the middle ages 590 - 1517. apostolic church apostolic fathers church councils church history ca....
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The Middle Ages590 - 1517
Apostolic Church
Apostolic Fathers
Church Councils
Church History
Ca. 30AD 590 AD 1517 AD
Golden Age of Church Fathers
Reformation & Counter Reformation
Rationalism, Revivalism, & Denominationalism
Revivalism, Missions, & Modernism
?
Ancient Church History Medieval Church History Modern Church History
The Pre-Reformers
The First Medieval Pope
The Rise of the Holy Roman Empire
The Crusades
The Papacy in Decline
The Medieval Period
Medius - middle
Aevium - age
450/500
1500
*Death of Augustine*Council of Chalcedon – the doctrine of Christ*Fall of Rome (476)*Leo the Great (440-461) – authoritative Pope*Gregory the Great – missionary Pope
*The invention of the printing press 1452 (information)*The rise of Nationalism in 15th & 16th Century (security)*The discovery of the Americas in 1492 (economic expansion)*The work of Martin Luther in 1517 (spiritual revival)
1000 Years
Created by the humanists during the Renaissance of the 15th & 16th century
Because of their rediscovery and return to classic Greek & Romanculture – they compared the post Ancient Period with the static traditionalism, unrefined barbarity, and generally unhappy characterof the middle age.
Is this a fair judgment?
Morris Bishop – “We are too vain; we think we are the summit ofhistory.”
500 to 1500 - “The Dark Age”
500 - 1000 The Dark Age
1000-1300 The High Middle Ages
1300-1500 The Waning Years
Fall of Rome, Barbarian Invasion, Rise ofFeudalism*, Spread of Islam, (Carolingians)New wave of invasion, uncertainty – 900’s
Rise of Nationalism - Rise of cities, castles, cathedrals, innovation & advances, universities,material prosperity, the height of the papacy
Clash between the Popes and nation states,the Babylonian Captivity, the Great Schism, spiritual decline, the plagues
The Division of these 1000 years
As a result of the Barbarian invasion, smaller units gradually developed
to control the territories previously ruled by Rome. Large tribal areas
were subdivided in small areas and even smaller areas, with a lord and
vassals. Great estates were established with servants loyal to the lord
living on the estate. Farmers and soldiers were very important. Scholars
were not important. This was the period of knights. Peace was the
greatest commodity. Christianity was the one unifying factor.
The Barbarian Invasion & the Fall of Rome
Why did Rome fall?Intellectual Answer – the Romans conquered the world with their
Republican principles, they changed the principles to fit an empire, and the new principles destroyed it.
Moral Answer – license, luxury, and sloth, a decline in character &discipline.
Rationalist Answer – Christianity, teaching nonresistance, other-worldliness, disarmed the Romans in the face of the barbarians.
Pathological Answer – plague and malaria, or even lead poisoningfrom cooking pots and water pipes.
Economic Answer – trade stagnation, low productivity, scarcity ofgold and silver.
Physical Answer – soil depletion, deforestation, climatic change,drought.
“The Roman Empire was like a declining business,whose program is retrenchment and retreat, whose ventures are desperate, whose employees can only shrug their shoulders and hope that the old enterprise will last out their time.” Morris Bishop
The Barbarian Invasion & the Fall of Rome
Many of the Barbarian Invaders were already Arian Christiansbecause of missionary work. Many more would be converted and establish the Christianity once again as the dominate religion.
The Barbarians, though they appeared to be looters, aspiredto settle within the borders of the Roman empire and enjoy thebenefits of the Roman civilization.
During the 4th thru 8th centuries, western Europe was swept by a seriesof invasions that brought chaos and upheaval and destroyed education and culture established by Rome. These invaders wereeither pagan or Arian. They would generally be converted to the Nicene faith. The Papacy and monasticism would be instrumental inpreserving the Christian faith and ancient learning.
The Huns Migrate West
Source of BarbarianInvasion
Arian, persecuted Catholics
Arian
Pagans
Pagan
Arian
The Western & Eastern Roman Empires in 476
The rise of the Roman Papacy – Leo I (440-461)
The Rise of Islam
Africa
Asian Christianity
The Persian Church (Iraq/Iran) sent out many missionaries east.
The church in India, founded perhaps by Thomas, prospered well into the 1000’s.
Asia – the church grew rapidly in China until the late 800’s.
Because of a Western bias, much of the Eastern Christianity isignored.
By 800, more Christians east of Damascus than west.
What happened – persecution and alignment with the state
Roman Africa – destroyed by Vandals, then Islam, Egyptian Copticchurch remained
In Nubia (Sudan), Christianity prospered until 1000, then disappeared
Ethiopia has had a continuous Christian church since Apostolic times
Why Study the Middle Ages?
1. The true church and Christians didn’t cease to exist in 500 A.D.
What of God’s promise to be with the church until the end ofthe age? Did Christ found the church only to leave it to Antichrist for one thousand years and then reclaim it later?
“Yes, there was life in the medieval Church, a great deal of life. Whatif this life was corrupted by various diseases? Disease attacks life, not death. After all the Reformation itself was nurtured in the bosom of medieval Rome. Protestantism sprang not from the dissenting movements – the Waldensians, Lollards, the Hussites – but from theparent body, Mother Church, whose pious sons wanted to reform her,but were cast out for their pains. “ Needham
Let us not forget that we know little of the Asian and African Church. A western bias may have blinded us to the work ofChrist in His Church.
Why Study the Middle Ages?
1. The true church and Christians didn’t cease to exist
2. The contrast between the Medieval Era & the Modern Era
3. The darkness found during the Middle Ages will helpus appreciate the light we enjoy today.
4. Errors that began in the Early church came to fruition during the Middle Ages. Asceticism & Monasticism
5. The events of the Middle Ages were God’s preparationfor the Reformation
In Medieval Days – convulsion and confusion hindered the Church.
Today peace and prosperity hinders the Church. How is success achieved in either case?