What is scholastic theology?
Today, scholastic theology, or scholasticism, is often used as a disparaging term that means something like “speculation on obscure and trivial theological topics” or “an over-emphasis on traditional dogma.” The question most often used to sum up this view of scholastic theology is “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?” Medieval…
What happened at the Council of Constance?
The Council of Constance was the sixteenth ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church held from 1414—18 in Constance, which is in present-day Germany. The council had two primary purposes. The first purpose of the Council of Constance was to resolve the issue of who the rightful pope should be. Two rival popes had been…
Who was Gregory the Great?
Gregorius Anicius, the man who would eventually become known as Gregory the Great, lived from AD 540 to 604. He served as the bishop of Rome from 590 to 604. In the Roman Catholic Church, he is known as Pope Gregory I. In the Orthodox Church, he is known as Saint Gregory the Dialogist. In…
What was the Carolingian Dynasty?
The Carolingian Dynasty ruled the Franks, a Germanic tribe, in Western Europe for about 200 years, from AD 751 to 987. Unlike modern nations in which an election or a sudden coup d’état marks clear boundaries between rulers or administrations, during the Middle Ages it often took years (even two or three generations) for one…
What was the Byzantine Period?
The Byzantine Empire, or the Eastern Roman Empire (sometimes called “Byzantium”) was the longest-lasting medieval power. At various times in its history, the Byzantine Empire ruled land in Italy, Greece, the Balkans, the Levant, Asia Minor, and North Africa. It had enormous influence over political systems, religion, art, and architecture. The Byzantine Empire existed between…
What impact did Scholasticism have on church history?
Scholasticism is the term given to a medieval philosophical movement that combined Catholic theology with the philosophies of more ancient writers such as Augustine and Aristotle. During what is called the Carolingian Renaissance, Charlemagne set up schools in every church throughout the Holy Roman Empire. The monks began to study and learn in these schools,…
What was the Investiture Controversy, and how did it impact Christianity?
The Investiture Controversy, also called the Investiture Contest or the Investiture Dispute, lasted from AD 1076 to 1122 and involved a disagreement over the leadership of the medieval church. In the United States, there is a separation of church and state. While in more recent times this “doctrine” has been corrupted to mean that religious…
What was the Kingdom of Jerusalem?
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a crusader state that lasted from AD 1099 to 1291. In the time of Christ Jerusalem was under the control of the Roman Empire. This control continued until the 7th century. With the conversion of Constantine (early 4th century), Christianity became a legal religion and eventually the state religion. Emperor…
Who were the Moors?
When the Roman Empire ruled northern Africa, they referred to the native people in the same way as the ancient Greeks had: as “Barbarians.” This word eventually evolved into the term Berbers, used mostly for the African people living near the Mediterranean Sea. But another Latin (Roman) term for these people was Mauri. During the…
Who were the Knights Templar?
The Knights Templar, also known as the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, were an order of Christian knights that was formed in approximately 1119 A.D., following the First Crusade. The stated responsibility of the Knights Templar was to protect Christian pilgrims who were traveling to Jerusalem. The Knights Templar were…