Christianity and European Civilization - Essay Example

CHRISTIANITY AND EUROPEAN CIVILIZATION The emergence of Christianity as the strongest religion in the world was observed during the medieval historic time, i.e., around 1500 AD. Although its prima-facie objective was to promote the religious campaign across Europe, it gradually influenced the political conditions of the entire Europe and became a stronghold in the continent with the advent of various leaders and administrators who supported this religion with an unconditional acceptance. It took nearly seven centuries to establish Christianity as a wide spread spectrum of a hierarchical group. Establishment of churches was the beginning of its promotional activities in Europe. The first three centuries of its inception, Christianity remained unorganized and was centered only among the city people. Charismatic leaders of the local were the focal point of the congregation who decided on various aspects related to religious affairs of the people then. In AD 312, Emperor Constantine altered the structure of Christianity and organized its affairs into a political institution. Construction of churches led to the congregation of people for a fight for liberty by 1066 AD. Constantine was the first to use Bishops as the imperial officials for heading the religious affairs of the continent. Later in the due course, this system was successfully challenged by Theodosius II who proclaimed Christianity to be the official religion of the continent. Christianity as a Political Power Thrive for Christianity was further observed during the Germanic kings who spread the religion through Western Europe. These kings were converted into Christianity by missionaries during the Roman Empire but they practiced more of Aryanism rather than Roman Catholicism. During the 6th century, many kings from Germany were found to convert into Christianity along with their warriors and subjects. The emphatic power exercised by the bishops caught the attention of the Germanic kings who granted the bishops the power to administer the predominant Romans. They established monasteries and enlarged the span of followers of Christianity among the people of Western Europe. The Germanic kings who identified monasteries as the best tool for clutching the political supremacy over the Christians in Europe set up several such centers with the help of local nobles. Their trial was to influence the people with the injection of spiritual power with an objective of sentimentally capturing their political feelings with religious approach. Apart from the prominent partner United Kingdom, Ireland was another aim of the politically motivated spirituality of the bishops employed by the Germanic kingdom. The Irish accepted the proposal with a new lookout for spreading the religion across the continent by deploying missionaries to spread Christianity. However, as McManners (181) states, western Christendom failed to incorporate its non-catholic citizens; for instance, Christianity did not accept Islam’s claim to be the religion of Abraham. Charlemagne’s Era of Christianity Carolus Magnus (the Latin name which means Charles the Great) crowned imperator Augustus by Pope Leo III is considered the most prominent ruler ever to serve the dominance of Christianity among Europeans. The Frankish emperor who conquered Italy became the emperor of the Romans from 800AD to his death. He was the man behind the political expansion of a religious emirate first ever in the history of Europe. He used catholic churches as the media of his promotional programs for spreading the religion with a revival of traditional art and culture of Western Europe and Middle Ages. His efforts were invaluable for the reforms that led to the unification of the European countries. His renovation policy towards the Franks was embraced by the people who helped him in his strive for curbing separatism prevailed in the kingdom. Christianity was transformed into a powerful religion in the continent with the ascension of Charlemagne. He was successful at making a “Christian Kingship”. With his emergence as an emperor, political governance of the church controlled so far by the provincial heads was changed and the power to administer the country was vested in the hands of church heads. He used his military forces to spread Christianity everywhere in Europe after 800AD. The reign of his dynasty that caused the collapse of the Roman Empire lasted for over three centuries with resultant changes in political reforms in European Christianity. Christianity and Cultural Impact Cultural significance of Christianity during Charlemagne’s period was spectacular with its everlasting effect on people. The influence he brought in the culture of Rome with the imparting of Christianity was a great referral for various writings in the later stage. Statues and idols of the great reformer set up in Italy and Vatican are examples of his contribution to culture of Christianity. Institutional changes to the Western culture were inducted with Charlemagne’s canonization in 1165 by Antipope Paschal III. The great books on holy affairs of Roman beliefs amalgamated the sainthood of Charlemagne and considered him one of the warriors of the faith. It can be argued that Christianity was the most prominent governing tool that connected the people’s religious faith with the adoption of a new culture that spread across the continent. The cultural renovation took place under his reign is known as Carolingian Renaissance. His contribution to culture includes the Palace School he established at Aachen from where the curriculum like Trivium and Quadrivium derived (Cairns, 182). Like any other civilization, culture played the greatest role in unification of people from different languages and religious practices to follow a unit pattern of faith demonstration. It was surely more by power than by inspiration that Western European Christianity was coordinated. Finally this unity resulted in Europe becoming a politically Christian Empire. Christianity and Art Researches prove that most of the artistic elements of construction, music and painting were the contribution of Western Europe after the induction of unified Christianity. Though most forms of dance, music, visual art, story telling and architecture were of universal origin; their demonstration was differently characterized in Western Europe notably since 1500. The symphony, for example was first originated in Italian altars to praise Lord in religious ceremonies. The violin, the piano, the saxophone, the clarinet etc were largely used by the musicians of good old times itself. ‘By 1500, Christianity possessed a coherent and homogeneous artistic culture of its own’ (Walls, 174). The ballet was a means of visualizing stories related to Christianity in those days. They introduced the polka, the square dance and various forms of folk dances during that period. Their creative art in construction was also developed with the implementation of Christian societies. Churches of ancient times are best examples of their excellence in Architecture. In the final lines, it can be concluded that Christianity had evolved through various reforms by different leaders at different ages to become the ultimate power that controlled the political affairs of the European continent as a whole by 1500 AD. It also had influenced the society in the key factors like economy, culture and art with a futuristic effect that would last for centuries to follow. Thus it may be evidently argued that Christianity was a political device used by the administrators to unite the diversities among people rather than a promotional element for religious faith. Works Cited Cairns E E. Christianity through the Centuries: a history of the Christian Church. Edn, 3. Zondervan, 1996. McManners J. The Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Oxford University Press, 2001. Walls A F. The Missionary Movement in Christian History: Studies in the Transmission of Faith. Orbis Books, 1996. Read More