1. Ekklesia: Christian Communities 300-1000

2. Overview Background How did Christianity unify Western European culture? –Through the establishment of Christian communities –A long term process What was the role of monasticism in this process? –Islands of intense commitment to Christianity –Authors of hagiography: Christian heroes –Preservers of classical and Christian texts

3. Background With the collapse of the political authority of the Roman Empire, political power fragmented into local centers, such as –chieftains or feudal lords –priests and bishops During the early Middle Ages (500-1000 CE) missionaries, kings, queens, and monasteries established Christianity as the dominant religion of Europe

4. How did Christianity unify Europe? Identification of a common –belief in the nature of God and attainment of the afterlife –Heroes: martyrs and saints –enemies: non Christians or heretical Christians –ruler/leader: bishops; Christian kings and princes –history/mythology: the Bible provided a view of the distant past God intervenes on behalf of his people –way of life - ethics, sexual mores, social relations –set of rituals - group activities that often reinforce or explain social relations

5. Christian Heroes: Age of Martyrs, 100-312 Key features of Christianity during this formative period: –cult –underground –believers often endured torture –unwilling to accept the Emperor as God –the heroism of martyrs provides basis for Christian solidarity

6. Beowulf

7. What was the religious relationship between the poem’s main characters and its audience around 800-1000? A.Both the characters and the audience were pagans B.Both the characters and the audience were Christians C.While the audience was mostly pagan, the characters were quasi-Christian D.While the audience embraced Christianity, the characters were depicted as likeable but flawed pagans.

8. Which of the following was true about Beowulf the king? A.He prepared his son to assume a position of leadership B.He ruled for 50 years C.His kingdom had nothing to fear from its enemies upon his death D.He deliberately engaged in a program of building loyalty and teamwork among his thegns

9. Why was Beowulf a failure as a king? What caused his failings? How well did Beowulf listen to Hrothgar’s advice? Based on the story, how could Christianity strengthen kingship?

10. Layout of an Irish Monastery

11. The Proliferation of Irish/Celtic Monasticism 500-800 CE

12. Christian Evangelism among the English 550-700 CE

13. Pope Gregory the Great c. 600 author of the life of St. Benedict

14. Augustine of Canterbury c. 600

15. St. Benedict writing his rule c. 530 CE

16. Roman Tonsure

17. Synod of Whitby - 664

19. Christianity was a book religion Codex Amiatinus c. 700

20. Monastic scribes

21. Cross page from the Lindisfarne Gospels, British Museum Lindisfarne Gospels c. 700

22. Book of Kells c. 800 Artistic Revival

23. How did Germanic people react to the introduction of writing?

24. Rituals & Processions Strengthened Collective Identity

25. Benedictine Monasticism included communal prayer

26. Christian Monasticism Started in the Egyptian desert c. 300 It tended to be hermetic

27. St. Simeon Stylites c.430

28. Faith = Loyaly to God

29. Hope = Bravery St. Boniface converts the continental Saxons c. 720

30. Charity St. Martin of Tours 316-397 CE

31. Archbishop Turpin in Song of Roland

32. St. John’s Eve Bonfire

33. The Anglo-Saxons c. 450-1066

34. St. Boniface c. 680-754 Born in Devonshire and joined Benedictine monastery in Exeter Migrated to Germany where he engaged in conversion of the pagan Saxons Martyred in modern Holland

35. Hagiography – General Overview Literally means writings about holy things but generally applies to written accounts of saints lives Not written for purpose of historical accuracy but rather to perpetuate their memory among the faithful –Edification and emulation not information –To reflect Christ like qualities –All saints are one: the communion of saints Originated with the veneration of martyrs –Christian heroism –Annual commemoration on the martyr's birthday –Relics worshipped for spiritual powers –Prayers to martyrs

36. The Definition of Orthodoxy 312-451 (standardization of beliefs) Standardization of canonical texts Councils –Nicaea (325) –Chalcedon (451) Church Fathers –Augustine, Jerome, Gregory Controversies –Hierarchical purity (Donatism) –Trinitarian (Arians) –Christological (Monophysites)

37. The Common Enemy: Heretics Before 500, the institutional Church persecuted –Donatists –Arians –Monophysites –Heresy of the three languages –Pagans After 1000 –Muslims & Jews –Cathars/Albigensians –Lollards –Hussites –Protestantants

38. A Common Enemy: Donatism Donatus –associated with anti-corruption –the persecution of 303 –organizes rival hierarchy in N. Africa Donatism (c. 300 - c. 700) –sacraments performed by corrupt priests are null and void –refuted by St. Augustine c. 400 –remains influential until Muslim conquest –reinforced by cultural differences

39. A Common Enemy: Arians Arius (250-336) –denied divinity of Christ –excommunicated in 321 Arianism (c. 300-c.550) –sympathizers in Syria, Palestine, barbarian Europe –viewed as a pagan heresy –most influential c. 350 –independence from imperial domination –attacked by Emperor Theodosius c.380

40. A Common Enemy: Monophysites (430-650) One nature of Christ: divine was the common assumption Cultural fissures played a huge role in the spread of this schism –Aramaic language - Syrian monophysites –Egyptian language - Coptic monophysites –monophysitism was particularly strong in rural society Underlying issue –Competition for power between Byzantine patriarch and patriarchs of Syria and Alexandria –Control of orthodoxy

41. Authority and the Church Where does authority reside? Several views: –ceasaropapism - unified temporal and spiritual authority; in other words, the emperor exercises religious authority –papal authority - plenitudino potestas: unlimited authority of a single spiritual leader who is superior to the temporal authority –Church Councils - gathers of bishops and clerical princes –Saints - Holy men who exercised authority beyond their institutional position e.g. St. Bernard –Bishops - exercised spiritual and temporal authority at the local level, where it really mattered

42. Christian History/Mythology Shared beliefs about the past unified Christians Life of Christ and The New Testament –the Gospels were the word of God; indisputable –early compilers: Irenaeus c. 180 CE –the Christian canon of gospels is essentially finalized by 360 CE Hagiography –lives of martyrs were the first instances of hagiography –lives of other saints, such as Anthony, Patrick, and Benedict, proliferate in early Middle Ages –miracles –hagiography begins c. 360 and continues into late Middles Ages

43. Western Monasticism Communities of devout Christians who exercized enormous influence over European civilization –Early Period: 400-800 Proliferation of orders –Standardization: 819-1100 Benedictines continually grappled with reform –New Orders Emerge after 1100 Cistercians Franciscans Dominicans Carmelites Carthusians Augustinians

44. The Benedictines Established by St. Benedict (c.480- c.547) Tonsure - the monastic haircut Clothing - unity through a similar appearance Code of Conduct –poverty, chastity, & obedience were vows all monks took –stability & consensus were guiding principles of organization Rituals/Liturgical hours - opus Dei –matins –vespers –5 others

45. Benedictines 800-1100 Increasing wealth Periodic Reforms –816-819: Benedict of Aniane –Cluny –Citeaux Literary contributions –Monastic schools –scriptoria –hagiography –history

46. Rituals for the Laity and Clergy Christian Rituals: Sacraments –baptism –eucharist –penance –ordination –extreme unction –confirmation By sharing in these rituals, Christians developed a common identity

47. Summary Christianity provided a powerful force for community building during the Early Middle Ages –on the macro level it united Europeans across social and political boundaries –on the micro level, it provided the basis for the establishment of Christian devotional communities: monasteries As missionaries, such as Patrick, spread Christian beliefs, it sometimes challenged and other times reinforced existing social identities across Europe

48. Summary The establishment of monastic communities across western Europe between 600 and 800 CE created an institutional framework for the consolidation of Christian beliefs and culture across areas that had previously been both inside and outside of the Roman Empire In many ways Christianity promoted the fusion of barbarian and Greco-Roman cultures while adding its own distinct cultural elements