Chapter 8

CHURCH GROWTH IN A CRUMBLING EMPIRE

(A.D. 400-700)

GREEK EAST and LATIN WEST

EAST
 Economy was solidly based on trade and on stable currency
 Church and the Roman empire worked closely together
 “Super-bishop” – what they called to the emperor
 Clergy seemed to belong to a department of the government.

WEST
 Invasions and poor leadership caused the economy to slide
 When the Vandals in North Africa developed a navy and pirated ships that carried food and goods across the
Mediterranean, the situation become even worse.
 Violence caused by the movement of the Barbarian “inferior” Germanic tribes into the western part of the
empire.
 By the mid-400s the Angles and Saxons from northern Europe were landing on the shores of the British Isles,
pushing the Celtic Romans westward.
 Italy, where an incompetent central government was still located, have been invaded several times, although
the barbarians never tried to settle there. However, Italy could not hold out forever.
 It’s final defeat came at the hands of a revolt by the Roman army, now composed mostly of Germanic soldiers
– the army of true Romans had nearly disappeared by this time; even the commander in chief, Odovacar,
came from one of the Germanic tribes.

Odovacar
 King of the Goths who disposed the Western emperor in 476
 He sent the royal seal and robe in Constantinople, saying that there was no need for a second emperor in the
West.
 Became the actual ruler in the West, although he governed in the name of the Eastern Emperor to whom he
pledged his royalty.
 He ruled for 17 yrs but was killed by Theodoric.

Theodoric
 King of the Eastern Goths (a tribe in the region that is now Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Yugoslavia).
 He took over the supremacy of Odovacar.

One important difference concerned religious belief:

 The Romans were allied to the Church of Rome;
 The Goths, including Theodoric, were Arians (who denied the divinity of Jesus) Even so, Theodoric granted
religious freedom to all. And even as an Arian, He did not hesitate to ask Catholic bishops to help him solve
the empire’s problems.

CLOVIS: King of the Franks

CLOVIS
 King of the Franks (A pagan tribe lived north of the Rhine River in an area that would now include parts of
Germany, Holland, Belgium, and France).
 He defeated the other Frankish Kings to unite the small groups of Franks.
 About 300 of his soldiers received baptism. And among all the nomadic tribes along the Rhine, the Franks
were the only Catholics – the rest were still Arians.
 About 10yrs later, Clovis expanded Frankish power by defeating the Goths in southern Gaul
  He made the small town of Paris his capital.
 As year 500 approached, people in the West continued to hope for some peace and order.
 Disagreement arose between the bishop of Rome and the patriarch of Constantinople, who was allied to the
Eastern emperor.
 In order to settle some of the theological questions and matters of liturgical practice, during his papacy (492-
496) Gelasius assigned a number of projects to a very capable monk named
Denis the Short
 One of the few scholars who knew both Latin and Greek.
 Collected the teachings of the various synods and councils that had been held in the West.
 This collection of decisions was the beginning of Canon law or Church Law.
 Denis reviewed the lists of Saints honored in the church and shortened them according to the Pope’s
directions.
 Started a new calendar to replace the one that had been used in the Roman Empire for more than a thousand
year.
 Began the dating from the year of Christ’s birth – the accepted system we still use today as a daily reminder
that Jesus is the center of all time.

BENEDICT
 Was studying Law in Rome. Before he finished his studies at about age twenty (20), Benedict became
disgusted with the sin, crime and confusion that seemed to exist everywhere.
 Benedict wanted to seek God in the silence of the countryside, so he left Rome and joined religious group
living about thirty miles from the city. A short time later, he took another step and became a hermit – living
alone in a mountain cave.
 In year 530 on the top of Monte Cassino – about halfway between Rome and Naples – Benedict and his
monks built the center of Western Monasticism.

The Monastery at Monte Cassino

 At Monte Cassino, Benedict wrote what came to be called the “BENEDICTINE RULE.”
 BENEDICTINE RULE
• Became the basic guide for religious life and discipline in communities throughout the Western
world.

SELECTIONS FROM SAINT BENEDICT’S RULE

 A monastery ought, if possible, to be so constructed as to contain within it all necessaries – that is, water, mill,
garden, and places for the various crafts…so that there will be no occasion for monks to wander abroad.
 A mattress, a coverlet, a pillow are to suffice for bedding.
 There [should] be at all seasons of the year [two] cooked dishes, so that he who happens not to be able to eat
of the one may make his meal for the other…. “Take heed to yourselves lest perhaps your hearts be
overcharged with [indulgence].”
 Although we read that “wine is not the drinks of monks at all,” yet, since in our day they cannot be persuaded
of this, let us at least agree not to drink to excess but sparingly. A pint of wine a day is sufficient for anyone.
 When the brothers rise for the Divine office, let them gently encourage one another, because of the excuses
made by those who are drowsy.
 Let all guests who come be received as Christ would be…. As soon, therefore, as a guest is announced let him
be met by the prior or the brethren, with all marks of charity…. Let special care be taken of the poor and
pilgrims, because in them Christ is more truly received….
 Let there be stationed at the gate of the monastery some wise old man who knows how to give and receive an
answer, and whose age will not allow him to wander from his post…. As soon as any one shall knock, or
some poor man shall call for help, let him reply, “Thanks be to God,” or invoke a blessing.

THE MONK’S DAY AT MONTE CASSINO – PRAYER and WORK

 Quietly a robed figure moves about a chilly dormitory filled with sleeping men; the sound of a bell is heard as
this monks summons his brothers to Nocturns – the first of seven periods of prayer each day.
  . Leaving chapel, they spend some time in private reading and meditation before meeting back in chapel for
Prime.
 These men do not mind; most of them are simple men from the countryside – they were laymen, most would
be farmers who do some other kind of hard labor. Besides, to them prayer and work are at one.
 At 9:00 A.M. Terce is sung, and the monks celebrate the Eucharist. All join in the singing because “he who
sings prays, twice.”
 Mass done, another period of manual labor follows. Right before noon, Sext is chanted and lunch is eaten. It is
plain meal of vegetables and bread accompanied by a little ordinary wine. By this time the monks are ready
for a brief siesta or nap.
 At 3:00 P.M. they are gathered for a chapel for None. After this they head for the fields to tend the crops, for
the tailor shop to sew new robes, for the scriptorium to copy books, or for the bakery to prepare the sturdy
bread for the monks and the frequent beggars and pilgrims who appear at their gate; there are numerous jobs
to be done if the monastery is to sustain itself.
 At 6:00 P.M. they are once more chanting the Psalms and listening to the word of God during Vespers; the
light meal they have just had has a chance to digest.
 The followers of St. Benedict have worked about 6 hours, slept about 8 hours and prayed about 3 hours.

JUSTINIAN: The Last Strong Emperor

Emperor Justinian
 He was intelligent, hardworking, known to the people as “EMPEROR WHO NEVER SLEEPS”
 Hagia Sophia - one of the most grand Christian churches of all time.

 JUSTINIAN CODE -
A collection of laws stated clearly in Latin that later became the basis of European Law,a revised legal code made
by the committee appointed by Justinian.
The new legal system did manifest a more Christian orientation:
Ex.
o Justinian’s law took away much the power that a man had over his wife and children; the father
could no longer send his children into slavery to pay debts
o Women and children could now hold property in their names
o Marriage was protected from easy divorces
o Some of the punishments were dreadful, such as the cutting off of hands and ears for some certain
crimes.
In short, Justinian’s Code, despite the problems, better reflected the new Christian ethics
taught by the Church.
Since he believed in Christianity, everyone else should too. Thus all would go to heaven. As consequence,
Justinian persecuted non-Christians, Jews, and heretics, depriving them of their rights as citizens.
 After Justinian’s death in 565, his good work was undone. His successors on the imperial throne were weak.
New barbarian invasions began in the West. The Lombards took over large areas of Italy. nomadic tribes
moved into unprotected lands.

GREGORY 1; BISHOP OF ROME

 strong pope
 A young man who’s prefect of Rome-serving as Governor, chief of police, and chief of justice
 He turned the family mansion into a monastery and lived there as a monk, but refused to be an abbot.
 After 7 years later of the corrupt court, he went back to Rome. Following a few years more as a monk, he
became secretary to the Pope.
 When the Tiber River flooded the city of Rome, destroying food supplies and homes, and breeding fatal
sickness, and when the pope himself died from the plague… Gregory was elected by the people of Rome.
 Not wanting the job, he hid for 3 days, hoping that they would choose someone else but they did not.
 At age 50, Gregory became pope at year 590.
 The life of a pope during Gregory’s time was far from easy.
 Gregory wrote many letters covering topics such as the Bible, duties of pastors, and the proper way to
celebrate the liturgy. And, 900 of his letters are still preserved in libraries.
  Gregory was social worker, pastor, theologian, educator, administrator, farmer, and builder. He was a rare
person because he could ably function in all of these roles.

GREGORY THE DIPLOMAT

 Lombards
 Another nomadic tribe
 Settled in large areas in Italy
 The emperor was too busy warring in the East to worry about the West. In effect, the pope had to represent
the Roman government. Accordingly, Gregory negotiated with the Lombards, paying ransoms for the release
of people captured in raids. Soon after their negotiations, he sent missionaries to convert the Lombards.
Gregory knew that the Roman Empire was finished.
 If the Church were to be a force for peace, justice, and hope, and if the message of Christ were to be spread,
the still NON-Christian tribal groups including the Lombards, Goths, and Vandals must be converted.
 Pope Gregory encouraged the Franks to continue their efforts for the conversion of the eastern part of their
kingdom, in what is today central Europe. He also helped the Christian King of Spain to find ways of living
peacefully with the Visigoths in his country. But Gregory’s most distinctive work in spreading the Gospel
was his mission to Britain.

THE MISSION TO ENGLAND

 100 yrs previously, Angles and Saxons from present-day Denmark and northern Germany had stormed into
Britain.
 The invaders eventually set up 7 kingdoms in the south and east of Britain.
 There was little communication between the western Christians and the 7 kingdoms
 Pope Gregory sent forty monks from his own monastery to Britain
 Augustine – abbot; in charge
 Their only protection was a large crucifix
 In 597, Augustine and his fellow monks landed in Britain.

The Benedictine historian, Venerable Bede, described the conversion of the Anglo-Saxon King Ethelbert:
 After some days, the king came to the island and, sitting down in an open air, summoned Augustine and his
companions to an audience. But he took precautions that they should not approach him in a house; for he held
an ancient superstition that’ if they were practice of magical arts, they might have opportunity to deceive and
master him. But the monks were endowed with power from God, not from the Devil, and approached the
king carrying a silver cross as their standard and the likeness of our Lord and Saviour painted on a board.
First of all they offered prayer to God… And when, at the king’s command, they had sat down and preached
the word of life to the king and his court, the king said: “Your words and promises are fair indeed….”

In the spring of that year, at Pentecost, King Ethelbert was converted. Bede continues his story:
 At length the king himself, among others, edified by the pure lives of these holy men and their gladdening
promises, the truth of which they confirmed by many miracles, believed and was baptized. Thenceforth great
numbers gathered each day to hear the word of God…. It is said that… [Ethelbert] would not compel anyone
to accept Christianity; for he had learned… that the service of God must be accepted freely and not under
compulsion.

GREGORIAN CHANT
 One of Pope Gregory’s greatest contributions to the celebration of the liturgy and to our culture was
emphasis on the recording of music in written scores. Before Gregory, hymns were learned by heart, but
little sheet music existed to record melodies for future generations and for wide distribution. Gregory
ordered that church music be systemized and recorded. While the following introductory hymn does not
look like music today, the notes could be followed to produce a wonderful chant to celebrate Easter – the
Resurrection of Jesus the Christ.
 Many years later, the notes were replaced on staffs to produce sheet music more familiar to us; this is the
same piece of music, but in the newer Gregorian chant.
THE MEANING OF CHRISTIANITY
What did it mean to be a Christian at this period in history?
 First, people accepted the same beliefs we do today; they heard the Word of God from the monks and
believed. While the rituals of the sacraments were a bit different from ours today, there was general
acceptance of 7 sacraments.
In the sixth century:
 People had little control over disease, climate, and in general their faith.
 Most people did not live past age forty-five, and they had to scrape for their food day by day.
 Moving to a higher position in society was almost unheard of.
 People had a strong sense that God ruled creation; clearly they did not.
 They identified with the suffering Jesus and hoped to go to heaven because life often seemed like hell.
 People also laughed, fell in love, cherished their children, and shared in all the other normal activities of life.
 They believed that God “looked down” – protecting and blessing the good or punishing and cursing the
wrongdoers.
 Worship was central to Christian life – especially the Eucharistic worship.

MUHAMMAD and ISLAM

Muhammad
- a young caravan leader
- he told his fellow Arabs that the angel Gabriel had revealed a new religion to him
- he had learned elements of both the Jewish and Christian Scriptures during his caravans traveled up and
down the shores of the Red Sea
-Recognized those writings as inspired by God; aspect of jewish and Christian teaching appear in his own
writings, which Islamic scriptures
o Koran – Islamic Scriptures
o Muslims – followers of Muhammad
o Islam
 The most important of teaching of Islam are belief in one God, in a life after
death that is full of delights, in a strict moral life, in praying 5 times each day,
and in periods of fasting. But, Muslims do not believe in Trinity.
 ALLAH – is the name of their God.

 They easily conquered Syria, Palestine, and Egypt. But, generally the Muslim conquerors did not force
anyone to accept Islam. Yet, they collected annual taxes from the…
 Infidels – those who refused to convert to Islam.
 Shortly before the year 700, the Muslims began an attack on Constantinople itself that lasted 5 years.
 The navy of the Eastern empire finally routed the Muslims with a weapon called “Greek Fire”, a
mixture of chemicals shot out of flamethrowers that was able to burn even in water.
 Constantinople was saved for a while, but the Muslims had control of the Southern and Eastern
shores of the Mediterranean. Only Asia Minor, Greece, and a few coastal strips here and there were still
ruled by Constantinople. Muslim ships destroyed trade between the West and Constantinople.
 The Mediterranean was no longer Roman. Worse still, people began to fear that the Muslims would
conquer Europe. In 711 it seemed that this was likely to happen.

EUROPE DIVIDED
 In 711, Muslim raiders, mostly Moors (a member of a northwestern African Muslim people of mixed
Berber and Arab descent), landed for the first time in European shores at Gibraltar, where Spain and Africa
almost touch.
 The people of Spain had been badly divided. For 100yrs of Roman population of Spain had been the rule of
the Goths.
 As the raiding party of Moors found it easy to advance from one town to another, they decided to stay and
take over the country for Islam.
 In a few years, Spain was under the rule of Muslim caliph of Damascus.
 2 other factors aided the Moors in taking over so readily:
 First, the Jewish minority desired a change from the Goths. At times the Jews were forced to choose
between Baptism and loss of their homes and businesses, etc.
 Second, Spain was divided into many small groups – similar to the one that invited the Muslims into the
country. As a result, the Muslims met no united opposition in Spain. As the Muslims marched north, panic
spread in Gaul because conditions were much the same in Spain. Since the death of Clovis, Gaul had been
poorly governed. His sons and then his grandsons had divided and subdivided the kingdom until there was
virtually no central gov’t left. The Franks possessed improved methods of farming, such as a plow on
wheels that was pulled by a team of oxen. Each family was given a small piece of land by the local lord.
 Eventually most people in Gaul were either lords of vassals. This arrangement was the basis for the
political organization called feudalism

FOCUS ON THE MODELS

 From 400 to 700, the Church expanded significantly.
 The Church became the main source of support and education, led by Pope Gregory's work and
monasteries.
 The Church played a crucial role in mediating conflicts in Europe.
 The spread of Christianity was facilitated by monks like Augustine and conversions in the West.
 Christian values influenced laws and customs, reflected in the Justinian Code.
 The Church faced challenges from internal diversity and external Muslim threats.
 Differences between the Church in the West and East became more pronounced.

MEMBERS
NELSA M. TAHINAY- Greek East and Latin West Clovis: King of the Franks, Benedict, Selection from Saint
Benedict’s Rule
NAEL M. GANTALAO- The Monk’s Day at Monte Cassino -Prayer and Work, Justinian: The Last Strong
Emperor, Gregory 1: Bishop of Rome.
LEONORA BUCALOD- Gregory the Diplomat, The Mission to England, Gregorian chant, The Meaning of
Christianity.
MIGUEL GABRIEL BALDECASA- Muhammad and Islam, Europe Divided, Focus on the Models.