Europe in the Early Middle Ages was without an empire or kingdom or political structure to unite its diversity and create a cohesive society. Into this vacuum, the medieval Church grew into the most powerful institution in Europe, rising to its most influential point in the High Middle Ages (1000-1300 AD).
The strong papacy of Gregory the Great (pope from 590 to 604) gave boundaries and limits to the monarchs across Europe. Monasticism had a profound influence upon the structures of church and state as well as later Western values and attitudes. These monastic communities were havens of literacy and learning, patrons of the arts and artisans themselves, and actively encouraging charity and good works. They also encouraged a work ethic, as Benedictines insisted that “Idleness is the enemy of the soul.” The Early Middle Ages saw real and effective gains in the agriculture economy and production. By the 10th century implements and mechanization were creating a bread basket where there had been little effective agricultural production before.
Great advances were made in science and math—in the Islamic world as well as in Christendom. The myth that science and math were suppressed has labeled this period falsely as anti-learning. The reality is that the foundations for the future advances were laid here during the "dark ages." Unlike the Islam of today with its almost knee jerk reaction against progress,the Islamic world was also advancing in mathematics and the sciences. Indeed the ninth-century Persian astronomer and mathematician al-Khwarizmi (c. 780-c. 850), introduced Europe to algebra and the Latinized version of al-Khwarizmi’s name gave us the word “algorithm.” The Carolingian Renaissance period saw a real flowering of the arts, literature, and architecture as well.
The 29 year old Karl, a son of Pepin the Short, assumed complete control of the Frankish kingdom and reigned as Charlemagne (or Charles the Great) successfully defeating the Muslims in Spain, Bavarians and Saxons in northern Germany and Lombards in Italy. In 800, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne “emperor of the Romans” (Holy Roman Emperor) and the crown and miter worked together to spread the faith. During this time there was a rebirth of Roman-style architecture, educational reform, and the preservation of classic Latin texts. By the time the Carolingian dynasty faded away the end of the ninth century (Charlemagne died in 814), the foundation for the future Renaissance had already been laid.
In reality, the Church preserved, rebuilt, and carried Western civilization forward while the world around it was falling apart. While it did so in a way not possible today, as we face the end of eras and epochs and the transition of what was into what will be, the Church can also be one of the most stabilizing forces, assuring the passing on of the legacy of learning within the values and virtues of a distinctly Christian worldview in order to prevent chaos and disorder as well as provide a foundation for future rebirth and renewal. Then, as now, the darkness may be exaggerated and the leadership of the Church may be resisted and yet who else will rise up with calm and hope for tomorrow? Every generation insists the future is going to hell in a hand basket and they may be correct. Yet God has placed us in our own times as leaven for the whole lump. We will not accomplish anything good or lasting by hiding nor will we have any hope to offer unless that hope is clearly expressed within the context of God's grace and mercy and within the story of Christ crucified and risen. When the fabric is being torn asunder, now is the time to take up the needle and thread and repair it, making it better than it was before, and assuring those that Gods' mercy is still our cover, the righteousness of Christ our clothing, and hope is not a myth. Without monasteries to guide us, the local parish and our larger network of associations founded on those congregations will need to fill in the gap and take up the roles as leaders for our times.
2 comments:
It is interesting and historically accurate to say that in some respects both learning and culture were advancing, even during the “dark ages.” However, looking at Medieval history as a whole, a summary of the parts reveals a variety of many factors also influenced the period. There were plagues which wiped out millions, numerous wars between disparate kingdom states, a feudal system which oppressed the lower classes and consigned them to generational impoverishment. Many of the Popes were theocratic, behaving as absolute and cruel monarchs. As for the monasteries, it is true that learning took place in these closed citadels of the church, yet Martin Luther said they were often more like synagogues of Satan in practice. While the Vatican typically, we might say in today’s jargon, ‘controlled the narrative’ Luther complained that many in the clergy were not familiar with the word of God. Since the Bible was kept from the masses, it was filtered through ecclesiastical doctrines, and dependent on the current fancies of the individual Popes. It is interesting how historians named epoch periods as “Dark Ages“ “Age of Reason” “Age of Exploration” “Renaissance” and so forth, and although these are markers along the linear path of history, they reveal only a small part of the story. That the Christian faith and the message of the Gospel prevailed through these periods is testament to the idea that despite cataclysmic events, Jesus was at the head of His people, and He will continue to lead them until all has been fulfilled. Soli Deo Gloria
I think I may have painted too broad of a brush in describing monks during the Medieval times and the dark ages. There were indeed monks and nuns who lived and worked sacrificially on behalf of the poor and oppressed, holding to a vow of “poverty, chastity, and obedience” which guided their unselfish lives. No doubt they evangelized the Gospel and gave hope to many. This too, was a work of God’s grace, as Our Lord uses people to serve the kingdom of God to lost and despairing souls to whom He entrusted their care. Soli Deo Gloria
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