Missions History of Missions

Dr. Robert PattonMissionary to Suriname,

South America

Confrontation with Islam

Within 100 years after the death of Mohammed in 632, Islam had spread across western Africa to Spain and finally was stopped in France at the battle of Tours. In the east, it spread across the middle east into Pakistan and further. Then for 400 years, there was a stalemate punctuated by Crusades which never really won the areas back for any length of time

Spread during first caliphates

Spread of Islam

Spread of Islam

The crusades

There were a number of crusades mostly from the 11th to the 13th centuries. Motives were mixed – to regain the Holy Land from the Muslims, but also many atrocities were committed on both sides – and against the Jews as well, resulting in long term animosity with Islam

The first crusade was by

Peter the Hermit and others – a group of unorganized Frenchmen, many of whom never reached Constantinople, and those who passed were either killed by the Turks or sold as slaves

Seige during crusades

The crusades

There were 7 crusades between 1096-1270

Motives were mixed and results scanty The crusades were both militarily and

spiritually a disaster. The first crusade did win Nicea, Antioch

and Jerusalem. The knights started a feudal system and organized the Knights Templar to protect the areas

Second crusade

Muslims captured Edessa, and the king of France and emperor of the Holy Empire fought unsuccessfully

Saladin won Jerusalem in 1187

Third crusade – kings crusade

3 kings – Frederick drown, and Phillip returned to France. Richard continued, failed defeat Saladin, but was able to have safe conduct for pilgrims to come to Jerusalem

Fourth crusade resulted in weaking the Eastern church and increasing resentment. They sacked Constantinople

Crusades

Sixth crusade opened a corridor to Jerusalem and the Christians were in charge, but only briefly before the Saracens took back control

The seventh was the tragic children’s crusade, which was a total disaster

The crusades They were a “religious war” to get the

Holy Land back There were many atrocities committed

with great bitterness and loss of life The church, who was given the

sword of the Spirit, the word of God, degraded to using the sword of might given to the government, not the church

Further antagonism with the eastern church

The crusades came from the west, but when lands were won, they were placed under the western church, and not the eastern church whose “guests” they were

Results of the crusades

The east was weakened until it fell to the Muslims

The west found nationalism beginning as feudal lords remained in the area of the middle east

The pope became more powerful with the support of several groups of monks

Saladin – muslim conqueror

Raymond Lull, missionary to Islam

Raymond Lull, initially a profligate (1232), saw two visions of Christ. He resigned his wife & family, leaving them adequate finances, and became a monk, and after another vision, he eventually learned Arabic & reached out to Muslims.

He had a Saracen slave to learn Arabic, and almost killed him after the slave cursed Christ; the slave committed suicide after being jailed.

He left support for his wife and family and became a missionary

Raymond Lull, missionary to Islam He was an apologist and wrote 60 books

on theology He opened a monastery in Majorca,

Spain for training evangelists with the help of King James II of Spain

On his first missionary venture, he lost heart, and his goods were taken back off the ship, which sailed without him. He relented and went on the next ship

Raymond Lull, missionary to Islam

Finally he returned to Bugia, east of Algiers

After 10 months hiding, he presented himself publicly no longer hiding, and was stoned to death in 1315

Apparently some of his philosophical ideas were not well accepted, but it is clear that he had a tremendous burden and love for the Muslims

Raymond Lull (or Llull)

Life of Raymond Lull

Mongols invade Europe

The Mongols swept east to China and west to the middle of Europe, sweeping everything away in their path

Their leader – Genghis Khan The pope sent 3 envoys asking him

to become a Christian. He sent back three replies asking the pope to submit to him as divinely ordered ruler of the world

Genghis Khan

Christianity had spread to Central Asia and the Nestorians were expanding in Mongolia and China

Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan empire

Genghis Khan

Marco Polo

Marco Polo

This famous explorer met Kublai Khan, who requested 100 Christians to come to his empire to teach

Polo returned after a hazardous trip, but only one man eventually arrived, John of Monte Corvino

Kublai Khan accepting gifts from Marco Polo

Marco Polo’s trip

John of Monte Corvino

Sent to Kublai Khan after a delay of 20 years. Marco Polo had relayed a request of the Khan for 100 men to show the superiority of the Christian faith, but the pope did nothing. Finally another pope sent just 2 men, and one arrived

John of Montecorvino

John

Seven monks arrived to consecrate him as bishop. Later a second site was opened. Then other monks came and the work expanded.

However they were an embassy. Later the Chinese defeated Mongolia and the Christian presence stopped 200 years

Danish-Halle Mission

When the king of Denmark became a pietist, he wanted to evangelize India.

Having no missionaries, they ordained two Lutheran missionaries, Ziegenbalg & Pluschau. However, secret information went to the Danish East Indies Company to hinder their work in every possible way

John

Seven monks arrived to consecrate him as bishop. Later a second site was opened. Then other monks came and the work expanded.

However they were an embassy. Later the Chinese defeated Mongolia and the Christian presence stopped 200 years

Mongols on the west

Monks adapted beards and walked with the Mongols. It appeared with the conversion of Toqtai that there was a breakthrough, but his sons became Muslims and the Mongols became Muslims rather than Christians

There was brief success around the Black sea, that went Muslim later

Mongols in Persia & India

First Christians were prominent and tolerated. Dominicans tried to reach this area with limited success.

There was an attempt in India also with virtually no success

There was little permanent success in Asia

Distance was partly a problem, but the hordes of barbarians another

Tamerlane destroyed much of western culture and Christianity by 1405. He was brilliant but ruthless

Tammerlane

Continued confrontation with Islam

In 1453, Constantinople fell and the Mongols set up their empire to northern India, then Malaysia to the East Indies to Mindanao from the Roman Catholics spreading south. Islam for a while was the world’s largest religion

The fall of Constantinople

Roman Catholic evangelization

Pope Gregory the great - missionary & pope - accommodated the religion of the pagans with some compromise and mixture

Gregory VII – the great

Roman Catholic evangelization

The corruption of the church led many to try to escape to a personal relationship with the Lord through monasticism

The Franciscan, Benedictine, Dominican, Augustinian, Jesuits had the biggest outreach into other countries

Benedictus

He started the first system of monasteries with several under him

He ordered the life of the monks so that they would take time in worship, work, and study

He set an order with poverty, chastity, and obedience

Benedict

Cluny reforms

The monasteries became wealthy and corrupt

The Cluny abbot was directly responsible to the pope, and appointed other abbots under him. Eventually there were 1100 monasteries under him

No simony (selling church offices) or nepotism (favoritism to families), celibacy

They began missionary outreach

Cluny reforms

Cluny monasteries

Cluny needed reformation itself

Cluny became wealthy, with many aristocrats

Several orders were renewed and developed – Benedictine renewed with central organization and asceticism

Bernard of Clairvaux set up a great Ciscerian monastery – mystic & theologian

Bernard of Clairvaux and a painting of his vision

Monasteries

Some were military (lasted 150 years or so)

Friars – not in monastery, and supported by alms. Worked directly with the people, preached in vernacular

The Franciscians were especially involved in missionary outreach. Later a number of intellectuals were in it

Franciscans

They began under the leadership of Francis foe Assisi

They did much missionary work A number of great intellectual

leaders of the Roman Catholic church were from this order

Francis of Assisi

Dominicans

Started by Dominic, a noble They were loyal to a prior, and also

very loyal to the pope – increasing his strength

Many outstanding missionaries Most famous theologian – Thomas

Aquinas Ran the inquisition

Dominic; picture imagining angels with Thomas Aquinas

Reform movements 12th century

Albigenses – ?believed in dualism and denied the purity of the material – more like gnosticism. However, much information is from their enemies. Perhaps they were orthodox.They were brutally hunted and killed – especially in southern France

Waldensians –Protestants – wanted to preach as poor layman but excommunicated by pope

Peter Waldo

Apparently a rich man gave his property to his wife and gave his goods to the poor.

He is credited in making the first translation of the scriptures in a local European tongue

He preached voluntary poverty, and denied transsubstantiation, and had lay preachers

Peter Waldo

He traveled to Rome and presented his ideas – initially inconclusive

Later he was excommunicated by the pope and his teaching was denied by the 4th Laterine Council of 1215

His followers were viciously persecuted

Peter Waldo

Waldensians

Started their own groups when kicked out of the church. Apparently some secret groups tolerated in the church which were Waldenisian in nature

Church tried to win the “heretics’ over, to eliminate them by persecution, and forbad vernacular Bibles to avoid invidious comparisons with the church

Popes

Nicolas II was a strong pope, followed by a series of weak men, with once 3 men claiming to be pope! Finally with Leo IX a strong pope took over, and the power of the papacy increased to Innocent III

Although the mass was not accepted until much later as a sacrifice, it was beginning to be so, and increased priestly power

Pope Leo IX & Innocent III

Papal supremacy

Hildebrand helped Leo IX, and then Nicholas II – finacial head – and the selection of the pope in the hands of the cardinals. He was elected unanimously and was Gregory VII

Gregory VII placed the pope above all temporal authorities. When Henry fought, the pope left him barefoot int the snow 3 days before releasing excommunication

Gregory VII

Papal authority

The church was freed from the power of the state through a compromise

Innocent III, humble and well educated, believed that God made him the vicar of Christ above all secular and spiritual powers. He forced the king of France to restore his wife when the king was granted a divorce. He humbled King John of England – using an interdict in both cases

Papal authority

Innocent started a crusade Called laterine Council where

transubstantiation was approved, and all people must attend mass at least at Easter and confess yearly to a priest

After Innocent, Boniface lost great power. Eventually for 70 years or so, the pope was in France and under French domination

East and West split 1054

Constantine began by moving his center to Constantinople. By 385, the separation was there and the emperor controlled the patriarch of the east, but not the bishop of the West.

In the east, emperors were almost popes, and in the west, popes were almost emperors

East & West break 1054

The pope excommunicated the patriarch on the high altar of St. Sophia

The patriarch called the pope anathema

The breach was not healed until 1965

This, of course, has had an impact on missions and which direction the churches will try to reach

Comparison East & West church

Practical Celibate priesthood Can shave Latin Holy Spirit from Father

and Son Use pictures & statues

Theoretical Lower level priests

marry Beards required Greek Holy Spirit only from

Father Kept icons; no pictures

Greek Orthodox outreach

Princess Olga became a Christian and influenced Vladimir – 988. Russia and the slavs became open to Christianity

Roman Catholic orders

Franciscan – 1182-1226 Dominicans – 1170-1221 Augustinians – 1256 Jesuits - 1540

Scholastics 10-13th centuries

The church worked to have a consistency between intellectual beliefs and religious beliefs

The most famous theologian to do this was Thomas Aquinas – who is still studied today. Others include Anselm and William from Ockham

Anselm of Canterbury

Thomas Aquinas

Thomas Aquinas

Universities Gradually the university began to

replace the monastery as the center of learning. Famous universities opened at Paris, Oxford and Cambridge

Mysticism also arose in reaction to the sacramentalism of the mass and the intellectualism of the scholastics

Famous – Thomas a Kempis, who wrote The Imitation of Christ

Cambridge University and old painting University of Paris

John Wycliffe

Was against the corruption within the church and its riches

He translated the Bible into English – finished by Nicholas of Herford

He opposed the Pope, transsubstan-tiation, and felt that the Bible should take priority over the traditions of the church

John Wycliffe

He had influence on the Lollards and Mennonites (through John Huss)

He died of a stroke. The Roman Catholic church declared that he was a heretic, banned his books, and exhumed his body, burned the bones and cast them in the River Swift

John Wycliffe

John Wycliffe preaching to Lollards

Burning the bones of John Wycliffe

John Huss

Richard II married Anne from Bohemia, and the ideas of Wycliffe went to Bohemia, where they were accepted by Huss. Huss was called to appear before the pope and guaranteed safe conduct But there he was condemned to death and burned. His group continued as the United Brothers of Moravia

John Huss

Savonorola

Da priester disi ben klagi da paus, en a ben wani da kerki foe kenki. Dem ben strafoe en hanga hem.

Dem proberi foe kenki da kerki doro council, ma a no boek success; wan leisi 3 paus ben de. Te foe kaba, da paus kisi krakti baka, en dem no abi wan sortoe constitional lanti.

Savonorola

This priest complained to the pope and wanted reform within the church. The church instead condemned and hanged him. During this period, councils no succeeded in reformation, and once they had 3 popes at the same time. Finally the popes regained power and they do NOT have a constitutional sort of government

Savonorola

Some of Savonorola’s problems appeared when he gained secular power in Florence, and acted as governor. Some of his policies were very strong, and he developed powerful political enemies, and lost public support

Savanorola

The pope’s power declined

After the very powerful popes peaking in Innocent III, the popes became weaker.

There was eventually a debacle with the popes in France instead of the Vatican, and the presence of 3 popes, each of which excommunicated the other two!

What led to decline in the pope’s power?

First, feudalism was replaced by the nation-state and the kin

The wealthy merchants did not appreciate the power of the pope

England developed a constitutional government, and France and Spain gave more power to the king

Toward the end of the middle ages came protestant ideas

The universal church was being replaced by the national state churches

Righteousness by faith in the Bible instead of the traditions of the church

Greek philosophy was being replaced by Biblical interpretation

Protestant reformation

Mostly northern Europe Multiple factors – religious reform,

economics, development of nation-states, development of a strong middle class, ownership of large amounts of land by the church, more intellectual freedom, social mobility, taxation by the church, clerics having papal courts

Developing reformation

Two major problems pushed reformation Taxation by the church Papal courts replacing the courts of

the nations themselves

Lutheranism

1517 Luther’s 95 theses against indulgences precipitated a reform movement that resulted in the reformation. The movement spread to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. Salvation by faith and translation of the scriptures into the native languages were two fundamentals

Maarten Luther & German Bible 1534

He was in agreement with Luther on almost all items except communion. Zwingli felt that communion was just a remembrance. Luther spoke of consubstantiation – that somehow Christ is present in the communion service (I could never understand the difference – and Luther also believed in infant baptism and baptismal regeneration

Zwingli

Zwingli

Calvin

John Calvin developed his religious views and left the Catholic church. He was forced to leave France and relocated in Geneva, which he set up as a sort of model community. He sent many men back to France. Calvinism ended up being strong in Holland, Northern Ireland and Scotland