I will be analyzing the above selection from Bede’s The Ecclesiastical History for religious context. At this time, England is transitioning from Nordic paganism to Christianity, and this piece depicts the way that Christian leadership persuades secular leader to convert to Christianity through condemning their practices and praising their own.
At this time, though some missionaries had come to England, “for much of the first half of the seventh century there were very few Christian kings in England.” This passage documents a letter written by the Pope to King Edwin, openly condemning pagan religion and heavily insisting on his conversion to Christianity. Firstly, he attacks their practice of idol worship, stating that since these idols “are
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One area in which this is ineffective, however, is in the way pagans place importance on warrior culture. Because “[t]he credibility of Christ as a war god and patron of warrior kings” is lacking, this piece expresses the issue of the lack of a “‘fit’ of Christianity with Anglo-Saxon society.” However, the Pope does try to incorporate materialism, which pagan culture values, into his dialogue about Christianity in order to make it more accessible to Edwin. He still establishes the superiority of Christianity, which holds up Jesus as an idol, by expressing how He is worthy of being an idol. He does this by stating that Jesus is the individual by whom “the human race has been redeemed,” which in contrast with the “utterly insensible” pagan idols. The Pope then expresses his incredulity at how “you [King Edwin] can be so deluded as to worship and follow those gods,” making the implication that, since Edwin follows these man-made gods which are so plainly false, he himself is unintelligent. Because King Edwin’s idols are of a “worthless nature,” it naturally follows to the Pope that Edwin and his people are
Bede’s last sentence in the passage implies that Christianity had already been established in Britain for some time prior to Eleutherius occupying Peter’s chair from 175-189. This seems reasonable according to what is written by the historian Eusebius Pamphilus, bishop of Caesarea, in His Ecclesiastical History written in the 300’s. The Ecclesiastical His...
He describes how all this was the view of the Christian church until they came under the “‘conversion’ of Constantine” (Wink 288). Here, Christianity became directly tied to that of the empires, and making the enemies of the empire the Churches enemies and bringing into the world the just war way of thinking.
Pope Urban II naturally had a religious control over his people and when he gave his speech at the Council of Clermont in November 1905, he constantly referred to it as the will of God. His speech reminded them that the Crusades were their “concerns as well as God’s” . Throughout his speech, the Pope is constantly trying to align the need for men to fight with t...
Lynch, Joseph H. The Medieval church: A Brief History. New York: Longman Group UK Limited, 1992.
...nd analyzing the writing of Pope Francis it allowed me to further my understanding of not only his particular style of teaching, but also of the various issues surrounding Christian ethics. Reading his book, changed my perspective on a few issues and had an impact on me in regards to my life as a Christian. By writing this paper, I was able to identify the main focuses of Christianity in order to become more effect, relevant, and credible. In addition, I was able to further my understanding of the issues surrounding Christian ethics, which will allow me to help others more effectively by following in Jesus’s footsteps. Overall, I enjoyed the assignment and it opened up my eyes to the different issues surrounding the four areas of concern mentioned in The Joy of the Gospel, which are the new idolatry of money, option for the poor, inequality, and common good/peace.
In chapter two, ‘Francis and His Companions,’ Cunningham exposes the considerable growth in Francis of Assisi’s influence, as he recounts his companions that joined him after deciding to live his life. The chapter is significant because it exposes how Francis of Assisi’s gospel is different from the orthodox Catholic practices, which recognized the pope, as the sole Vicar of Christ. (Cunningham 32). This chapter is important in my life because it reinforces my conviction God is the almighty and all-powerful, and all people regardless of the status of the needed to worship
From the Catholic observation point, the Church presents two parts: One representing its divine nature as the untarnished body of Christ, and one direc...
Eusebius’ account of Constantine’s conversion is comparable to Gregory of Tours’ accounts of Clovis’ and Gundobad’s conversions to Christianity, in the sense that they all initially called upon the “Christ-God” (albeit Gundobad perhaps indirectly) to come to their aid, which he did, during periods of military crisis. The si...
And make her full of hateful fantasies? Act II, Sc. 2. 259-267) -. Oberon stresses the use of emotion to understand what he is saying. On the other hand, Theseus accentuates the use of logic, best portrayed in this line,?I never believe these antique fables, nor these fairy toys.?
Stanley, Tim. "Give Me That Old Time Religion." History Today 63.8 (2013): 50. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.CHURCH, S. D. "Paganism In Conversion-Age Anglo-Saxon England: The Evidence Of Bede's Ecclesiastical History Reconsidered." History 93.310 (2008): 162-180. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.Mayfield, Tyler. "Hebrew Bible." Masterplots II: Christian Literature (2007): 1-7. Literary Reference Center. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.Alward, Emily. "The Soul Of Christianity." Masterplots II: Christian Literature (2007): 1-2. Literary Reference Center. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.Hallissy, Margaret. "Christianity, The Pagan Past, And The Rituals Of Construction In William Golding's The Spire." Critique 49.3 (2008): 319-331. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
With all the events which were occurring in the world, Urban had successfully chosen to launch the crusade at a time when the Christian West was ready to put a stop to the fighting in the East by eliminating all opposition to the Christians. It was also the perfect time for the Pope’s message of ‘guiltless, meritorious violence’. To an audience bred on fighting but fearful of hell the promise of an Indulgence was irresistible.
The pagan and Christ share a great deal in common, particularly from a metaphysical perspective, and the profound influence of pagan philosophy on Christian theology and mysticism is well documented. Nevertheless, this essay will attempt to identify a few basic differences between pagan and Christian religion and religious practice. We will begin with a brief overview the pagan, using Plotinus as our exemplar, and then we will offer an account of how Christ fundamentally differed from the pagans.
He discussed in depth about how Christological traditions emerged and developed over the decades (59). However, his focus leans towards the first five centuries of the church. As the church was beginning to grow the emergence of the canon was informing believers of the historical events of Jesus sacrifices. It was a wonderful era to study how the culture perceived the recently crucified Christ.
The history of Christianity has always involved turbulence. Not only were there divisions among the members of the religion into different sects according to their own beliefs and ideas, but also, there were struggles between Christianity and the pagan, in which the two opposing sides tried to weaken the other and yield greater influence. These divisions and fierce competitions can be observed in Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose, in which several clashes between systems are shown: a conflict between Christianity and paganism and one between the two different orders – the Benedictine and Franciscan. Moreover, the significance of the society’s mood is also evident: through the application of the concept of discourse, the impact of the societal norms and standards, particularly in the limited setting of a monastery, is depicted.
“Christianity is the faith tradition that focuses on the figure of Jesus Christ” (McGinn, 1). Not only is Christianity a set of religious beliefs, it has also created an entire culture, “a set of ideas and ways of life” which have been passed down from generation to generat...