Key Questions: The Spread of Christian Ideas (10.3)

To declare that a person or group no longer belongs to a church.

Define excommunicate.

A Christian religious image or picture. They typically represented Jesus or Christian saints.

Define icon.

A person who opposed the use of icons in Byzantine churches, saying that the icons encouraged the worship of idols.

Define iconoclast.

A person who travels to carry the ideas of a religion to people in a distant land.

Define missionary.

A religious community where monks live and work.

Define monastery.

A separation, typically between two groups of people.

Define schism.

A group of people from Denmark and Germany called the Anglo-Saxons invaded the British Isles starting around 400 CE. The southern area of Britain came to be known as "Angleland", which in time became England.

How did England get its name?

For defending Rome (and the Pope) from invaders, Charlemagne was crowned the new Roman emperor in 800 CE. This angered the Byzantines, as they believed that their emperor was the true "Roman" emperor and questioned the pope's authority. This and other conflicts caused a schism between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox forms of Christianity.

What did the Pope do with Charlemagne that angered the Byzantines?

Byzantines believed that their emperor represented Jesus Christ on Earth. He also chose the patriarch of Constantinople, which meant that he controlled the Church as well as the governmnet.

What religious role did the emperor play in Byzantine society?

The other name for the Eastern Roman Empire. It continued to exist for a thousand years after the Western Roman Empire had fallen apart. It was centered in Constantinople and blended Roman and Greek cultures.

What was the Byzantine Empire?

Byzantines believed that the patriarch of Constantinople and other bishops should be equal to the pope in power in Christianity.

Who did Byzantine Christians believe should be the leader(s) of Christianity?

The bishop of Rome, who came to be known as "the pope".

Who did Roman Christians (Roman Catholics) believe should be the leader of Christianity?

Benedict was an Italian monk who set out rules for Roman Catholic monks. The "Benedictine Rule" established that monks should give up their belongings, live a simple life, and spend sizable amounts of time in work and prayer.

Who was Benedict?

Patrick was a priest who brought Christianity to Ireland in the 400s CE. He is remembered through the Irish holiday of St. Patrick's Day.

Who was Patrick?

Some felt that praying to an icon was like worshipping an object. Worshipping an object is considered idol worship, which is banned by the Ten Commandments.

Why did some people oppose the use of icons in Byzantine society?

Some Byzantines believed that the icons served as reminder's of God's presence in everyday life. They also felt that they helped people understand Christianity.

Why did some people support the use of icons in Byzantine society?