The Church in the Middle Ages
Dark Ages Documentary H – How were East and West different? West – Rural, less education, resources, many barbarian kingdoms East – Cities, more trade/resources, education, refinement, united empire East continued over 1000 years after fall of Rome Name Byzantine? Byzantium, on which Constantinople was built Thought of themselves as Romans
Dark Ages Documentary, cont. H What year did Justinian come to power? Justinian ( ) last attempt to unite empire H – Un-Christian things he did. Extorted and cheated money from people. H – How did subjects react? Nika Revolt of 532 H – How did he react? Killed over 30,000 rebels and political enemies
Dark Ages Documentary, Cont. H – Hugely expensive building Hagia Sophia – Church of Holy Wisdom Third structure on same site Name means? Isaiah 11:2-3; Isaiah 28:29; Proverbs 3:22-31 O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from one end to the other, mightily and sweetly ordering all things: Come and teach us the way of prudence. Height of Byzantine Architecture Turned into a mosque in 1453, now a museum
Dark Ages Documentary, Cont. H – Enemy stopped Justinian Bubonic plague – 542 AD Spread by fleas on rats H – About 50 million died
Nestorian Controversy Arian controversy (300s) about Christ’s relationship to God Nestorian controversy about how Christ’s divine and human natures relate Nestorius, P. of Constantinople ( ) Jesus has two natures that aren’t united Known as nestorianism Opposing view - Monophysitism – “one nature” Jesus’ human nature absorbed into his divinity
Nestorian Controversy Three councils in 481, 553, 681 to deal with it. Emperor Heraclius issued compromise in 638 Pope in Rome refused to agree Later Pope (Martin I) arrested, died in Constantinople Beginning of what became known as… The Great Schism Eventually formed separate Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches Armenian, Syrian, and Coptic (Egypt) churches (to name a few) also separated Lack of unity one reason Islam spread quickly
East/West Schism (split) 1.Nestorian controversy 2.Iconoclastic controversy Iconoclast One who disagrees with veneration of icons even to point of destroying them Icons – relics of the church To Orthodox church, icons a window to God Pope Leo III declared them idols in 726 Ordered them to be destroyed
East/West Schism (split) 1.Nestorian controversy 2.Iconoclastic controversy 3.Charlemagne crowned Emperor of West 800 AD West no longer dependent on Byzantine empire
East/West Schism (split) 1.Nestorian controversy 2.Iconoclastic controversy 3.Charlemagne crowned Emperor of West 4.Filioque (late 800s AD) Means “and the son” “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.” Words added to the Nicene Creed in the West
East/West Schism (split) 1.Nestorian controversy 2.Iconoclastic controversy 3.Charlemagne crowned Emperor of West 4.Filioque (late 800s AD) 5.Michael Cerularius’ Manifesto (1054) P. of Constantinople – accused West of errors 1.Use of unleavened bread in Eucharist 2.Custom of fasting on Saturdays 3.Eating meat of strangled animals 4.Forbidding Alleluia during Lent 5.Use of filioque 6.Forcing celibacy of priests
Trouble with Turks Defeated Byzantine Army in 1071 Set up capitol in Iconium East appealed to the Franks for help Resulted in first crusade (1095)
Filioque – (And the son) Skim John 14:15-31 and John 16:5-16 Find verses that talk about from whom the Holy Spirit comes, Father or Son? Are there any other verses that can build the case for “and the Son.”
Orthodox Church Orthodox (capital O) All churches of the Orthodox tradition Come from Byzantine/Greek church John of Damascus (d. 749) “Father of Orthodoxy” Christ more God than man (Nestorian influence) Need a go-between Mary John of D. believed Mary divine No original sin
Orthodox Church Orthodox (capital O) All churches of the Orthodox tradition Come from Byzantine/Greek church Under Basil II, height of Byzantine influence Russia converted Basil’s sister (Anna) married Vlad, prince of Kiev
East/West Tensions