The Early Middle Ages: Historical Friday

The next segment of history that we are going to overview is the Early Middle Ages. This dates roughly from AD 450 to AD 1100. This is intended to be a very general overview. There are probably historians that would classify some other time period as the "Early Middle Ages" or a more specific time period. For our purposes this will cover the aforementioned time period.

This was a very influential period in the history of Christianity. It saw the formation of what we now call the Roman Catholic Church and its separation from what we would now call the Eastern Orthodox Church. Before this time there was only ONE church. There weren't different denominations or groups. It is hard for us to think about in our modern context, but there was a time when Christianity was visibly unified.

Brief History

The first major thing to happen during this time period is the remaining three ecumenical councils. We discussed the first four several weeks ago. These councils discussed various issues, but the most significant was the use of icons. An icon is a picture of a Christian or even Jesus that people would pay respect to. The last council, 2nd Nicaea, defended the use of icons in worship.

Two major historical events happened during this time period that irrevocably affected Christianity. The first is the rise of Islam and the subsequent Arab conquests of Africa, Palestine, and the Middle East. The Islamic Caliphate seized notable sites like Jerusalem and forcefully converted any they conquered. The Muslims soon began to push back the boundaries of the Byzantine Empire (the eastern half of the Roman Empire that still stood). 

The other major event is the Great Schism of 1054. This was the official break in communion between the Latin churches of the West (Roman Catholics) and the Greek churches of the East (Eastern Orthodox). This divide had massive ramifications for Christianity; ramifications that are still being felt to this day. 

Many other events happened during this time period. Again, this is a brief overview of the time period. Several important ideas and practices solidified during this time period, such as infant baptism and the primacy of the Pope. The former is a result of Augustinian theology and the latter the real lack of civil authorities in western Europe.

Important Events

2nd Constantinople (553) - Condemned the early scholar Origen as heretical.

3rd Constantinople (680) - Discussed the monothelite controversy, which stated the Jesus' divine will completely overpowered his human will. This was deemed heretical, since to be truly human means to have a human will.

2nd Nicaea (787) - Protected the use of icons in worship.

Spread of Islam (622-750) - During this short time, Islam spread from India in the east to Spain in the west. This was done primarily through military force. Major Christian centers such as Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, and Carthage were subjugated.

The Great Schism (1054) - The Pope in the West excommunicated the Patriarch of Constantinople, who in turn excommunicated the Pope. The official reason stated was the difference in communion practices. The real is reason is political power, influence, and massive cultural differences.

Important People

Mohammed - Founder of Islam.

Pope Leo IX - Excommunicated the entire Eastern Church.

Patriarch Michael Cerularius - Excommunicated the entire Western Church.

There are, once again, many important people during this time period. I encourage anyone who is interested to do research and learn more.

Conclusion

This time period saw growing division and new external threats to Christianity. Many of the problems we face today can be traced to this era. Islam and Christianity are still in contention. The East and the West still do not get along. The Pope is still considered by many to be the true head of Christianity. A lot of this can be traced to the Early Middle Ages.