Charlemagne as a Christian king - Essay Example

Introduction Charlemagne was the France monarch (768-814), and the Western leader 800-815. Charlemagne invented the Roman Empire, intensified political and economic life in Europe, and promoted cultural revival called the Carolingian Renaissance. Discussion In comparison to the overall deterioration of Western Europe since the 7th century, the age of Charlemagne characterizes a critical renewal and turning point. Similarly, through King Charlemagne use of accessible resources (like Irish evangelists, the church and feudal as well as manorial institutions), his collaboration with the papacy and various ecclesiastical and administrative reforms, he managed to stop the cultural and political collapse of the early, Middle periods and establish a basis for extensive central administration north of the Alps, (Barbero 34).

Charlemagne was a prominent military conqueror, and he directed his talent into the church service, for in winning some of the Western Europe and some parts of east, he utilized military forces to coerce all his subjects to turn to Christianity. In addition, he supported various, subtle missionary attempts and motivated the expansion of Benedict monasteries mostly the duplication of theological manuscripts. Charlemagne’s religiosity made him visualize himself as having a spiritual responsibility to establish the kingdom of God on the earth, but he used brutal, intrigue and extreme hostility to the latter.

He invested all his crucial campaigns with religious significance. Charlemagne abolished the pagan idols and Saxons’ grooves and offered them a choice of converting to Christianity or dying, (Sypeck 67).Charlemagne offered a better deal of alms to the needy in his country and beyond. Whenever he realized that Christians were languishing in poverty- such as Jerusalem, Africa and Egypt – he had benevolence on the people, and sent resources oversea to assist them. Through this support, he strove to establish friendships with alien kings to be able to provide relief to Christians under their rule.

He adored the Saint. Peter’s Church at Rome and bombarded its treasury with extensive riches of Gold, precious stones as well as Silver. He also sent various valuable endowments to the popes and in the whole of his leadership, his most desirable wish was to restore the traditional Roman authority by his influence and under his authority. He also longed to preserve and defend St. Peter’s Church, beautifying and enhancing himself over all other Christian churches. The military conquest, subtlety and efforts to enforce unified governance on his territory were remarkable evidence of his capacity to act as a traditional king of Franks.

His religious strategy mirrored his ability to respond positively to change forces operating his world. Similarly, with remarkable enthusiasm, he extended and deepened the reform project rather falteringly organized by his father and uncle (Pippin and Carloman), in 740s. In essence, the response of Charlemagne to the intensifying urge in his globe to expand spiritual life was to turn that objective a key focus of royal administration and public policy, (Bhote 100).Conclusion Charlemagne’s leadership as a Christian king helped him expand his kingdom and control over his people.

His religiosity enabled him to further some of the objectives he pursued during his ruling and deepen his reign in the Francia Kingdom. In other words, ruling as a Christian king help him protect and preserve his administration and regime. Works citedBarbero, Alessandro. Charlemagne: Father of a Continent. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2004. Print.Bhote, Tehmina. Charlemagne: The Life and Times of an Early Medieval Emperor. New York: Rosen Pub. Group, 2005. Print.Sypeck, Jeff. The Holy Roman Empire and Charlemagne in World History.

Berkeley Heights, N.J: Enslow Publishers, 2002. Print.