7th Notes: Chapter 1.5 I. Two Christian Churches 1. Roman Catholic Church was based in Rome, capital of the Western Roman Empire. a) Church was led by the pope 2. Byzantine Empire developed their own church, the Eastern Orthodox Church a) Church reflect Greek heritage. A. Byzantine Government and Religion 1. The Byzantine Emperor and church officials worked closely together. 2. Byzantines believed the emperor was God’s representative on Earth. a) Beginning 400s C.E., emperors were crowned in a religious ceremony. b) They took an oath to defend the Eastern Orthodox Christianity. c) Emperors believed it was their duty to unite the empire under one Christian faith. d) Emperors appointed church leaders and defined how people would worship. e) They also controlled the wealth and settled disputes about church beliefs. B. What are Icons? 1. In 700s C.E., heated dispute about icons divided the Eastern Orthodox Church a) Icons are painting of Jesus, Mary (the mother of Jesus), and the saints or Christian holy people. 2. Byzantines displayed icons in their homes a) Believed the images symbolized the presence of God. b) Images helped people understand Christianity teachings. 3. Churches covered walls with icons. 4. Some Byzantines, did not approve of the use of icons. a) Thought it was a form of idol worship which is forbidden by God. 5. In 756 C.E., Emperor Leo III ordered all icons to be removed from the churches. a) Government official that carried out the orders were called “iconoclasts” meaning image breakers. b) Today the word refers to someone who criticizes traditional beliefs or practices. c) This decision damaged the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church. i. Over time icons returned and are still present today. C. The Great Split 1. The division between eastern and western Christian churches grew. a) Icons were an issue. b) Disagreement about church authority (Pope vs. Emperor) i. Pope claimed to be head of the church, successor to Peter (disciple of Jesus) and first Bishop of Rome. ii. Byzantines rejected the pope, they believed the patriarch of Constantinople and other bishops were equal to the pope. c) Military events damaged their relationship too. i. Late 700s C.E., Italy was invaded, pope asked Byzantines for help, but emperor refused. ii. Pope asked the Franks (Germanic people) for help, Franks supported the pope. 2. Franks were successful in defending Italy. a) Pope crowned the Frankish king as emperor to show his gratitude for their help. b) Angered, Byzantines believed their ruler was the only Roman emperor. 3. Both churches viewed government roles differently. a) Byzantine emperor controlled both church and government. b) Pope claimed he had religious and political power over ALL Europe. i. Pope often quarreled with kings over church and government affairs. 4. In 1054 C.E., Patriarch of Constantinople and the pope excommunicated each other. 7th Notes: Chapter 1.5 a) Creating a schism (spilt) between the two churches which still exists today. II. The Spread of Christianity 1. Europe faced disorder and violence after the fall of the Roman Empire, looked to church for help. A. New Christian Communities 1. During 300s C.E., Christians in Eastern Roman Empire formed monasteries. a) Monks lived in monasteries in isolated areas. i. Performed good deeds and modeled how Christians should live. 2. Christian women, called nuns, established convents. a) Best known nun, Roman widow named Paula. i. Early 400s C.E., she helped a scholar, Jerome, translate the Christian Bible to Latin. 3. Greek bishop Basil created a list of rules for nuns and monks a) Rules were called the Basilian Rule. i. Told people how to live and pray in Eastern Orthodox monasteries and convents. 4. In the West, religious followed regulations called the Benedictine Rule. a) Italian monk, Benedict wrote the rules around 529 C.E. i. Benedictines gave up material goods. ii. Devoted days to work and prayer. iii. One duty was to serve as missionaries to teach religion to the non-followers. 5. Monks and Nuns had important roles in Christian Europe. a) Helped the poor and ran hospitals & schools. b) Helped preserve ancient Greek and Roman writings. B. Christianity and the Slavs 1. Byzantines wanted to bring their religion and culture to people north of their empire. 2. Brothers, Cyril and Methodius dedicated themselves to deliver the Christian methods to the Slavs, people in Eastern Europe. a) Cyril and Methodius invented Slavic alphabet to help Slavs understand the Christian message. i. The Cyrillic alphabet is based on Greek letters. ii. Still used today by Russians, Ukrainians, Serbs, and Bulgarians. C. Christianity in Western Europe 1. Western Roman Empire shrank, bishops began to oversee the government of Roman cities. 2. Christian missionaries sought to convert people of Britain and Ireland to Christianity. 3. Beginnings in 400s C.E., Germanic tribes invaded much of Britain. a) These groups became known as Anglo-Saxons. i. Built farming village and founded small kingdoms. ii. Southern Britain became known as Angleland or England. People became known as English. 4. Anglo-Saxons pushed aside the Celts, they moved to areas were the Christian faith was accepted. 5. In 400s C.E., Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland. a) Churches and monasteries were built. b) Monks helped preserve Christian and Roman learning. 6. In 597 C.E., Pope Gregory I sent 40 monks from Rome to bring Christianity to Anglo-Saxons of Britain. a) Converted King Ethelbert of Kent to Christianity. i. He allowed missionaries to build a church in Canterbury, the capital city. b) In about 100 years, most of England has accepted the Christian faith. i. Monasteries built throughout England. ii. Ireland became centers of religion and culture. .