A Light in the Darkness

Chapter 13

A Beacon of Light

• Roman Empire – – Laws and government– Culture: architecture,

art, literature– Religious tolerance– Rich resources for living

• Dark ages – 500-100 AD– Tribal living– Opposed central gov– Settled disputes with

war/killing– Worshipped pagan gods

(Thor and Wotan)– Illiterate– Could not farm

• Church brought God’s peace and His Word– Protected innocent

people– Preached Gospel– Tried to build a society– Negotiated with tribal

leaders– Bishops ran city if

civilians were unavailable

The Light of Missionaries

• Pope St. Gregory the Great– Led the Church during

these difficult times– Organized Rome– Took care of poor– Negotiated peace– Letters to instruct

Catholics

– Reformed the liturgy– Compiled Church music

• Gregorian chant

– He sent monks around the world to evangelize

• Missionary monks;– Made laws in towns– Taught people reading,

writing and math– Showed people how to farm– Showed people how to set

up shops and trade– Preserved culture, doctrine

and the Bible by copying manuscripts

This how the Church lit up the world during the Dark Ages

Western Monasteries

• Fear from the invasion made life unstable

• Monte Cassino, Italy– Saint Benedict

established a life of stability

– Work and prayer– Ora et labora

• Benedictines established a stable life for the tribes

Conquering the World with Virtue

• Virtues –– Lead us to live in a close

relationship with God– Need to be practiced

• Three most impt virtues• The Theological Virtues

• Faith• Hope• charity

Faith – belief in one God

belief in Jesus as our savior

Hope – we hope for eternal life

Charity –love our neighbors as ourselves

• Cardinal Virtues• Cardinal (lt) hinge– On which other things

dependVirtues:– Prudence– Justice– Fortitude– temperance

• Prudent – in decision making

• Just – in our dealings• Strong – in our

determination to do right

• Temperate – in our use of things.

• Augustine of Canterbury was a Benedictine monk who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury in the year 597.

• He is considered the "Apostle to the English" and a founder of the English Church.

• Benedict of Nursia is a Christian saint, honored by the Anglican Church and the Catholic Church as the patron saint of Europe and students.

• Saint Boniface, the Apostle of the Germans, born Winfrid, in the kingdom of Wessex,

• He was a missionary who propagated Christianity in the Frankish Empire during the 8th century.

St. Margaret

• See pg 98 of text

Cyril and Methodius

• See pg 98 of text

Giants of the Age

• Charlemagne – – a medieval emperor who ruled

much of Western Europe from 768 to 814. In 771,

– Pope Leo III (750-816) crowned Charlemagne emperor of the Romans.

– Protected Pope and Church– Made laws that supported the

Church – Made schools– All Europe linked to the

Church

– Sent churchman and layman through kingdom to check on local affairs

– Directed both church and civil affairs

– Soon difference between church and state became blurred

– Church leaders turned into gov leaders who grew rich and powerful

– They forgot their oath to God

• http://www.history.com/videos/the-reign-of-charlemagne#charles-martel-repels-the-moors

• Pope Gregory VII– Refocused the Churches

main direction– Pope appoint bishops

not kings