Christianity in Late Antiquity & the Early Middle Ages

1. Christianity in Late Antiquity & the Early Middle Ages Western Civilization University High School 2011-12

2. The Middle Ages • Western history divided up into roughly 3 eras: • 1. Ancient/classical era (aka. Antiquity) • 2. The Middle Ages • 3. Modern era

3. 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

4. Church/State Relations • after fall of Western Roman Empire, 2 sources of continuity: • Eastern RE/Byzantine Empire • Christian church • worked closely together in 4th-5th centuries

5. 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.)

6. Lateran Palace

7. Lateran Palace

8. 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***

9. Church/State Relations Get Nasty • political tension between church and state • Theodosius orders Bishop Ambrose of Milan to hand over cathedral to empire

10. 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.

11. Church/State Relations • empire becoming a Christian society • church ultimately more powerful entity, because everyone (even the emperor) answers to God

12. Islam in Late Antiquity & the Early Middle Ages Western Civilization University High School 2011-12

13. What About Further East?

14. What About Further East? end of 6th cent.: Arabia socially, politically divided Bedouins: nomadic tribes of sheepherders Hejazi: more established farmers, traders (wealthy towns) no political ties, but some cultural ties 3 holy months per year  no fighting! Mecca (city in current Saudi Arabia) = religious center  no fighting!

16. Muhammad 571 - 632 CE Arab legends written ~100 years after his death (accuracy of life details? importance of life details?) had seizures where he lost consciousness, saw visions

17. Muhammad 610 CE: visions became more frequent, religious began to preach in stylized, rhyming language describing visions single God Muhammad = prophet “Qur’an” = prayer recitation

18. Muhammad followers wrote down visions today, Qur’an = holy book for Muslims words of God  Prophet Muhammad  the people

19. Muhammad small following in Mecca 622 CE: leads followers to Medina  big following there! 630 CE: returns to Mecca 632 CE: dies in Medina; Arabia unified as Muslim community religion itself = Islam

20. So What Do Muslims Believe? Allah (Arabic word for “God”) = all-knowing, all-powerful Muhammad = prophet of Allah (along with Abraham, Moses, Jesus) Jesus mentioned 93 times in Qur’an! (including birth to Virgin Mary) believe Jesus was a prophet, not divine

21. So What Do Muslims Believe? Muslims obliged to jihad (literally “self-exertion”) striving to spread God’s message; striving in the path of God not necessarily violent, though some have interpreted it that way

22. So What Do Muslims Believe? to get to Heaven, Muslims must follow Muhammad’s strict moral code (shari’a = Islamic sacred law)  5 Pillars of Islam 1. profession of faith (“There is no god but God and Muhammad is his prophet.”) 2. pray 5x per day 3. fast & pray during Ramadan (holy month) 4. give to the poor & needy 5. at least one pilgrimage to Mecca, if possible

23. Islam, Christianity, & Judaism 3 branches of the same religious tree all monotheistic  all worshipping same God! dhimmis: Muslim word for Jews and Christians (“protected people”)

24. Expansion of Islam by Muhammad’s death, Arabia united as Muslim culture spread to northern Africa  Spain spread east to India caliph: “successor” 1st caliph elected by Muhammad’s friends/followers

26. Ali Ali (Muhammad’s cousin) = 4th caliph quickly assassinated Ali’s followers = Shi’ites/Shi’a (Arabic for “supporters”) Ali and future caliphs = legit first few caliphs = not so legit… Sunnis (derived from Arabic for traditional beliefs/practices): accepted earlier caliphs

27. Islam in Spain

28. Umayyad Dynasty 756-788 Kingdom in Spain

29. Al-Andalus • part of the Iberian Peninsula under Muslim control (land of the Vandals) • referred to as Moorish Spain (Moors, Berbers from North Africa) • interfaith harmony: 8th-12th centuries

30. Arab intellectual achievements shape Europe • Algebra (830) • Hindu numbers applied to physics and astronomy (1,2,3,4) • Use of zero • Translated Greek works • New paper making technique (from China) • Al-Razi (865-925) made distinction between measles and smallpox • Ibn-Sina Bukhara (980 – 1037) codified medical thought (contagious nature of tuberculosis

31. Western Europe Differences Between Spreading Islam and Other European Cultures Islam Assure Muslims keep mandates of Qur'an Don’t look for territorial boundaries, looked for concentration of beliefs Not interested in traveling to Europe State provides peace, order and justice Borders defined Both began to fear contact by late 10th century

32. Changes in the late 10th century • Infidel- non believer (not a nice term) • Mozarabs – lived in special section of city • Buried in separate cemeteries • Can’t build churches • Can’t work with or employ Muslims