The Middle Ages

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The Middle Ages
590 - 1517
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Ancient Church History
Medieval Church History
Modern Church History
Reformation Counter Reformation
Apostolic Church
The First Medieval Pope
Apostolic Fathers
The Rise of the Holy Roman Empire
Rationalism, Revivalism, Denominationalism
The Crusades
Church Councils
Revivalism, Missions, Modernism
Golden Age of Church Fathers
The Papacy in Decline
The Pre-Reformers
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The Medieval Period
Medius - middle
Aevium - age
450/500
1500
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500 to 1500 - The Dark Age
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.
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The Division of these 1000 years
500 - 1000 The Dark Age
Fall of Rome, Barbarian Invasion, Rise
ofFeudalism, Spread of Islam,
(Carolingians)New wave of invasion, uncertainty
900s
As a result of the Barbarian invasion, smaller
units gradually developedto control the
territories previously ruled by Rome. Large
tribal areaswere subdivided in small areas and
even smaller areas, with a lord andvassals.
Great estates were established with servants
loyal to the lord living on the estate. Farmers
and soldiers were very important. Scholarswere
not important. This was the period of knights.
Peace was the greatest commodity. Christianity
was the one unifying factor.
1000-1300 The High Middle Ages
Rise of Nationalism - Rise of cities, castles,
cathedrals, innovation advances,
universities, material prosperity, the height of
the papacy
1300-1500 The Waning Years
Clash between the Popes and nation states,the
Babylonian Captivity, the Great Schism,
spiritual decline, the plagues
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The Barbarian Invasion the Fall of Rome
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
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.
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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.
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The Huns Migrate West
Source of Barbarian Invasion
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Pagan
Pagans
Arian
Arian
Arian, persecuted Catholics
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The Western Eastern Roman Empires in 476
The rise of the Roman Papacy Leo I (440-461)
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The Rise of Islam
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Asian Christianity
Because of a Western bias, much of the Eastern
Christianity isignored.
The Persian Church (Iraq/Iran) sent out many
missionaries east.
The church in India, founded perhaps by Thomas,
prospered well into the 1000s.
Asia the church grew rapidly in China until the
late 800s.
By 800, more Christians east of Damascus than
west.
What happened persecution and alignment with
the state
Africa
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
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Why Study the Middle Ages?
1. The true church and Christians didnt cease to
exist in 500 A.D.
What of Gods 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?
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.
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
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Why Study the Middle Ages?
1. The true church and Christians didnt cease to
exist
2. The contrast between the Medieval Era the
Modern Era
In Medieval Days convulsion and confusion
hindered the Church. Today peace and prosperity
hinders the Church. How is success achieved in
either case?
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 Gods
preparationfor the Reformation