Christianity in Late Antiquity/Early Middle AgesWestern CivilizationMs. Tully

The Middle AgesWestern history

divided up into roughly 3 eras:◦ 1.

Ancient/classical era (aka. Antiquity)

◦ 2. The Middle Ages

◦ 3. Modern era

The Middle Ages

Middle Ages: 5th – 15th century◦Early Middle Ages: 5th

cent. (fall of Rome) 1000 CE

◦High Middle Ages: 1000 – 1300 CE

◦Late Middle Ages: 1300 – 1500 CE

Church/State Relationsafter fall of Western Roman

Empire, 2 sources of continuity:◦Eastern RE/Byzantine Empire◦Christian church

worked closely together in 4th-5th centuries

Church/State Relations

312 CE: Constantine makes Christianity legal, encouraged◦no Roman taxes for clergy◦made Sunday a public

holiday, day of rest◦built Christian churches,

Lateran Palace (Pope’s home until 14th cent.)

Lateran Palace

Lateran Palace

Church/State Relations

380 CE: emperor Theodosius makes Christianity official religion of empire◦practicing old Roman religion =

treason!◦allowed church to make own

courts for clergy/religious issues (canon law)

***church becoming independent, powerful political entity***

Church/State Relations Get Nasty

political tension between church and state◦Theodosius orders

Bishop Ambrose of Milan to hand over cathedral to empire

Bishop Ambrose’s Response

At length came the command, “Deliver up the basilica”; I reply, “It is not lawful for us to deliver it up, nor for your Majesty to receive it. By no law can you violate the house of a private man, and do you think that the house of God may be taken away? … But do not burden your conscience with the thought that you have any right as Emperor over sacred things … It is written, God’s to God and Caesar’s to Caesar. The palace is the Emperor’s, the churches are the Bishop’s. To you is committed jurisdiction over public, not over sacred buildings.

Bishop Ambrose, cont.Statement served as cornerstone

of Christian theory of civil-ecclesiastical relations for centuries◦Church independent of state

jurisdiction◦Bishops judge of emperors◦Church ultimately the superior power

Orthodox church (Byzantine) less independent of secular control than Western church

Church/State Relations

empire becoming a Christian society church ultimately

more powerful entity, because everyone (even the emperor) answers to God

Organization of ChurchChurch filled power vacuum after fall of

RomeDiocletian (284-305) divided empire into

“dioceses” for administrative purposes◦Bishops est. headquarters in dioceses◦Central of authority = cathedral (Latin

cathedra)Bishop of Rome = Pope (Latin papa)Church leaders capitalized on Roman

imperial method of organization and adapted it to ecclesiastical purposes

MonasticismRejected immorality of society –

first real nonconformists Began in Egypt in 3rd century

◦Individuals and small groups withdrew from city

Eremitical life – hermitism◦Hidden life

Coenobitic monasticism◦Communal living in monasteries

St. BenedictBenedict of Nursia (480-543)

established regulations for monks – The Rule of St. Benedict◦Influenced all forms of religious life in

Roman church◦Regularity, discipline, moderation,

silence◦Balance between asceticism and activity

Became dominant form of Western monasticism

Christianity & Classical CultureHard-lined piety

◦“The wisdom of the world is foolishness, we preach Christ crucified.” – St. Paul

◦“We have no need for curiosity since Jesus Christ, nor for inquiry since the gospel.” – Tertullian

Others argued acceptance of Greco-Roman (pagan) culture

Result = compromise◦The best ancient literature should be

interpreted in light of the Christian faith

Christian Notions of Gender and SexualityJesus was a feminist!

◦ Believed women equal to men – no disreputable qualities, not inferior

Women some of Jesus’ earliest and most faithful converts◦ Active role in early

spread of Christianity“Virgins in the

service of Christ”◦ Worried Roman officials

Paul’s Influence◦Forbad women to preach, hold offices in church◦Saw celibacy as superior to marriage

Jewish and classical Mediterranean culture viewed female subordination as natural and proper

Superiority of celibacy◦Mind superior to body◦Self-denial led to misogyny◦Women and female sexuality chief obstacles to

preferred existence◦Same-sex relations esp. evil/unnatural

The church fathers’ misogyny and hostility toward sexuality had a greater influence on the formation of later attitudes than did the relatively egalitarian actions and words of Jesus.