MEDIAEVAL  CHURCH HISTORY (500 - 1500 AD)

 

 

The Tripod of the Church Mediaeval History:

 

            Basing on the relevant events in the history of the Church, the time range of Church Mediaeval History starts from 476 AD, when the West Roman Empire fell to the 'barbarians', up to 1453, when the East Roman Empire fell to the hands of the Muslim Turks. In general, mediaeval age of the Church is hinged in two defeats of the Roman Empire. Within these two political downfalls, the Church had experienced tremendous tide of changes, both positive and negative, both a progress in all senses and regressions in all dimensions.

 

Europe, 500 AD

            The tripod of Church mediaeval history consists of Germanism, Romanism and Christianity. In the Middle Ages, these three elements were constantly influencing each other, that the main events in the history of the Church hail from these elements. And the result of the harmonious and the unharmonious blending of he three is Mediaeval Church history.

 

            Mediaeval Age focused on the activity of the GERMANIC tribes and other tribes outside the Roman Empire. Furthermore, it gave prominence to the subsequent conversion of these 'barbaric' tribes to Christianity specifically to the Catholic faith. These massive conversions were always attributed to the ever zealous activity of the monks in Ireland, Britain and Rome.

 

            Before, these tribes such as the Ostrogoths, Vandals, Lombards, Angles, Saxons, and many others were a menace to the Old Empire of Rome. They pillaged Roman cities including Rome itself, and threatened to banish Christianity from the face of the world. However, these similar people and their 'un-Roman' acts proved to be an asset for the Church, not necessarily for the Empire. These new people and their nations became the stronghold of Catholicism in Western Europe. And it started with Clovis, king of the Franks, through his conversion to Christianity in 496. His conversion was his vow to the god of the Christians if ever he would defeat the Alemannis. The Franks themselves became a great kingdom by 626, occupying and conquering the Germanic tribes such as the Ostrogoths and the Goths. Later, they became an Empire on par with the Byzantine and the Persian Empires, when the Pope himself crowned Charlemagne, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.

 

            This formation of the different tribes into more organized and systematic kingdoms and later into an Empire under Charlemagne was obviously influenced by spirit of the Roman Empire itself. The culture of Rome with its systematic judicial processes raised this formerly 'barbaric' kingdom into the dignity of an Empire, side by side with the existing great empires at that time.

 

            We see here two forces in tension always. Before the 5^th century, these so-called 'barbarians' were trying to penetrate the Empire of Rome. They were always repelled back by the former Emperors such as Theodosius the Great. But later, these foreign forces were able to enter into the fortified cities, either by force or by gradual immigration. They were hostile to each other, and seemingly cannot be reconciled in any ways possible.

 

            Thanks to the Catholic Church who served as the middle person between the two. How did the Church reconcile the two warring cultures and powers? The Church did not make the barbarians more Roman, or the Romans more barbaric. She made a harmonious fusion between the two by converting the 'barbarians' and entrusting to them the care of the Empire from the Old to the New world order.

 

            Thus, Christianity became the catalyst between the two. Nevertheless, this fusion did not happen overnight. It took centuries for the three influential entities to act in the stage of history, in order to produce what we now call the Church Mediaeval History.

 

           

Characteristics of the Church Mediaeval History:

 

            There are four main characteristics used to describe the identity of the Church in the Middle Ages. They are: a) Christian unity, b) relationship between 'sacerdotum' and 'emperium', c) preponderance of the Church in education, and 4) feudalism.

 

            By characteristics, we mean that the Mediaeval Age of the Church is full of these four realities. It was as if these were the kind of air we breathe if we transport ourselves into this time. Moreover, these serve as the theme of the age; that with their presence, we can truly say, it is the Middle Ages.

 

a) Christian unity - during this time, the international community of nations and people were united around the and under the watchful eye of the Roman Pontiff. Different form our time today, theirs was the great reverence to the Pope as the highest authority after God, that no one can judge the pope except God. Secondly, the society itself, after the Christianization of the barbaric nations, was Christian. Unlike today's secularized world, each nation integrate into its state laws the laws of the Christian religion.

 

b) Relationship between the Church and State - the internal life of the community was determined by the symbiosis between Church and State, the papacy and the empire. In the West, there was dualism while in the East, there was centralism (caesaropapism - the emperor considered himself as the supreme leader of the Church). In the newly established Holy Roman Empire, the king recognized the sovereignty of pope and the pope respected the king's right. When the balance is disturbed, tensions and battles would always occur.

 

c) preponderance of the Church in education - the Church in Middle Ages had a strong monopoly on education. The only intellectual at that time were clerics (priests and bishops). Clerics became advisers to the court of the kings and queens. Universities were established around 1200, where all professors were clerics. It was only in the latter part of the Mediaeval time that there were laity who can be rightfully addressed as doctors, lawyers, or humanists.

 

d) feudalism - this system was not practiced in Rome, but in Germany after the people were converted to Christianity. It is a system of relationship between the vassal and the landlord. The vassal promised to give service to the king and the king is duty bound to protect the people under him. These vassals had lesser tenants who tilled the soil and work for them. This is a system of society wherein everyone is under the lesser tenants, who were in turn under the tenants-in-chief (duke, counts, and bishops) who are under the king. In this system, it is obvious that even the Church was controlled by the king.

 

Division of the Church Mediaeval History:

 

1) First Epoch (500 - 700 AD) - this is the age of missionary activity of the Church towards the barbarian conquerors. They, who conquered the Empire by the sword, were conquered by the Church with a cross. This was the time of Clovis' conversion, missionary works Gregory of Tours, the establishment of the Frankish kingdom by Pippin the short and his dynasty and mass baptism.

 

2) Second Epoch (700 - 1050 AD) - cohesion between the Roman Church and the barbaric kingdoms. This period was the time of Charlemagne who made so much contribution to the Church. This was the time when the Pope and the king were one in mind and heart.

 

3) Third Epoch (1050 - 1300) - the times of conflicts between the Church and the State, personified through Henry IV and Gregory VII, Barbarossa and Alexander II. Intellectual life in this time developed with the advent of the Scholastics like Thomas Aquinas. This bitter tension reached its peak in the conflict of Boniface VIII and Philip the Fair.

 

4) Fourth Epoch (1300 - 1500) - this age is signified by the birth of the Lay Spirit of Nationalism, as well as the disintegration of the western community.

 

            As a summary, the Church in Mediaeval period was one of the great influencing factors in the formation of the new civilization of the Western Empire. She tainted the color of Christianity to the society brought up by her unitive role. In short, what reconcile the two different cultures of the Goths and of the Romans was the teaching of Catholic Church on Jesus Christ. She truly build the Christian society.

 

            On the other hand, the Church was also influenced by the ones she influenced. Changes in her liturgy, disciplines, and theology were much indicative of that time. Abuses and sinfulness crept into the Church, so much so, she would need a real reform for most of her life. Unfortunately, this was not given emphasis. Reforms therefore were strongly felt in the latter part of the period. In fact, the modern period of the Church would start with the great Protestant Reform, started by Martin Luther.

 

            While it is very myopic to say that Mediaeval Age of the Church is all Dark Age (for many papal abuses were committed in this period), it is also an exaggeration to consider that the Church was all holy during this journey of faith and life. The Church has truly benefited many learning experiences from this age; they may be encouraging or discouraging.