christianity in late antiquity/early middle ages
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Christianity in Late Antiquity/Early Middle Ages. Western Civilization Ms. Tully. The Middle Ages. Western history divided up into roughly 3 eras: 1. Ancient/classical era (aka. Antiquity) 2. The Middle Ages 3. Modern era. The Middle Ages. Middle Ages: 5 th – 15 th century - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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Christianity in Late Antiquity/Early Middle AgesWestern CivilizationMs. Tully
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The Middle AgesWestern history
divided up into roughly 3 eras:◦ 1.
Ancient/classical era (aka. Antiquity)
◦ 2. The Middle Ages
◦ 3. Modern era
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The Middle Ages
Middle Ages: 5th – 15th century◦Early Middle Ages: 5th
cent. (fall of Rome) 1000 CE
◦High Middle Ages: 1000 – 1300 CE
◦Late Middle Ages: 1300 – 1500 CE
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Church/State Relationsafter fall of Western Roman
Empire, 2 sources of continuity:◦Eastern RE/Byzantine Empire◦Christian church
worked closely together in 4th-5th centuries
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Church/State Relations
312 CE: Constantine makes Christianity legal, encouraged◦no Roman taxes for clergy◦made Sunday a public
holiday, day of rest◦built Christian churches,
Lateran Palace (Pope’s home until 14th cent.)
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Lateran Palace
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Lateran Palace
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Church/State Relations
380 CE: emperor Theodosius makes Christianity official religion of empire◦practicing old Roman religion =
treason!◦allowed church to make own
courts for clergy/religious issues (canon law)
***church becoming independent, powerful political entity***
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Church/State Relations Get Nasty
political tension between church and state◦Theodosius orders
Bishop Ambrose of Milan to hand over cathedral to empire
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Bishop Ambrose’s Response
At length came the command, “Deliver up the basilica”; I reply, “It is not lawful for us to deliver it up, nor for your Majesty to receive it. By no law can you violate the house of a private man, and do you think that the house of God may be taken away? … But do not burden your conscience with the thought that you have any right as Emperor over sacred things … It is written, God’s to God and Caesar’s to Caesar. The palace is the Emperor’s, the churches are the Bishop’s. To you is committed jurisdiction over public, not over sacred buildings.
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Bishop Ambrose, cont.Statement served as cornerstone
of Christian theory of civil-ecclesiastical relations for centuries◦Church independent of state
jurisdiction◦Bishops judge of emperors◦Church ultimately the superior power
Orthodox church (Byzantine) less independent of secular control than Western church
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Church/State Relations
empire becoming a Christian society church ultimately
more powerful entity, because everyone (even the emperor) answers to God
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Organization of ChurchChurch filled power vacuum after fall of
RomeDiocletian (284-305) divided empire into
“dioceses” for administrative purposes◦Bishops est. headquarters in dioceses◦Central of authority = cathedral (Latin
cathedra)Bishop of Rome = Pope (Latin papa)Church leaders capitalized on Roman
imperial method of organization and adapted it to ecclesiastical purposes
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MonasticismRejected immorality of society –
first real nonconformists Began in Egypt in 3rd century
◦Individuals and small groups withdrew from city
Eremitical life – hermitism◦Hidden life
Coenobitic monasticism◦Communal living in monasteries
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St. BenedictBenedict of Nursia (480-543)
established regulations for monks – The Rule of St. Benedict◦Influenced all forms of religious life in
Roman church◦Regularity, discipline, moderation,
silence◦Balance between asceticism and activity
Became dominant form of Western monasticism
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Christianity & Classical CultureHard-lined piety
◦“The wisdom of the world is foolishness, we preach Christ crucified.” – St. Paul
◦“We have no need for curiosity since Jesus Christ, nor for inquiry since the gospel.” – Tertullian
Others argued acceptance of Greco-Roman (pagan) culture
Result = compromise◦The best ancient literature should be
interpreted in light of the Christian faith
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Christian Notions of Gender and SexualityJesus was a feminist!
◦ Believed women equal to men – no disreputable qualities, not inferior
Women some of Jesus’ earliest and most faithful converts◦ Active role in early
spread of Christianity“Virgins in the
service of Christ”◦ Worried Roman officials
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Paul’s Influence◦Forbad women to preach, hold offices in church◦Saw celibacy as superior to marriage
Jewish and classical Mediterranean culture viewed female subordination as natural and proper
Superiority of celibacy◦Mind superior to body◦Self-denial led to misogyny◦Women and female sexuality chief obstacles to
preferred existence◦Same-sex relations esp. evil/unnatural
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The church fathers’ misogyny and hostility toward sexuality had a greater influence on the formation of later attitudes than did the relatively egalitarian actions and words of Jesus.