Transcript Chapter 4, Lesson 3 - Whitworth

Chapter 4, Lesson 3
A Christian Europe
It Matters Because…
Christianity divided in to the Roman Catholic and
Eastern Orthodox branches. Despite this division,
all Christians share core beliefs that go back to
Jesus of Nazareth.
Two Christian Churches
• Roman Catholic Church continued to thrive under the
Pope when the Empire fell
• Eastern Roman Empire quickly became known as
Byzantine Empire
• Under thriving Byzantine Empire, Eastern Orthodox
Church developed and reflected the area’s Greek
heritage
Byzantine Government
and Religion
•Emperors
heads of both church and government
Crowned in religious ceremony
Took oath to defend Orthodox Church
Appointed church officials
Icons in the Church
• Icons - images of people considered holy by the church
• Icons were displayed in Orthodox churches and homes.
• Many Byzantines felt that icons were a form of idol worship
• Under Emperor Leo III, icons were removed from Byzantine
churches
• Iconoclasts – government officials who carried out removal
of icons
• Icon controversy damaged relationship between Catholic and
Orthodox churches
The Great Split
• Greatest disagreement between churches was over authority of the
Pope
• Pope claimed authority over all churches
• Orthodox church refused to recognize Pope
• Believed the Archbishop of Constantinople and other 3 patriarchs were equal
to the Pope
• When Rome was invaded in late 700s, Byzantine Emperor refused to
help
• Charlemagne and the Franks help; Pope crowns Charlemagne emperor
• 1054, the Pope and Archbishop of Constantinople excommunicated
each other
• Created a schism between West and East
New Christian Communities
• After fall of Western Empire, Europe turned to the Church for peace,
order, and unity
• Religious communities called monasteries developed
• Men called monks lived apart from the world and dedicated their lives to
simple living, prayer, and good deeds
• Women called nuns lived similarly in convents
• Paula, a nun, and Jerome, a scholar, translated the Greek and Hebrew
Bible into Latin
• Monks were required to show generosity and hospitality to strangers
• Monks and nuns helped the poor, ran hospitals and schools, and
helped preserve Greek and Roman knowledge
Christianity and the Slavs
• Cyril and Methodius were Byzantine brothers
• Missionaries who brought Christianity to the Slavic people
of Eastern Europe
• Believed they would be more receptive to the message if
they heard it in their own language
• Invented Cyrillic alphabet, based on Greek, to translate
Bible
• Cyrillic alphabet still used today
Cyrillic
Greek
Christianity in Western Europe
• Germanic Angles and Saxons settled Britain, which
became known as Angleland (England)
• Anglo-Saxons pushed the Celts out of England and
into present-day Wales, Scotland, and Ireland
• In 400s, a priest named Patrick (yes, THAT Patrick) set
up churches and monasteries in Ireland
• 597: King Ethelbert converted in England
• Within 100 years, most of England accepted Christianity
• England and Ireland become centers of religion and
culture