvation”

O Christianity came from Christ, the Greek word for Messiah.

O Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ as presented in the New Testament. Christianity is the world's largest religion.

O It was founded on Judaism – also a monotheistic religion.

O Offered a new ethical force – humanitarianism – that provided the education for all.

O Jesus – one of the three greatest teachers, the other two being Socrates and Gautama.

Church Officials:

1. Pope – “Papa”, means father, the head

2. Vicarius Filii Dei – Latin: Vicar or Representative of the Son of God, named the universal head of Roman Catholic Church.

3. Archbishops – supervised provinces or archdioceses.

4. Bishops – oversaw dioceses and nearby areas.

5. Priests – took care of parishes in towns and cities.

Aims:OMoral regeneration and salvation of an individual

OReform of the society

Types of EducationO Moral and religious training. (given to

prepare the child or convert for baptism. Believed to be necessary to save individual souls and to convert their fellowmen)

O No physical or aesthetic training, only musical training in relation to church services.

O Intellectual education. (none at first but converts on the educated class were trained later on to meet opponents and heretics.)

Content:

O Basic instruction to fit candidates for baptism, basic elements of church doctrine, church rituals and moral virtues of Christ like living.

O Eliminated were: physical training, art, science, literature, and rhetoric because their origins were Pagan and, therefore, full of vices and corruption.)

Methods

O As sole agency for education: impromptu exposition and exhortation

O In home: method of example

O In schools established: catechetical (pertaining to teaching by question and answer.) method and rote recitation (pupils memorized to answer questions)

Early Christian Schools

1. Catechumenal Schools- new converts, or probationers-give adequate introductory lessons on the

basic doctrine and dogmas of the church. - catechumens were prepared for baptism

(required by the probationers and trial for Christian life before they could be accepted as full-fledge members of the church.)

2. Catechetical Schools- new converts progressed in learning the

doctrines of the church and were given in-depth training

- helped in becoming steadfast in their faith and strong against attacks of other beliefs and mysticisms.

- established by catechists to prepare adults for baptism in early Christian church

3. Episcopal Schools- organized by the Bishops to train the

clergy in the Churches under their supervision.-it is housed in cathedrals/ cathedral

schools

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