Dark Ages Missions (or Early Middle Ages) 500-1000 Part 2

1
Dark Ages Missions(or Early Middle
Ages)500-1000Part 2

• The corrupting influence of power, prestige and
  unlimited finances changed the Church to a myopic
  view of ministry in its attempt to create a
  Christian Kingdom, instead of spreading out over
  the world.

2
Nestorians in the East

• Spread throughout the caravan cities of central
  Asia to China and beyond.
• Syrian Christians had a global vision, whereas
  Western Christians sought to build a Christian
  Empire
• By 578 the first recorded Chinese Christian a
  monument for their work from 8th cent discovered
  in 1625.
• Well received by Chinese emperor, spread
  throughout 10 provinces and over 100 cities
• By 1000 Nestorian Christianity had reached India,
  Mongolia, Tibet, Korea, China and JapanWestern
  missions had barely left the empire
• Remnants of Nestorians found when Franciscans
  entered China in 1294
• Their strict monastic nature prevented them from
  identifying with the Chinese culture, thus
  limited their impact
• Persian Church had 8 million followers by 760,
  before the Muslim conquest reached their area

3
Christianizing of Europe

• Britain
• Strong churches before 300 wiped out by
  Anglo-Saxon invasions
• Irish Celtic missionaries re-evangelized Britain
  from Ireland from island of Iona
• Pope sent Augustine to convert pagans and Celtics
  to Roman Christianity by 7th century
• Mainland Europe
• Celtic missionaries spread out in Europe (Columba
  and Columbanus) starting monasteries
• Roman missionaries sent to N. Europe to
  Christianize warring pagan tribes primarily as
  emissaries of Christian kings (Willibrord and
  Boniface)
• Valiant English missionaries attempted to win the
  Vikings who were raiding their homeland
• Emperor sends missionaries to Denmark who convert
  the king Herald
• Pope and Emperor sent Anskar (801-865), French
  monk trained by Columba, to be the official
  legate to the Swedes, Danes, Slavs of N. Europe.
  He created a training center to send out
  missionaries to Scandinavia.

4
Unholy Alliance of Church and State

• Successful missions were the result of winning
  the kings to Roman Christianity
• Sponsors of mission efforts were kings, emperors
  and popes granting imperial credentials and
  diplomatic authority to deal directly with the
  pagan kings.
• Political leaders saw the financing of Catholic
  missionaries as practical, rather than conquering
  pagan states militarily.
• As nations became Christian they could be
  incorporated into the Christian coalition of the
  Holy Roman Empire the missionary became the arm
  of the state, an instrument of imperialism. Local
  churches were useless.
• However, Charlemagne was more interested in his
  own people becoming Christian, than in a bold
  mission outreach to Scandinavia a pivotal
  mistake that would undo his empire

5
Vikings in the North

• As Charlemagne consolidate mainland Europe, by
  800 the Vikings began to create chaos for the
  next 250 years
• The Tribes that invade Rome (400-600) were mostly
  Arian Christians but the Vikings were pure
  pagans
• As men of the sea they attacked the islands and
  shorelines where mission training centers and
  monasteries existed and destroyed everything
  Christian (churches, monasteries, priests, monks)
• The captured slaves and forced marriages would
  eventually evangelize the pagan leaders
• Viking warriors based in Ireland followed trail
  of the Peregrini. The wealthier the monastery,
  the greater the attraction for looting
• Wherever the Northmen Vikings conquered, they
  eventually became Christian Normans this
  resulted in a new form of Christian culture
  spreading back to Scandinavia.
• What Satan means for evil, God turns to His
  purpose!

6
Islam in the South

• In 622 Mohammed moved from Mecca to Medina
  (Hegira) in first step of conquest, which would
  unite all the Arab tribes by the time of his
  death in 632.
• 25 years after his death (657) Islam reached East
  to Afghanistan and west to Tunisia.
• By 732 had reached to France. It would take 760
  years before Christian Europe was free of Islam
  (1493)
• Some reasons for the quick yielding to Islam in
  N. Africa
• Superficial, non-indigenous Christianity of N.
  Africa
• Simple monotheistic theology gave hope of wealth
  and sensual salvation
• Roman Empire was defenseless due to
  multiple-front wars (left a power vacuum)
• Byzantines demanded high taxes for war-costs with
  Persia
• Most Middle Eastern and Egyptian Churches were
  excommunicated anyway
• People in this area had more in common with Arabs
  than with Europeans
• Muslims did not destroy everything only
  non-Muslims had to pay taxes
• Use of statues and Icons appeared polytheistic,
  thus Islams strict monotheism seemed purer
• Quran compiled in final form in 933
• By 949 50 of all former Christendom now captured
  by Islam

7
Rise of the Papal State

• After the reconquest of Italy from Islam, Italy
  was devastated
• Lombards entered Italy from the North, defeated
  the Byzantine authority leaving Italy vulnerable
• Pope had Pepin of the Franks crowned Patrician
  of the Romans to secure military aid against
  Lombards in 754-6
• Pepins victory granted the Byzantine Exarchate
  (seat of Constantinoples power) to the Papacy
  (called the Donation of Pepin)

8
Rise of the Holy Roman Empire AD 962

• Christmas AD 800 Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne
  Emperor of the Romans
• Everyone born within his kingdom territory had to
  become Catholic or be executed
• Charlemagne ordered the establishing of schools,
  regulated the clergy
• Charlemagnes son and grandsons could not hold
  the empire together, so it split into France
  (Charles), Germany (Louis) and the Lowlands
  (Lothair).
• As the Carolingian line (from Charlemagne)
  disintegrated, so the power of the Pope declined
  paid tribute to Muslims in South
• To raise money the church sold high positions

9
Investiture controversy

• Medieval churches owned privately by wealthy
  laymen, monasteries or bishops owners profited
  personally appointed priests, had him ordained,
  and paid him.

• The appointment of church officials was being
  done by Emperor or princes by simony (sale of
  church office)
• Pope Gregory in 1059 declared no secular leader
  could determine the next pope, rather a College
  of Cardinals
• Gregory declared the absolute and infallible
  authority of the Pope, which the Emperor refused,
  denouncing him as pope and selected another.
• Pope Gregory excommunicates Emperor Henry IV,
  forcing his humiliating repentance at Canossa in
  1077
• Succeeded in separating secular power from the
  church
• Power of papacy grew, preparing for Crusades
  and the Inquisition

10
Great Schism of the Church

• Officially divided the Mediterranean Christendom
  into Eastern (Greek) Orthodox, and Western
  (Latin) Roman Catholic.
• Reasons for Split
• Controversy over Icons
• Filioque clause the procession of the Spirit
  Who proceeds from the Father in the Nicene
  Creed -- (Rome added, and of the Son) to assure
  Arians declared a trinity view
• Personality conflicts between Pope and Patriarch
• Boundary disputes in the Balkans, S. Italy, and
  Sicily
• Prohibition of Icons in the East, rejected in the
  West
• Liturgical difference unleavened bread (West)
• Celibacy among Western priests
• Absolute submission to the Papal Primacy and
  infallibility
• Resulted in a mutual excommunication in 1054
• 4th Crusade when Western army sacked
  Constantinople

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Early Reform Movements

• Bogomilism (968) a dualistic Gnostic Manichaean
  sect that gave birth to the Cathars and
  Albigencians in the next centuries
• Paulicians (872) were a Gnostic Manichaean
  Christian group opposed the formalism of the
  Church of Rome
• Other groups would become dissident groups as
  corruption and abuses increased but it would be
  another 300 years before movements began

A Bogomil Temple in Bosnia
12
Key Missionaries
Slavic worlds

• Cyril and Methodius
• Two Greek brothers from Thessaloniki became
  missionaries to the Slavs of Moravia and Pannonia
• Studied in Constantinople, became professor of
  philosophy and theology
• Devised the Glagolitic or Cyrillic alphabet
• Little known but their translations and teaching
  transformed the Slavs
• Ansgar, Christianized Denmark, Norway, Sweden,
  but they returned to paganism

13
MissionMethods Used

• Art works and majestic cathedrals gave heavenly
  experience
• Civilization was organized in parishes.
• Bishops authorized priests to preach in rural
  areas
• Latin, literature, Bible commentaries, theology
  had to be taught, thus emperor backed monasteries
• Military conquest of force conversions
• Political alliances, wealthy partnerships