Week 2: Late Antiquity and Christian Culture / Monks and Monarchs: Religious and Political Life in the Early Middle Ages - Tutorial Discussion Post
Hi everyone!
Okay, here we go........our first online tutorial discussion!
Remember that the readings for this week can be found on pages 44-62 of the course reader. If you haven't yet been able to purchase a copy of the reader then do have a look at the unit guide on Blackboard and follow the links therein to an online copy of the Rule of St Benedict. Information on the book, Medieval Worlds: An Introduction to European History, 300-1492, from which another reading for this week is taken, and where to locate it in the library can be found by following the link to the right of this post under 'Weekly Readings'.
I encourage everyone to look over the tutorial discussion questions for this week (on page 43 of the reader) as they will help you reflect on the readings. You may also like to reflect on the information and questions I've included below. Remember though - your comment post does not need to specifically address either the tutorial discussion questions, or my reflections below. They are just here to help you get started.
........
So the readings for this week seem to be all about the Church in the early Middle Ages! I thought that two major themes seem to be represented in the readings:
1) The first theme focuses on the structure, development and influence of the Church in the early Middle Ages.
2) The second theme focuses on the importance of the Rule of St Benedict in the development of monasticism.
A couple of questions that came to my mind when I was doing the readings were:
1) How did the organization of the Church, and the ideals of Christianity, influence early medieval society?
2) Why was the Rule of St Benedict so successful? How did it simultaneously allow a monk to live both 'alone in the wilderness' and in a community?
What did you find interesting (or not!) about the readings? Please post your comments, questions and thoughts!
.......
Just for fun!
Here are a few photos to help spark our imaginations!
The first is a photo of Monte Cassino (the monastery founded by St Benedict) as it appears today. It's amazing to think that this monastic house has been going since the the sixth century!
Not all monasteries of course continue to function to this day, however. Below is a photo of the remains of Glastonbury Abbey in the UK, once a very powerful monastery, but now only a quiet ruin.
The two images below are shots of cloisters. Cloisters were (and are!) a very important part of monasteries. They were islands of calm and quiet right in the centre of the bustle and activity of a monastery. Their purpose was to provide a place for spiritual reflection and quiet study for the monks. It's interesting to reflect on how cloisters, as havens of calm amidst a busy place, also reflect the desire of every monk - to be alone with God and spiritually content in amongst a community of fellow brothers (or sisters!). Cloisters generally consist of a square covered walkway surrounding a garden or green space.
Hi everyone!
Okay, here we go........our first online tutorial discussion!
Remember that the readings for this week can be found on pages 44-62 of the course reader. If you haven't yet been able to purchase a copy of the reader then do have a look at the unit guide on Blackboard and follow the links therein to an online copy of the Rule of St Benedict. Information on the book, Medieval Worlds: An Introduction to European History, 300-1492, from which another reading for this week is taken, and where to locate it in the library can be found by following the link to the right of this post under 'Weekly Readings'.
I encourage everyone to look over the tutorial discussion questions for this week (on page 43 of the reader) as they will help you reflect on the readings. You may also like to reflect on the information and questions I've included below. Remember though - your comment post does not need to specifically address either the tutorial discussion questions, or my reflections below. They are just here to help you get started.
........
So the readings for this week seem to be all about the Church in the early Middle Ages! I thought that two major themes seem to be represented in the readings:
1) The first theme focuses on the structure, development and influence of the Church in the early Middle Ages.
2) The second theme focuses on the importance of the Rule of St Benedict in the development of monasticism.
A couple of questions that came to my mind when I was doing the readings were:
1) How did the organization of the Church, and the ideals of Christianity, influence early medieval society?
2) Why was the Rule of St Benedict so successful? How did it simultaneously allow a monk to live both 'alone in the wilderness' and in a community?
What did you find interesting (or not!) about the readings? Please post your comments, questions and thoughts!
.......
Just for fun!
Here are a few photos to help spark our imaginations!
The first is a photo of Monte Cassino (the monastery founded by St Benedict) as it appears today. It's amazing to think that this monastic house has been going since the the sixth century!
 |
| Monte Cassino |
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| Glastonbury Abbey, UK |
The two images below are shots of cloisters. Cloisters were (and are!) a very important part of monasteries. They were islands of calm and quiet right in the centre of the bustle and activity of a monastery. Their purpose was to provide a place for spiritual reflection and quiet study for the monks. It's interesting to reflect on how cloisters, as havens of calm amidst a busy place, also reflect the desire of every monk - to be alone with God and spiritually content in amongst a community of fellow brothers (or sisters!). Cloisters generally consist of a square covered walkway surrounding a garden or green space.
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| Cloisters attached to Salisbury Cathedral in the UK |
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| The cloisters at Monte Cassino |
I decided to answer the questions that you posted but I wasn't sure how much we were supposed to write.
ReplyDeleteIn response to question one I do agree that people of the early society, who eventually committed themselves to the Church, joined as a means of escaping the world of the here and now in attempt to ensure their delivery to heaven. I do believe all levels of society had some form of education; whether they were rich and were therefore taught to read and write; or if they were commoners that listened to their local priest. However, personally I think the education of the time for commoners was a form of mind control. The commoners accepted where they were placed in the social hierarchy and simply accepted that they could not move up in society, which in truth, I think is incorrect. Furthermore it gave higher authorities more control over such people. It is interesting to note that the influence on the early society can still be seen today for example marriage laws, i.e. people being unable to marry first cousins and polygamy being illegal (both of which I agree with). Local churches also became a place not only for spiritual importance but social interaction within villages
In regards to St Benedict's Rule, yes, it was successful and its success had to do with its time in history but also its growing influence over certain peoples, such as the Irish in the early days and the Anglo-Saxons, allowed for the Rule to spread further across Europe. The 'Rule' was achievable in that it balanced "living in the wilderness" and living within a community even though there were strict rules and demands, living was not impossible. Although monks did not socially interact as we do in today's day and age, they were still surrounded by other people who had, presumably, the same opinion and ideals as each other therefore having the feel of community. Moreover, the Rule of St Benedict was successful for its time as it gave regulation and guidance to a world that had been through many years of social, political and religious instability.
Hi everyone!
ReplyDeleteHere is Carolyn's post for this week - she was having some trouble accessing the blog and so I am posting it on her behalf.
Diana
'I felt that the replacement of the Roman Empire's social structure and control with Christianity was a change ideologically but not structurally as people soon clung to Christianity as a way to structure their lives after they lost the structure provided for them by the Roman Empire.
The emergence of Christianity really only changed the tone of this societal structure so it no longer reflected the hedonisitic glory of the Roman Empire but expressed a darker baroque ideal that set the tone for the medieval time.
I think that St Benedict's rules were very successful in response to societies new desire to structure their lives in a Christian fashion and also because the self demeaning, self sacrificing nature of the life Benedict recommended would have appealed to the new Baroque tone of Medieval society. The lives of Medieval Monks possessed a routine and obsessive recognition of God that would have almost been a form of security and comfort for the early Christian people.'
Hi everyone!
ReplyDeleteDiana here again - Carley also has been having some trouble accessing the blog so I've pasted her thoughts here below.
'I have a question, how did the Church become so powerful and control a wide populace when there were already established and powerful religions?
I noticed through the reading just how powerful and authoritative the church was. Everything had to be under their control and from their rules. I find it interesting how in today’s day the Christian church isn’t as powerful as it was in the Middle Ages. However there are some teachings and traditions that are still prevalent.
The church was not only a spiritual place; it also acted as an area where people would travel for guidance and acted as a council for government.
The Bishops were unbelievably dominant and influential on the society that the people followed their rules as a way of life. It was a major shift from the pagan religion and the people saw it more as a way to live their life to achieve some importance in the community.
I just find it interesting how it could greatly overtake existing religions and become an extremely powerful governing body.'
I found the information with the way the Monks lived and almost their solitude in the way in which they cant speak or laugh interesting. The different types of Monks forced me to look deeper and try to visualize which Monk would do certain things. To be a Monk in medieval times would be much better than being a peasant as you have a certain place to live and have no need for money and will always have, though even small, meals to be sure of survival. That even though Monks were not typically Catholic back in those times they still followed the hierarchy that God had 'instituted', as they had been assigned to their proper place but also assisting others in settling into their places through educating others.
ReplyDeleteI have the same question as Carley with the organization of the Catholic church. How could one religion that was once so small easily become such a powerful body to takeover other powerful and popular religions?
As the reader states that the Rule of St Benedict was successful as it did "'beautifully' balance the spiritual ideal of living in the wilderness with the practical situation of living in a community." But it did clearly and expressly outline the daily routine in which a monk was supposed to structure their day, down to the amount of food they should eat to the position in which they must sleep. I think the rule allowed monks to simultaneously live alone in the wilderness and in a community through the way they were not allowed to have contact with others and were to only speak when spoken to. This would create solitude and enhance their meditation which they performed for a majority of their days, this small amount of contact with others I thought could assist the way a monk could simultaneously live alone in the community and the wilderness.
I find the way that people choose to be monks, IE. George the Great decided to be a monk.. That they can put aside all their possessions and wealth to become simple humans who practice prayers and mediation. It was my favourite bit in the readings despite the small writing :P