The Spread of Christianity in Europe

The Rise of Religious Orders Early Christian Monasteries •Deeply religious men gathered in monasteries (places where people can dedicate their lives to prayer and meditation). • Monks kept the tradition going to find religious orders. • A religious order is a community of men and women devoted to prayer who follow certain vows.

The Conversion of Europe The Rule of Saint Benedict • A monk named Benedict of Nursia was shocked by the corruption he saw in the Roman Church, so he left to live as a hermit. • He founded a monastery in 529. He had strict rules to follow before becoming a monk. You had to spend a trial year at the monastery. It would be decided by the abbot (head of the monastery) if you were worthy or not of becoming a monk. If he made it, he had to take a vow of being a monk until his death. • Monks had long, tiring days. Some cared for sick people, worked in libraries, or studied.

The Conversion of Europe Women in Religious Orders • The religious orders were for women, also. The nuns spent their time studying or praying. They also cared for sick people and grew herbs and food. If they did not marry, they became convents. There, they could study or become poets or musicians.

The Conversion of Europe St. Patrick converts Ireland He was born in Britain. He was captured by pirates as a young boy and sold into slavery in Ireland. • After 6 years St. Patrick escaped and went home to Britain. Inspired by his faith, he went back to Ireland to convert the people to Christianity. • Over time, he gained their trust & friendship and they accepted the Christian faith. He founded over 300 churches in Ireland. • When St. Patrick died, Ireland was almost entirely converted into Christianity.

The Conversion of Europe Gregory I Converts England • Before becoming pope, he saw captured Angles from England sold as slaves in Rome. Once he became pope in 597, he sent monks over to England to spread Christianity. • Over the next century, most people in England became Christian.

The Conversion of Europe Converting Pagan Europe • Missionaries were working all over Europe. • Saint Boniface led the conversion of the pagans. He worked for 35 years to convert Germany and the Netherlands to Christianity. He became known as the “ Apostle of Germany.” When Boniface turned 80, he was murdered by angry pagans. Missionaries brought back older beliefs to win the trust of the pagans. • The Germans decorated the fir tree with candles to symbolize winter solstice.

The Conversion of Europe Christian Teachings • The Church taught that the body is sinful and weak and that the Devil was always waiting to tempt humans into sinful behavior. The only way to resist temptation was to go to Church. • Heaven was pictured as a perfect place to be with no harm or pain. Hell was pictured as a dark and scary place as a fiery pit of evil. To get to heaven, people had to believe in God and follow Christ’s teachings. They had to watch the sacred rites of the Church. • The Church had great power and no one dared to challenge to power of the Church.

The Conversion of Europe Christendom • After a long period of time, almost everybody in Europe was a Christian. • Christendom was a large community of Christians spread across Europe. Even though Christians spoke different languages and followed different customs, they all were a part of Christendom. It gave them a sense of purpose and a common identity.