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The recent renewal of interest in the medieval period seems to be sweeping through our modern world, as is evidenced by the growing curriculum in colleges and universities, clubs such as SCA, and an ever growing amount of space devoted to the subject on the internet. However, it seems that the topic of Christianity and the Church in the medieval world often takes a back seat for the common enthusiast and historical hobbyists. Granted, swords, armor and castles represent a very exciting and romantic vision for the medieval enthusiast, and this aspect of medieval history never fails to capture the imagination. On the other hand, Church history also offers the enthusiast an equally exciting picture of medieval life even though it has been avoided like the plague by groups such as the SCA.
In reality, Church history offers a unique insight into the mindset of medieval people, an insight that serves to explain much of their behaviors, political outlooks, technical innovations, methods of education, and social interactions. The arena of Church history offers much for those interested in the great political movements of the time, including, of course, the Crusades, but not just limited to this. Church history goes far to explain the emergence of the Franks and the establishment of Charlemagne’s Holy Roman Empire, the establishment of monarchy, and the evolution of Roman law. Most, if not all, artistic achievement was conducted under the patronage of churchmen. The Cistercians were the great industrial and technical innovators of the medieval period, and the awe inspiring achievements of the cathedral builders were conducted under the inspiration of medieval theology. The monasteries preserved the literature of the Classical period, provided the first steps for an evolution of medieval education, and laid the groundwork for the great universities. The mendicant orders, especially the Dominicans, attached a new prestige to the study of Classical philosophy and even composed a synthesis which became the crowing achievement of Classical thought; they created the fertile fields of university thought, the most obvious medieval heritage passed down even to our day. Medieval social order was largely established by the outlook of the Church toward a reality that encompassed both the temporal and spiritual dimensions of humanity.
In the past, medieval Church history has predominately been viewed negatively according to modern sensitivities and prejudices. While it is true that medieval churchmen often failed, and at times grossly failed, to live according to the standards of the man they claimed to followed, it is still true that the medieval Church was significantly touched by profound wisdom and saintly lives, no more or no less than Christianity has throughout any given period of its two thousand years of existence. Recent work by historians such as R.W. Southern, F.C. Copleston, and Etienne Gilson has done much to reverse this negative outlook by pointing out elements of medieval Christianity that is true to the spirit of the religion and even enlightening in regards to modern problems. While they have done much to reverse an unhealthy prejudice, each of these historians, within their given fields, have remained true to the source material and have not shrunk away from those “cruder” aspects of their subject. What is important is that we allow the evidence as it stands to speak for the men and women of the medieval Church, as free as possible from our own prejudices. In doing so, we can allow these men and women to stand or fall according to their own merits or demerits.
A closer look at the medieval Church is the aim of this forum category. Any topic related to Church history is welcome. Of course, a close look at Church history will immediately reveal that much of medieval history in general is closely linked to the history of the Church. When in doubt, post anyway, and according to the flow of the discussion the thread can be moved or copied into another forum category. In order to set some limits to our discussion, topics should remain within the years AD 476 to AD 1500. While in general thread topics should remain focused on this period, it may be beneficial to discuss with some depth topics that pertain to earlier or latter epochs as long as there is some reasonable reference to the period at hand. Because there isn’t a forum category specifically dedicated to medieval theology or philosophy, all discussion pertaining to these fields are welcome here as well (for example, Scotism vs. Thomism, discussions pertain to reason and faith, the impact of Augustianism on medieval thinking, etc.), as long as these discussions stay focused on medieval thinkers and their systems; in other words, while a modern philosopher or theologian might discuss the Kantian critique of pure reason, Saint Bonaventure would not.
All view points are welcome, and even necessary. You don’t have to be a degreed historian to contribute (God knows, I’m not even close!)), and you don’t have to know all the answers or ask all the right questions. All you need is an interest in a time of old, very different from our own, but at times, remarkably similar. The first priority is to have fun, then to feed our curiosity, nurture our hobbies, pass on some information and maybe even learn something in the process.
--David :sheildsmile: