“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” - Matthew 5:11-12
This morning we will continue our month-long overview of Christian and Baptist history with a message covering the Middle Ages. This era is also commonly known as the Medieval Period. It spans roughly 1,000 years from around 500 A.D. (when the western Roman Empire fell) to 1500 A.D. (when the eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire fell).
I. THE DARK AGES (500-750 AD)
The early part of the Middle Ages has been characterized by many historians as “The Dark Ages”. In the wake of Rome’s collapse, much of western Europe faced significant economic and cultural declines. The various Germanic tribes that populated the continent struggled with extensive poverty and disease. During these years there was a notable lack of literature, music, art, and other intellectual advancements. Despite these challenges, Christianity continued to spread and the Roman Catholic Church became increasingly organized and influential.
The fall of Rome left a power void across western Europe. With no centralized government in place, Catholicism was the common tie between many of its people groups. Between 590-604 A.D., Gregory the Great became the first Bishop of Rome to act on behalf of and exercise authority over the entire Roman Catholic Church. He is widely considered to be the first true pope, because he was the first to actually practice papal supremacy. Until this time, bishops acted more like local or regional pastors. As the Medieval Period unfolded, the pope would gain more and more power to sway kings, rulers, and nations.
New doctrines and practices were contrived throughout the Middle Ages that carried the prevailing church even farther away from the teachings of Christ and the New Testament. The veneration of the virgin Mary, through prayer and worship, was formally approved by an ecumenical council in 553 A.D. During subsequent councils, the Catholic Church also introduced the practice of venerating the saints and embraced the use of religious images, icons, and relics. Later, it developed the doctrines of infant communion, purgatory, penance, and the use of indulgences.
Meanwhile in Saudi Arabia, sometime around 610 A.D., a prophet named Muhammad began teaching a new religion called Islam. Muhammad claimed to have an angelic vision, after which he wrote the Quran. Though initially peaceful, his teachings and exploits became increasingly violent. Unlike Christianity, this new religion was spread “by the sword”. Within a few centuries, Muslims had conquered all of the Middle East and Northern Africa. Christians in these areas were forced to either convert or be martyred. Muslims briefly occupied parts of Spain, France, and Italy, but were ultimately driven out. The growing presence of Islam posed a serious threat to Asia Minor and the Byzantine Empire (or eastern Roman Empire).
II. THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE (750-1000 AD)
Charlemagne, king of the Franks, was a staunch defender of the papacy and advocate of the Roman Catholic Church. Leaning on his sweeping influence throughout most of western Europe, in 800 A.D. Pope Leo III unilaterally crowned Charlemagne as emperor over the revived Roman Empire. With the church’s support, Charlemagne implemented a host of reforms that helped revive the economy and culture thereby pulling Europe out of the Dark Ages. He also expanded and strengthened the Catholic Church, using his formidable military to force conversions. This led to tremendous persecution and the martyrdom of those Christians who refused to comply.
Following Charlemagne, no one emerged as emperor and the Church’s attempt to resuscitate the western Roman Empire faltered briefly. Almost a century later in 962 A.D., following the same precedent set earlier, Pope John XII crowned King Otto I of Germany as emperor. This coronation marked the official beginning of the Holy Roman Empire which would endure for over 700 years. The Holy Roman Empire was a confederation of smaller kingdoms in western and central Europe which were ruled by a single emperor who’d been selected and installed by the pope. The papacy of the Roman Catholic Church held tremendous power during this time.
III. THE CHURCH’S EXPLOITS (1000-1500 AD)
The Byzantine Empire of the east became increasingly uncomfortable with the resurgence of a Roman Empire in the west. Over time, cultural, linguistic, and other differences had caused Catholicism in the east and west to drift apart. When the newly emboldened Roman popes began assuming authority over the eastern Catholic churches, tensions flared. About this time an old and unsettled debate arose regarding the procession of the Holy Spirit, prompting the pope to impose changes to the Nicene Creed without even consulting the eastern churches. In revolt, the Catholic churches of the Byzantine Empire broke away from those in the west. This split took place in 1054 A.D. and is called “The Great Schism”. It resulted in two similar, but distinct religions - Roman Catholicism and Eastern (or Greek) Orthodoxy.
Spanning from approximately 1095 A.D. to 1230 A.D., the Roman Catholic Church, in league with several European kings and emperors, launched a series of military conquests in hopes of regaining control of the Holy Land from the Muslims. These efforts collectively became known as the Crusades. It was during this era that the Knights Templar were formed. Justifying their actions as holy war, the crusaders conquered lands, murdered innocents, and leveled cities in the name of Jesus Christ. Thousands were forced to convert to Catholicism or be slaughtered. Though the Holy Roman Empire briefly regained control of Jerusalem, the Muslims were eventually able to take it back and maintained their grip on the Middle East.
Around this same time, and in response to what it viewed as a rising trend of heresy, the Roman Catholic Church began implementing a series of judicial tribunals known as the Inquisitions. Starting in 1184 A.D. and continuing periodically for a few hundred years thereafter, culminating in the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions, the papacy designated special inquisitors and authorized them to arrest, question, and severely punish heretics throughout the Holy Roman Empire. These inquisitors could even take action against nobles, such as kings and princes. For the first time in its history, the church endorsed and used torture as a means of extracting truth from those being questioned. Thousands were condemned as heretics for their opposition to the Catholic Church and many were brutally executed and/or disposed of leadership.
With the Crusades having failed, Islam persisted in the Middle East. In 1453 A.D. the Byzantine Empire finally fell when the Muslims invaded Turkey and toppled Constantinople. This event formally marked the end of the Middle Ages and led to the rise of the Ottoman Empire.
CONCLUSION
The Middle Ages were a time of great sorrow and suffering for Christianity. The prevailing Catholic Church veered so far off course that many of its doctrines and practices no longer resembled or represented the original teachings of Christ. It gained unprecedented power to dictate its own will over kings and rulers, and to persecute those who would not consent to its many errors. The Church systematically collected and destroyed many of the writings and historical records of those it labelled as heretics. Still, even in the face of such intense adversity, small pockets of Christians persisted here and there who firmly and uncompromisingly held to the teachings of the New Testament.
Some historians estimate that as many as 50 million Christians were killed during the Middle Ages. Sadly, many of these deaths came at the hands of other professing Christians. While one might expect pagans to oppress and martyr Christians, it is shocking to see such actions undertaken by the church. Yet, this is the bleak reality of the Medieval Period. Perhaps the greatest wounds are those we inflict upon ourselves. Fortunately, a period of revival and restoration was right around the corner...
This morning we will continue our month-long overview of Christian and Baptist history with a message covering the Middle Ages. This era is also commonly known as the Medieval Period. It spans roughly 1,000 years from around 500 A.D. (when the western Roman Empire fell) to 1500 A.D. (when the eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire fell).
I. THE DARK AGES (500-750 AD)
The early part of the Middle Ages has been characterized by many historians as “The Dark Ages”. In the wake of Rome’s collapse, much of western Europe faced significant economic and cultural declines. The various Germanic tribes that populated the continent struggled with extensive poverty and disease. During these years there was a notable lack of literature, music, art, and other intellectual advancements. Despite these challenges, Christianity continued to spread and the Roman Catholic Church became increasingly organized and influential.
The fall of Rome left a power void across western Europe. With no centralized government in place, Catholicism was the common tie between many of its people groups. Between 590-604 A.D., Gregory the Great became the first Bishop of Rome to act on behalf of and exercise authority over the entire Roman Catholic Church. He is widely considered to be the first true pope, because he was the first to actually practice papal supremacy. Until this time, bishops acted more like local or regional pastors. As the Medieval Period unfolded, the pope would gain more and more power to sway kings, rulers, and nations.
New doctrines and practices were contrived throughout the Middle Ages that carried the prevailing church even farther away from the teachings of Christ and the New Testament. The veneration of the virgin Mary, through prayer and worship, was formally approved by an ecumenical council in 553 A.D. During subsequent councils, the Catholic Church also introduced the practice of venerating the saints and embraced the use of religious images, icons, and relics. Later, it developed the doctrines of infant communion, purgatory, penance, and the use of indulgences.
Meanwhile in Saudi Arabia, sometime around 610 A.D., a prophet named Muhammad began teaching a new religion called Islam. Muhammad claimed to have an angelic vision, after which he wrote the Quran. Though initially peaceful, his teachings and exploits became increasingly violent. Unlike Christianity, this new religion was spread “by the sword”. Within a few centuries, Muslims had conquered all of the Middle East and Northern Africa. Christians in these areas were forced to either convert or be martyred. Muslims briefly occupied parts of Spain, France, and Italy, but were ultimately driven out. The growing presence of Islam posed a serious threat to Asia Minor and the Byzantine Empire (or eastern Roman Empire).
II. THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE (750-1000 AD)
Charlemagne, king of the Franks, was a staunch defender of the papacy and advocate of the Roman Catholic Church. Leaning on his sweeping influence throughout most of western Europe, in 800 A.D. Pope Leo III unilaterally crowned Charlemagne as emperor over the revived Roman Empire. With the church’s support, Charlemagne implemented a host of reforms that helped revive the economy and culture thereby pulling Europe out of the Dark Ages. He also expanded and strengthened the Catholic Church, using his formidable military to force conversions. This led to tremendous persecution and the martyrdom of those Christians who refused to comply.
Following Charlemagne, no one emerged as emperor and the Church’s attempt to resuscitate the western Roman Empire faltered briefly. Almost a century later in 962 A.D., following the same precedent set earlier, Pope John XII crowned King Otto I of Germany as emperor. This coronation marked the official beginning of the Holy Roman Empire which would endure for over 700 years. The Holy Roman Empire was a confederation of smaller kingdoms in western and central Europe which were ruled by a single emperor who’d been selected and installed by the pope. The papacy of the Roman Catholic Church held tremendous power during this time.
III. THE CHURCH’S EXPLOITS (1000-1500 AD)
The Byzantine Empire of the east became increasingly uncomfortable with the resurgence of a Roman Empire in the west. Over time, cultural, linguistic, and other differences had caused Catholicism in the east and west to drift apart. When the newly emboldened Roman popes began assuming authority over the eastern Catholic churches, tensions flared. About this time an old and unsettled debate arose regarding the procession of the Holy Spirit, prompting the pope to impose changes to the Nicene Creed without even consulting the eastern churches. In revolt, the Catholic churches of the Byzantine Empire broke away from those in the west. This split took place in 1054 A.D. and is called “The Great Schism”. It resulted in two similar, but distinct religions - Roman Catholicism and Eastern (or Greek) Orthodoxy.
Spanning from approximately 1095 A.D. to 1230 A.D., the Roman Catholic Church, in league with several European kings and emperors, launched a series of military conquests in hopes of regaining control of the Holy Land from the Muslims. These efforts collectively became known as the Crusades. It was during this era that the Knights Templar were formed. Justifying their actions as holy war, the crusaders conquered lands, murdered innocents, and leveled cities in the name of Jesus Christ. Thousands were forced to convert to Catholicism or be slaughtered. Though the Holy Roman Empire briefly regained control of Jerusalem, the Muslims were eventually able to take it back and maintained their grip on the Middle East.
Around this same time, and in response to what it viewed as a rising trend of heresy, the Roman Catholic Church began implementing a series of judicial tribunals known as the Inquisitions. Starting in 1184 A.D. and continuing periodically for a few hundred years thereafter, culminating in the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions, the papacy designated special inquisitors and authorized them to arrest, question, and severely punish heretics throughout the Holy Roman Empire. These inquisitors could even take action against nobles, such as kings and princes. For the first time in its history, the church endorsed and used torture as a means of extracting truth from those being questioned. Thousands were condemned as heretics for their opposition to the Catholic Church and many were brutally executed and/or disposed of leadership.
With the Crusades having failed, Islam persisted in the Middle East. In 1453 A.D. the Byzantine Empire finally fell when the Muslims invaded Turkey and toppled Constantinople. This event formally marked the end of the Middle Ages and led to the rise of the Ottoman Empire.
CONCLUSION
The Middle Ages were a time of great sorrow and suffering for Christianity. The prevailing Catholic Church veered so far off course that many of its doctrines and practices no longer resembled or represented the original teachings of Christ. It gained unprecedented power to dictate its own will over kings and rulers, and to persecute those who would not consent to its many errors. The Church systematically collected and destroyed many of the writings and historical records of those it labelled as heretics. Still, even in the face of such intense adversity, small pockets of Christians persisted here and there who firmly and uncompromisingly held to the teachings of the New Testament.
Some historians estimate that as many as 50 million Christians were killed during the Middle Ages. Sadly, many of these deaths came at the hands of other professing Christians. While one might expect pagans to oppress and martyr Christians, it is shocking to see such actions undertaken by the church. Yet, this is the bleak reality of the Medieval Period. Perhaps the greatest wounds are those we inflict upon ourselves. Fortunately, a period of revival and restoration was right around the corner...