The Late Medieval Church

Decline, Reform and Irrelevance

Lesson 8 13 November 2011

Scholasticism
Idealism Plato Reality lies in universals (ideas) Anselm I believe so I can understand Ontological Argument Realism Aristotle Reality lies in particulars (things) Peter Abelard, Albert Magnus, Thomas Aquinas, I know in order to believe Sic et Non Summa Theologica Teleological, Cosmological and Moral Influence Arguments Nominalism William of Occam Reality is only a name John Wycliffe, Roger Bacon Belief is a part from reason Occams Razor

The Classical Arguments

Ontological I can conceive of a being greater than I If I can conceive it, that being must exist God is greater than I; therefore God exists Teleological Every effect must have a cause To have a first effect one must have a first cause God is the prime cause; therefore God exists
Cosmological The universe exists and has order For it to exist; it must have an ordering principle That principle is God; therefore, God exists

Moral Argument I can determine that something is morally good Good can only come from ultimate good God is the ultimate good; therefore God exists

Three Theories of the Atonement: - The Ransom Theory of the Atonement (Early Church Fathers) - The Satisfaction Theory of the Atonement (Anselm) - The Moral Influence Theory of the Atonement (Abelard)

The Rise of the Universities

Developed out of the palace schools (Charlemagne) to the cathedral/monastic schools (900 to 1150) to universities chartered by the king, but staffed by the Church First Official University: University of Bologna (est. 1155) Course of Study
Trivium: Grammar, Logic Rhetoric (BA Degree) Quadrivium: Arithmetic, Geometry, Astronomy, Music (MA Degree) Doctorate: Law, Medicine and Theology Method of Study: The Dialectic (debate); oral exams, memorization

Organized as a guild which was student led and surrounded a popular teacher Studied as Clergymen Major Universities: Paris (theology), Bologna (law), Padua (medicine), Oxford (theology/philosophy/law/science)

The Three Main Events

The Renaissance (1350 1600)
Begins in the Trading States of Florence, Venice, Genoa Rediscovery of Classical Learning of Greco-Roman Culture Emphasized original works, translations, etc and the humanities Classical Humanists (N. Italy) emphasizes the secular; Religious Humanists (Germany, Netherlands) emphasizes mans place in Religion The Hundred Years War (France vs. England) (1337 1453) The rise of the middle class desiring protection by a central government Tired of taxes to both king and pope Kings desire to have royal courts and control of all of their subjects Constitutional Monarchy (England) with the Magna Charta Absolute Monarchy (France and Spain)

The Rise of the Nation State

The Black Death

Comes in waves beginning in 1348 and lasting until the early 1600s Between 1/3rd and 1/2 of the European population dies

The Decline of Papal Power

Papacy becomes rich, corrupt and more of a secular than spiritual power; The Donation of Constantine Reform movement: College of Cardinals (ca. 1000)
Cardinals: Originally the Pastors of the Cardinal Churches of Rome Became a select position and Cardinals ran the Curia Select the Pope in order to decrease the influence of the Holy Roman Emperor

The Babylonian Captivity of the Church (1309 1377)

Pope moved Court to Avignon under protection of French King Clement VII becomes pope (French); Roman Cardinals elect Benedict XIII (Roman) anti-Popes; eventually move back to Rome 1409: Council of Cardinals depose Gregory XII and Benedict XIII and replace with John XXIII, others refuse to leave, now 3 popes

Council of Constance (1414 1418)

Called by Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor Creates five councils of cardinals (one for each nation represented) Cardinals must agree unanimously to move forward, fire all of the popes and elect Martin V Deals with heresy; bans translations of the Bible and liturgy must be in Latin

The Pre-Protestant Reformers

The Mystics
A response to the formalism and scholastic orthodoxy of the Church Relies on inner authority, visions, prophetic views Thomas a Kempis (1380 1471) The Imitation of Christ, Meister Eckart (1260-1327) Followed Peter Valdes (Waldo); a lay businessman Emphasized reading and following the NT Still exist in N. Italy Professor at Oxford Sought to reform the papacy and to eliminate corruption (Christ not Pope head of the Church) Bible is sole authority (translates NT in 1382, OT in 1384 into English) Government of the people, by the people and for the people Condemned at Council of Constance as a heretic The Lollards Pastor and taught at University of Prague Influenced by Wycliffe and the Lollards Condemned at Council of Constance and burned at the stake Last Words: Today they strike a match that 100 years from now will burn the world

Waldensians

John Wycliffe (1329 1384)

John Hus (1373 1415)

References
Aquinas, Thomas. The Short Summa Cairns, Earle E. Christianity Through the Centuries Cross, F. L. and E. A. Livingstone ed. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church McGrath, Alister E. Historical Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought