Through the Ages

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all  things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the  Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God;  begotten, not made, being of one sustenance with the Father, by whom all things  were made. Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by  the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for  us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose  again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right  hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and  the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from  the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped  and glorified; who spoke by the

What are the Crusades? The crusades were the holy wars of the Christians against the Muslims fought in the 12th and 13th centuries with the purpose of freeing Jerusalem (the holy city of Christians; holy sepulture - the tomb of Jesus) from the Turks. This was the time the number of pilgrims increased because (there’re the people expected the end of the world and visiting holy place were considered good works or solution. The Seljuk Turks moved westward from central Asia accepting Islam and by 1055 their leader was acknowledged as sultan (victor) of Baghdad. Their Khalif (successor of Mohammed) remain as the religious leader. The Seljuk Turks next conquered the Arab countries of Syria and Palestine and they brought under their controlled by 1071 they destroyed the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire) in Armenia. (1453 the Turks  conquered the fall of Roman Empire). Thus, we see the dominants of Islam in many (places) countries. The causes of the Crusades:  (1) The Christians live in

Political Reason: The separation of the east from the west began when Constantinople as his residence (374). The fullness of the Roman Empire was free from imperial control because, an emperor was shifted from west to east. And the west was free from Empyreal interest by removing the court from Rome to Constantinople. Whereas the church in the east with its patriarchs living in Constantinople became subjective to the emperors, (Patriarch the head of the church of east and Popes the head of the western church). The emperor of the east constantly interfered in matters of doctrine and administration of the church in the east. There was a political enmity between the east and the west. This enmity became wider when the western empire ended in 476 A.D. (the fall of the eastern Roman Empire was in 1453). But there was no real power in the west until the Holy Roman Empire established in 800 A.D. Charlemagne, but the emperors were controlled over the church in the east. But in the west, Pope

Scholasticism is the term given to the Monastic’s Schools called “Schole” during the 11th-13th centuries. In  other words, the Scholasticism gets its name from the medieval Monastery. Since it originated in the schools  (Schole) the movements were known as Scholasticism. The Greek word “ Schole ” signifies a place where  learning takes place. “Scholastic” was the term applied to the teachers/Scholars of medieval periods who used  philosophy in the study of religion, this scholastic tries to defend the doctrines of the church through reason.  The definition of scholasticism is that sought to defend a faith through a rationalistic point of view in 11th-13th  centuries. There were three forms of scholasticism: Extremist (Realist): They followed platonic philosophy they taught that, “Universal ideas exist apart from  individual objects”. Here the realist explained the relations of faith (Christian faith) and reason. For e.g.,  Anselm was a prominent extreme realist. Anselm said; “I believ

Boniface VIII: The decline of papal power began with Boniface in 1303. He made many papal claims as of his predecessors (who came before). The real struggle began in 1301 with the Philip the king of France. Philip arrested Bernard and charged with high treason the pope ordered (Bernard) release of Bernard. But Philip  refused, so the Pope answered with the famous bull (papal decree) known as “Unum sanctum” (when the pope ordered to release Bernard the king refused him). Which claimed the supremacy of papal power over the civil papal, (civil king Europe i.e., Kings). Its (bull) affirmed that temporal powers are subject to the spiritual power.  Babylonian captivity:  But Philip the France king (brought) who made opposition to Boniface wanted to have no  more troubles with the pope. Hence, he wishes to have French made as a pope and persuaded him to leave  Rome and came and live in Avignon (France) for more than 70 years, pope lived in Avignon in France. This  period from 1305-1377 is kno

Monasticism was a movement of Asceticism. Asceticism educates a life of contemplation or meditation and living away from society. Monasticism is the name given to the organization of the monasticism. It was the strongest pillar of the church during the medieval period. Monasteries were centers of the learning from this arouses Scholasticism . The members of monasteries were called the monks. It was originated in the east and  soon spread to western Christianity. Monasticism was the great protest against the low standard of life and  low moral standard of society. The Reason or Causes of the Rise of Monasticism: (1) Political Reason: Politically the rulers became very weak and corruption reigned over.  (2) Religious Reason: The doctrinal controversies, especially on Christology. The controversies had weakened the spiritual life of the church. The church admitted thousands of pagans into the church (during Constantine 325 A.D.). They brought their pagan ideas, customs, and practices and

Origin Papacy: In the New Testament the office of Bishop plays along with that of elder. In 110 A.D. Ignatius (Apostolic Father) around the viewed that elders were to obey the bishops and the congregations was to obey both (elder and bishops). In other words, he taught the supremacy of a bishop in a Local Church (over the elders). By the 2nd century Irenaeus (church father) asserting the unity of the church (spiritual unity) and believe in a succession of elders. Thereafter, there arose a tendency of the church to transform the spiritual unity to an organic unity. By the  middle of the 3rd century Cyprian (bishop of cartage) taught that the successors of the Apostles. He held that  the apostolic authority was given to Peter. So, the church in Rome became predominant believing that it was  founded by Peter. Reasons why Church in Rome Predominate? There were several reasons or causes why Rome (church) could complete against in other for supremacy.  (1) The chief reason was Rome was the