Into the Darkness

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Into the Darkness

• 476- 800

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Quick review

• Rome falls in 476 A.D.
• The lack of a substantial and stable emperor
  leaves a power vacuum in the Roman Empire.
• The Church steps up.
• Well structured and organized
• God given authority
• Stability

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Rally Robin (Partner)

• Going back and forth with your Shoulder Partner,
  name as many things as possible that you saw the
  monks doing in the video.

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Round Robin

• What would be most difficult and why?
• Obedience
• Poverty
• Chastity
• Stability

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Growing East-West Tensions

• Emperor in Constantinople considered himself the
  only Roman emperor but he had no control over the
  West
• Different political evolution Each side of the
  empire had unique difficulties which caused its
  political structure to develop differently in
  relation to the Church (i.e., role of ruler)
• East thinks Patriarch Pope. Patriarch of
  Constantinople grew to equal importance of the
  Pope in Eastern Christianity but the west didnt
  share the same regard for the PoC ? tensions
  developed over who had the right to make decisions

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• East-West Tensions
• A shift to the use of the common language of the
  people in the Church in the East (Greek) v. West
  (Latin) ? leaders and theologians no longer
  understand each other
• Differences in practices developed ex rules
  about fasting, celibacy of clergy
• Spirituality of the East tended towards
  experiencing the mystical, whereas the West
  sought to explain mysteries
• Final religious split takes place in 1054.

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The Benedictine Order

• St. Benedict (480-547) Father of Western
  Monasticism
• Wrote The Rule of St. Benedict a book of
  precepts for living the monastic life style.
• The Rule can be summed up Ora et labora which
  means prayer and work.
• 1500 year old tradition.

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Monte Cassino Benedicts Main Monastery built
in 529.
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Monks Today Belmont Abbey
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Monks Saved the (western) World

• Monasteries become pockets of knowledge, culture,
  and prayer
• 3 Main Effects on Europe
• 1. Recovery and Evangelization of rural society
• - Boosted agriculture, acted as small towns for
  places not near cities.
• 2. Chief centers of learning and knowledge
• -Preserved important items and texts
• 3. Civilizing the Barbarians

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Pope St. Gregory the GreatThe Servant of the
Servants of God

• 540-604
• Originally the prefect of Rome civilian leader
  (mayor/police chief/treasurer)
• Lived as a monk established 6 monasteries
• Served as Papal Ambassador to Constantinople
  under Pope Pelagius II
• Elected as the 64th Pope in 590 ?1st monk to
  become pope
• Responsible for the conversion of much of Europe
  ? especially England
• Motivated by having watched a young English boy
  being sold as a slave

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Five Legacies of Pope Gregory the Great

• Friend of the Poor used Church wealth to feed
  the poor and build churches and city walls
• Church Leader and Reformer Standardized seminary
  education, wrote guidelines for Bishops and
  standards for the moral life of clergy
• Diplomat Sent negotiators and missionaries to
  barbarians
• Musician Organized and wrote Christian music ?
  Gregorian Chant
• Establishment of Christendom ? especially though
  the mission to Britain

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Early Mission Activity in Europe

• Monks were pivotal in the converting of pagan
  tribes.
• Violence and cruelty common among the barbarian
  tribes.
• Many lands and people converted when their King
  or leader converted.
• Europe totally Catholic (nominally) by 1330.

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Missionary Activity Continued

• Conversion of Franks

• Spain

• Spain is Christian due to the missionary efforts
  of the Apostle James the Greater and St. Paul
• Controlled by Visogoths in late 6th c.
• St. Hermengild (Visogoth prince) marries a
  Merovingian princess and eventually converts.
  Civil war with his father, captured and then
  killed.
• His brother converts to Catholicism and all of
  Spain soon follows.

• Clovis King of the Franks (late 400s) converted
  after winning battle.
• Married to St. Coltilda
• Merovingian Dynasty- Begins with Clovis.
• Clovis unites Gaul (modern day France)

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• The queen did not cease to urge him to recognize
  the true God and cease worshipping idols. But he
  could not be influenced in any way to this
  belief, until at last a war arose with the
  Alamanni, in which he was driven by necessity to
  confess what before he had of his free will
  denied. It came about that as the two armies were
  fighting fiercely, there was much slaughter, and
  Clovis's army began to be in danger of
  destruction. He saw it and raised his eyes to
  heaven, and with remorse in his heart he burst
  into tears and cried "Jesus Christ, whom
  Clotilda asserts to be the son of the 1iving God,
  who art said to give aid to those in distress,
  and to bestow victory on those who hope in thee,
  I beseech the glory of thy aid, with the vow that
  if thou wilt grant me victory over these enemies,
  and I shall know that power which she says that
  people dedicated in thy name have had from thee,
  I will believe in thee and be baptized in thy
  name. For I have invoked my own gods but, as I
  find, they have withdrawn from aiding me and
  therefore I believe that they possess no power,
  since they do not help those who obey them. I now
  call upon thee, I desire to believe thee only let
  me be rescued from my adversaries." And when he
  said thus, the Alamanni turned their backs, and
  began to disperse in flight. And when they saw
  that their king was killed, they submitted to the
  dominion of Clovis, saying "Let not the people
  perish further, we pray we are yours now." And
  he stopped the fighting, and after encouraging
  his men, retired in peace and told the queen how
  he had had merit to win the victory by calling on
  the name of Christ. This happened in the
  fifteenth year of his reign. - St. Gregory of
  Tours, History of the Frank

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Thinking Thursday

• A ladder hangs over the side of a ship anchored
  in a port. The bottom rung touches the water. The
  distance between rungs is 20 cm and the length of
  the ladder is 180 cm. The tide is rising at the
  rate of 15 cm each hour.When will the water
  reach the seventh rung from the top?

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Conversion of the Celts

• St. Patrick

• St. Columba

• Important saints who helped Irish Monasticism.
• Converted the Scots.
• His spirituality and spreading of the faith led
  to the use of private, frequent penance.

• Roman Briton born near the beginning of the 5th
  c.
• Captured by pirates and became a slave, worked in
  NW Ireland.
• Eventually he escaped and became a priest and
  Bishop of Ireland.
• Preached and converted thousands in Ireland.

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Conversion of England

• St. Augustine of Canterbury

• St. Bede

• Father of English History, known as Venerable
  Bede.
• First one to use B.C. and A.D.
• Sets standard of historical scholasticism, leads
  to how history ought to be written.

• Sent to evangelize in Britain in 596.
• Great example of obedience, upon hearing of the
  terrible violence of the Anglos/Saxons Augustine
  turns around and heads back to Rome. Gregory the
  Great then urges them and insists there is
  nothing to fear.
• Missionary efforts were not always successful.
  St. Augustine had to work very hard.

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Conversion of Germany

• St. Boniface Born Winfrid in England
• Apostle of Germany
• Plagued by despair and discouraged by his
  suffering and the difficulty of evangelizing to
  the Germans
• Felled the Oak of Thor- Not just cutting down a
  tree but a symbol of false gods and paganism.
• Martyred by pagans
• His work was pivotal in the expansion of
  Christianity within Germany. His establishment of
  monasteries, leadership, reform of the Church
  helped Catholicism take root and grow within the
  heart of Europe.

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Conversion of the Slavs

• St. Vladimir Apostle of the Russians
• Began as a Pagan Chieftain, multiple wives, many
  children worshipped idols and a feirce ruler
• Wanted to use religion to solidify his rule.
  Christianity was more edifying than Islam or
  Christianity
• Made a deal with Byzantine emperor Basil II ?
  Either I attack or I marry your sister Anna.
• St. Vladimir was baptized then marred Anna.
• Grace of God seemed to convert Vladimir. Reformed
  his ruling and focused on being a good follower
  of Christ.

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Conversion of Slavs continued

• St. Cyril and St. Methodius
• Helped convert the area of what is today
  Slovakia.
• Feast Day February 14!
• Did the liturgy in Slavic language
• What was the common language of the Church at
  that time?
• JPII ? Patrons of Europe

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Conversion of Scandinavia

• St. Ansgar (801-865) Apostle of the North
• Important figure with in Denmark and Sweden.
• Worked to undo the slave trade, example of the
  Churchs social progressiveness.

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So what?

• Evangelization is a necessary part of the
  Catholic faith. Jesus commands that we spread the
  word of God, Go and make disciples of all
  nations.
• Christendom has now been established but a new
  religion begins and history shall unfold
• Example of the Church being Apostolic

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Missionary review

• Clovis St. Clotilda
• St. Patrick
• St. Columba
• St. Augustine of Canterbury
• St. Bede
• St. Boniface
• St. Cyril and St. Methodius
• St. Vladimir
• St. Ansgar

• Franks, Gaul (France)
• Ireland
• Scotland
• England
• Father of English History
• Apostle of Germany
• Patrons of Europe , Slavic People
• Apostle of Russia
• Apostle of the North

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Rise of Islam

• Began in Mecca (Arabia) by Muhammad in 610
• Based on revelations by an angel of the one true
  God (Allah)
• A mix of Judaism, Nestorian Christianity and
  Arabian Paganism.
• Became very popular among tribal groups
  ?eventually led to jealousies that forced
  Muhammad and his followers (Muslims) to leave
  Mecca on the hijrah in 622 (year 1 on the Muslim
  Calendar) for the city of Medina
• Muslim submission to God
• Islam religion and way of life of Muslims

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Origins of Islam

• The prophet Muhammad preaches monotheism in
  Mecca.
• Forced to flee Mecca for his life. His teaching
  has caused problems with the Arabic elite.
• This flight is known as the hejira or flight in
  Arabic.
• Muhammad goes to Medina and is hailed as a
  religious leader. Becomes political and military
  leader of Medina.
• (While in Medina Muhammad slaughters the Jewish
  population of men and sells the women and
  children into slavery).
• 630 A.D. Muhammad conquers the city of Mecca. The
  Kaaba was spared destruction.

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Scripture

• BIBLE

• KORAN

• Written by one man in a cave Mohammed. Claimed
  that the angel Gabriel dictated the exact words
  of the Koran.
• Koran means recitation in Arabic.
• Written in the form of poetry, meant to be
  memorized.
• Koran is prescriptive.

• Written by many authors over time historical
  validity
• Multiple recordings of same event(s). i.e. 4
  Gospel accounts all telling the same story.
• Divinely inspired Holy Spirit works directly
  the free will of individuals to produce Christian
  scripture.
• The Canon (list of Biblical books) decided by
  authority of the Magisterium.
• The Bible is both prescriptive and descriptive.

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Comparison of Leaders

• JESUS

• MOHAMMED

• Raised as an orphan.
• Adopts monotheism and begins preaching.
• Political and Military leader.
• Has multiples wives, some very, very young.
• Teaches submission to the one god Allah.
• Dies of a fever at age of 63.

• Miraculous birth. Part of the Holy Family.
• Heals many, controls nature, casts out demons,
  raises others from the dead.
• Teaches about love, provides a perfect example
• Suffers the passion and dies on the cross.
  Resurrects.
• Ascends into heaven, promises to come again. Also
  provides help and grace in the mean time.

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Jewish-Christian-Muslim Relations

• Muslims consider Christians and Jews people of
  the Book
• Muslims also call of conversion or death of all
  non-believers.
• Jews and Christians have the same God, but
  Muslims think we corrupted the message of the
  prophets
• Many converted because of religious enthusiasm or
  tax breaks
• Muslim empire spread rapidly Spain by 700s
• Failed sieges on Constantinople and France
• defeated by Charles Martel_at_ Battle of Tours, 732
  if Muslims had been victorious all of Europe
  would have been conquered
• In conquests Jewish and Christian houses of
  worship were protected because God was worshipped
  there.

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Islamic Beliefs/Ideology

• Jihad struggle
• Greater Jihad- personal spiritual battle to
  follow religious duties
• Lesser Jihad physical struggle against the
  enemies of Islam.
• House of Islam/House of War
• Theocracy no separation of religion and
  government, both are one in the same.
• Allah is the same God of the Jews.
• Borrows from Judaism and Christianity claims
  those two Religions have misinterpreted Gods
  will.

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Excerpts from the Quran

• And if you fear that you will not deal justly
  with the orphan girls, then marry those that
  please you of other women, two or three or
  four. But if you fear that you will not be just,
  then marry only one or those your right hand
  possesses. That is more suitable that you may not
  incline to injustice. Quran 43
• Fight them until there is no more fitnah and
  until worship is acknowledged to be for Allah
  . But if they cease, then there is to be no
  aggression except against the oppressors.
  Fighting in the sacred month is for aggression
  committed in the sacred month, and for all
  violations is legal retribution. So whoever has
  assaulted you, then assault him in the same way
  that he has assaulted you. And fear Allah and
  know that Allah is with those who fear Him. Quran
  2193-194
• Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war
  against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon
  earth to cause corruption is none but that they
  be killed or crucified or that their hands and
  feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they
  be exiled from the land. That is for them a
  disgrace in this world and for them in the
  Hereafter is a great punishment. Quran 533
• Obey Allah and His Apostle" But if they turn
  back, Allah loveth hubb not those who reject
  Faith Quran 332

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Consider this.

• You have heard that it was said, An eye for an
  eye, and a tooth for a tooth. 39 But I say to
  you, do not resist an evil person but whoever
  slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to
  him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take
  your amshirt, let him have your ancoat also.
  41 Whoever aoforces you to go one mile, go with
  him two. 42 Give to him who asks of you, and do
  not turn away from him who wants to borrow from
  you. 43 You have heard that it was said, You
  shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
  44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray
  for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may
  apbe sons of your Father who is in heaven for
  He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the
  good, and sends rain on the righteous and the
  unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love
  you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax
  collectors do the same? 47 If you greet only your
  brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do
  not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Therefore
  aqyou are to be perfect, as your heavenly
  Father is perfect.
• Matthew 538-48

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Questions to Consider

• According to these scriptures do Christians and
  Muslims have the same God or are they essentially
  different?
• How do the views of marriage differ?
• How are enemies dealt with in Islam? In
  Christianity?
• Where did the Bible come from? Where did the
  Quran come from?
• As Christians we called to obey God. Why should
  we obey God? Why do Muslims obey Allah?

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What about Violent Bible Verses from the OT?

1. We must understand the bible as a whole, both OT
   and NT. OT violence must be understood in the
   light of Jesus Christ and his saving action.
2. The Bible has a certain degree of interpretation
   guided by the authority of the magisterium.
3. OT violence is described within a story, it is
   not proclaimed as a decree which Christians must
   follow. This is different from the Koran
   (prescriptive vs descriptive).

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Spreading of Islam

• Islam quickly spreads its empire after the death
  of Muhammad in 632.
• The spread of territory and religion go hand in
  hand. The Islamic faith seeks converts and wages
  war on non-believers.
• 638- Jerusalem falls
• 643 Alexandria falls
• 698 All of North Africa is under Muslim rule.
• 711 Spain falls
• 732 Muslim expansion into France is halted by
  Charles Martel in the Battle of Tours.
• Muslims also attempted to take over
  Constantinople twice in 717 and 740.

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Why does is spread so quickly?

• Muslims gave newly conquered civilians two
  options Conversion or the sword. Many chose to
  convert.
• 2. Islam appealed to the uncivilized, poor and
  ignorant.
• It requires blind faith, intellectually easy,
  satisfies religious instincts without forbidding
  the baser pleasures of human life.

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MISC.

• Islam claims is origins in the OT with Ishmael
  (Abrahams son) but denies the Messianic theme of
  the OT.
• Recognizes Jesus as a prophet but wholly denies
  the NT accounts of Jesus life.
• Rejects the divinity of Jesus
• Mohammed picked and chose what he liked and did
  not like from Christianity and Judaism.
• Preaches tolerance and peace but also the
  annihilation of non-believers.

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Thinking Thursday

• http//kids.niehs.nih.gov/games/riddles/rebus_puzz
  le.htm

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Battle of Tours 732 A.D.

• Muslim conquest is quelled by Charles Martel (The
  Hammer)
• Prevented from attacking Europe.
• Defining moment of Christendom Christian
  failure at the Battle of Tours would have led to
  full Muslim invasion of Europe and a very
  different story of history.
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?votCpCn0l4Wo

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http//www.youtube.com/watch?votCpCn0l4Wo
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Carolingian Dynasty

• Merovingian Dynasty corrupted and incompetent has
  nominal power over the Franks.
• Carolingian Dynasty (named for Charles Martel)
  maintains the actual power over the Franks.
• Charles Martel ? Pepin the Short ? Charlemagne

• Pepin the Short
• Short, built, physically strong stature
  (namesake), yet extremely smart and clever
  ambitious leader.
• Asked Pope St. Zachary to name him King of the
  Franks because it was him who actually held the
  power.
• The Pope officially recognized Pepin as the King
  bringing in the Carolingian Dynasty.
• Other members of the Carolingian Dynasty
• Charles the Fat, Charles the Bald, Charles the
  Simple, Pepin the Hunchback, Odo the Insane,
  Louis the Stammerer

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Franks and the Papacy

• November 11, 751 Pepin is crowned King of the
  Franks by St. Boniface.
• Pope has shown that it has the Authority to
  appoint secular Kings.
• Pepin becomes protector the Papacy
• Threatened by the Lombards (Italian barbarians)
  Rome (the Papcy) looks to the Franks for help.
• Pepin defeats the Lombards, preventing them from
  attacking Rome.
• Secures Ravenna and Perugia thus creating the
  Papal States.

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The Papal states

• Donation of Pepin
• The Papacy is now a sovereign political leader as
  well as a spiritual leader.
• Papacy gains independence from Byzantine
  influences.
• Provided set boundaries to protect against
  Lombards and other belligerents.
• - - - - -
• Graying of Spiritual and Political power of the
  Pope/Church.
• Temptation to abuse power can lead to the Church
  not always make the best decisions.

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Charlemagne Charles the Great

• Son of Pepin the Short.
• Reigned for almost half a century (769-814)
• Extremely effective and good leader
• Talented military strategist
• Very intelligent, knew Latin and Greek, memorized
  portions of City of God
• Brought about many reforms in his Frankish
  Kingdom political, religious, cultural.
• Devoted Catholic, adored the Church, created
  dioceses, gave to the poor protected the papacy,

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Charlemagne Uniting and rescuing

• July of 773 the Lombards (Barbarian tribe in
  Italy) threatened Rome. Charlemagne protects the
  papacy by defeating the Lombards.
• Makes himself King of the Lombards thus uniting
  the Germanic tribes under one ruler.
• Pope Leo III is attacked due to charges of
  corruption. Charlemagne comes to the rescue and
  helps the Pope regain his office.

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Holy Roman Emperor

• Christmas Day Mass in 800 Charlemagne is crowned
  by the Pope.
• Reaffirms Charlemagne as King of the Franks and
  Lombards but also gives him the imperial title of
  Holy Roman Emperor.
• This effectively includes the Germanic tribes
  into the Roman Empire.
• Byzantine (Eastern) Empire is not pleased with
  the coronation but soon accept Charlemagne as the
  Emperor.

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Charlemagne and the Saxons

• Charlemagne forced the Saxons to become
  Christians!
• How do we reconcile this?
• Keep in mind Saxons practiced human sacrifice and
  ritualistic cannibalism.
• Charlemagne struggles with the Saxons for 30
  years, they continuously broke treaties, looted
  and terrorized Frankish villages.
• 785 around 4,500 Saxons were tried in a military
  court and found guilty. They were all executed in
  one day. (Massacre of Verden)
• Strict laws were passed to prevent Saxons from
  reverting back into heathenism.