Exam Two Flashcards
Byzantine Empire
330-1453 AD. Was the Eastern Continuum of the Roman Empire, centered on its capital, Constantinople. Roman governance, law, and culture infiltrated the empire. However, Byzantium was also deeply influenced by Greek and Christian traditions. Constantine the Great (r. 306-337) moved Roman capital to Byzantium in 330 AD, he named it Constantinople. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD, the Byzantine Empire continued as the most powerful Christian state. Justinian the Great expanded the empire, codified Roman law, and built the Hagia Sophia. The Great Schism split between the Roman Catholic church (West) and Eastern Orthodox church (Byzantine). The Fall of Constantinople happened in 1453 due to the empire being conquered by Ottoman Turks under Mehmed II, marking the empire’s end.
Pope Gregory the Great
Pope Gregory the Great (c. 540 - 604 AD). Pope Gregory I, known as Gregory the Great was one of the most influential popes in Christian history. He served as pope from 590 - 604 AD, and he played a critical role in shaping the medieval church. Before becoming pope, he was a monk, diplomat, and administrator, serving as the prefect of Rome before dedicating himself to monastic life. His leadership helped stabilize the church and political turmoil following the collapse of the Western Roman empire. He is important because he was the reformer of the church. As the reformer of the church, he strengthened the papacy authority in the West. Introduced administrative and financial reforms to aid the poor. Expanded the role of papacy beyond spiritual leadership to include political authority. He also evangelized England. As a part of the evangelization of England, he sent Saint Augustine of Canterbury to convert the Anglo-Saxons in England (597 AD). This mission laid the foundation for the spread of Christianity in Britain. Gregorian Chant (though debated), he is often credited with organizing and promoting liturgical chant (later called the “Gregorian Chant”) which shaped medieval worship. As the Defender of Rome, he negotiated with the Lombards, which protected Rome from invasion. He acted as a de facto ruler in Rome due to the weakness of the Byzantine emperors control over Italy. His Theology and Beliefs. Pope Gregory’s theology was deeply practical, pastoral, and shaped by his monastic background. Key aspects include: Purgatory and Afterlife, this strengthened the doctrine of purgatory, teaching that prayers and Masses for the dead could help souls in their purification process. Believed in post-death purification as a means of divine mercy. Grace and Salvation influenced by Augustinian theology emphasizing the necessity of God’s grace for salvation. He saw human nature as fallen but redeemable through divine mercy. The Role of the Pope, strengthened the ideas of the Pope as the Servant of the God which was a humble leader rather than just a political figure. He asserted the primacy of the Bishop of Rome over all the other bishops, reinforcing papal supremacy. Monasticism and Pastoral Care. Advocate for monasticism as an ideal Christian life. Wrote the “pastoral rule,” which was a guide for bishops all the while emphasizing their duty to teach, lead by example, and care for their flock. Miracles and Supernatural Beliefs. Believed in the active presence of miracles, angels demons, and divine visions in everyday life. Wrote many accounts of miraculous interventions and divine justice. His legacy elevated papacy’s role in Western Europe. Strengthened Christian missions and monastic influence. Helped shape medieval Catholic theology, especially in purgatory, grace, and church leadership. Remembered as a Doctor of the Church and one of the greatest medieval popes. His impact was so profound that he was one of the few popes given the title the Great alongside Leo the first.
St. Benedict
Justinian
Muhammed the Prophet
Saracens
The Saracens played a crucial role in shaping medieval history through military conquests, cultural exchanges, and economic developments. Their interactions with the Byzantine and Western Christian worlds - through warfare, trade, and scholarship - left a profound legacy that influenced Europe’s intellectual and political evolution. While originally referring to Arab nomads, the term evolved into a broader designation for Muslim forces, symbolizing both conflict and the rich interconnections of the medieval world.
Charlemagne
Carolingian Empire
The Carolingian Empire (c. 800–888 CE) was a large Frankish empire in Western and Central Europe, ruled primarily by Charlemagne (Charles the Great) and his descendants. It was the successor to the Merovingian dynasty and laid the foundation for what would later become modern France, Germany, and parts of Italy.
Why Was the Carolingian Empire Important? Charlemagne’s Coronation & the Holy Roman Empire
In 800 CE, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne as Emperor of the Romans, symbolizing the fusion of Roman, Christian, and Germanic traditions. This event revived the idea of a unified Western Christian empire, which influenced European politics for centuries.
Carolingian Renaissance (Cultural & Educational Revival) Charlemagne promoted education, Latin literacy, and the arts, leading to the Carolingian Renaissance—a revival of learning, manuscripts, and classical texts. He established monastic schools and scriptoria (writing centers), preserving ancient Roman and Christian works.
Christendom (definition)
The entire body of Christians. The part of the world where Christianity is most common.
Icon (definition)
In Christianity, an Icon is a religious image that is used to worship and pray to God. A likeness of a divine figure or a saint, painted on wood or inlaid in Mosaic, and used in public or private devotion.
Idol (definition)
In Christianity an idol is a object or person that is worshiped in place of God. The Bible describes idol as physical statues and monuments, but the concept has expanded to include other loyalties and temptations.
Iconoclasm (movement)
Political Power and Control. The movement was not only a theological issue, but also a political one. Byzantine emperors sought to exert control over the church, and the destruction of icons was seen as a way to consolidate imperial authority over religious practices. The controversy also highlighted the struggle between the authority of the emperor and the power of the papacy in local clergy. Icons were restored in 843. In sum, the iconoclasm movement was significant because it shaped theological, political, and artistic developments in Christianity. This influenced the relationship between church and state, the nature of religious practice, and the evolution of Christian art.
Iconography (ultimately preserved in East and West as commensurate with the doctrine of the Incarnation)
Iconography refers to the study and creation of religious images, especially those in the Christian tradition, such as icons, paintings, or mosaics of religious figures like Christ, the Virgin Mary, Saints, and Angels. It involves both the artistic representation of these figures, and the symbolic meanings associated with them. Iconography isn’t just about the visual depiction of religious themes, but also includes understanding the theological significance and spiritual messages that these images convey. Icons are especially important in Eastern Orthodox Christianity where they are not just viewed as art, but as windows to the divine. The belief is that they help facilitate communication with the divine world and our venerated and sacred objects in worship. So, the phrase means that the use of icons was ultimately preserved in both the Eastern and Western Christian traditions because these images were seen as consistent with the Christian belief that Christ as God incarnate could be depicted visually.
The Great Schism of 1054 and its causes (Papal primacy, filioque, status of Constantinople visa vie Rome)
Filioque means “and the Son.” This term is important because it remains today one of the significant points of disagreement between Eastern and Western churches. In 1054, an angry rift between the agents of the Roman pope, Leo IX (1049-1054), and the patriarch of Constantinople, Michael Cerularius (1043-58), proved to be the final one. The Filioque question. “Did the Holy Spirit descend ‘from the Father through the Son’ or ‘from the Father and the Son?’” The Great Schism of 1054 refers to the formal split between the Eastern Orthodox church centered in Constantinople, and the Roman Catholic church centered in Rome. The split marked the division of Christianity into two distinct branches that remain separate to this day. Causes of the Schism. The Schism was the culmination of centuries of tensions between the Eastern (Byzantine) and Western (Roman) branches of Christianity. There were several key theological, political, cultural, and ecclesiastical issues that contributed to the divide, but two of the most prominent were papal primacy and the statue of Constantinople relative to Rome.
St. Thomas Becket
Martin Luther
Sola scriptura and sola fides
John Calvin
Calvinism
Number of denominations. Developed by and after John Calvin. Former Roman Catholic who splits away from the church. Luther finds the Protestant church. Baptists are calvinists. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a calvinist. Presbretayrian are calvinists. Dutch reform. Calvin College. Calvin is an umbrella term of thought.
Huldrych Zwingli
Zwingli, Huldrych (1484 to 1531), the swiss reformer followed a non-Roman Catholic line. He was killed at the battle of Kappel (1531). After this the restoration in switzerland came to a halt. Zurich 1518 - made peoples priest at the Grossmunster in Zurich. He established the protestant reformation - he’s known as the third man of the reformation. He advocated for the authority of scripture and rejection of religious practices not supported by the bible.
King Henry the VIII and the Church of England
The Church of England 1534 - proclaimed the head of Church of England. He wanted a divorce from Queen Catherine. Remained a Catholic. Pope entitled him defender of the Faith. 1539 Henry issued the six articles aiming to restore the traditional Catholic faith. 1527 requested annulment to Catherine of Aragon.
St. Thomas More
1492 (Significance for Spain, and for Christianity)
Crusades (purpose as well as economic and cultural effects)
Mendicant orders
Saint Francis and the Fifth Crusade
Crusades in relation to solidifying the Schism (1182 Massacre of the Latins and the 1204 Pillaging of Constantinople)
St. Thomas Becket
St. Dominic of Guzman
Waldensians
Bogomils
Cathars (and Albigensians)
Albigensians are Cathars who lived in Albi.
Inquisition (and Church/State relations)
Inquisition in Spain and France. The inquisition (thought police). The state can kill the heretics. The church arrests people that they believe to be heretics. The Albigensian was a Crusade from 1209 to 1229. The King of France is ordering his soldiers to attack the French Cathars. The Holy Inquisition. Movement within the church to eliminate heresy.
