Strayer 10, Christendom

3/11/2017

Jackie Simmons

4/11/2017 08:06:30

margin question one
What variations in the experience of African and Asian Christian communities can you identify? (variations was sort of confusing me, do you only what the differences between them?)

- Asian christianity never found a true place to thrive like in Africa (Ethiopia) because sooner or later Muslims would take over
-Christian communities had to make agreements with muslims so that they could stay in Asia
-Asian Christians were effected by the spread of Islam, but in Africa, Egypt and Ethiopia maintained a strong Christian community during the time of Muslim conquest
-Ethiopian Christians had a strong belief in Jesus and had a holy presence in Jerusalem, while the Christian communities in Asia were impacted by the Muslim take over of jerusalem, making sacred temples as their own.

I don't know if i answered this right, or if there is more to add

Brandon

4/11/2017 17:59:42

Yea I do think he is only talking about the differences but I would also add that Ethiopia lasted out because of its geography

Julissa Ramirez

6/11/2017 22:59:00

I thought Islam impacted and pushed Christianity out of Africa more? Am I terribly wrong?

Lia Stallmann

8/11/2017 06:43:35

Julissa, you're right, Islam definitely pushed Christianity out of much of Africa. However, Strayer mentioned 2 major exceptions (that Asia generally didn't have), one being in Egypt and the other Ethiopia. In Egypt it was in part because Islam is slightly more tolerant of other religions, and Christian communities could still practice their faith if they payed a tax (though later it declined during the crusades). Ethiopia was protected by its mountainous geography and far position away from centers of Islamic power.

Nick Hamilton

4/11/2017 12:38:04

Okay so this isn't a margin question, this is more of making sure that I'm understanding the first subsection correctly. Is Strayer saying that Christianity evolved from Islam?

Chloe Shupe

4/11/2017 13:56:11

No. Strayer is saying that Christianity was disappearing in Africa and Eurasia because of the spreading of Islam. Remember that Islam emerged a couple hundred years after Christianity so how could it have evolved from Islam?

Brandon

4/11/2017 17:55:58

If its not a margin question then why did he put it in there? The margin question is definitely referring to the 2 subsections following it about the Asian Christianity and African Christianity which Jackie identified.

Bingham

5/11/2017 12:52:11

Really?

Sebastian Covington

4/11/2017 21:23:37

Margin Question 2
In what respects did Byzantium continue the patterns of classical Roman Empire? In what ways did it diverge from those patterns?

For the divergences/differences
-size and splendor
-reformed administration allowing generals civil authority
-Persian influenced imperial court system

I was getting confused on whether I was on the right track of differences from the Roman Empire.

Bingham link

5/11/2017 12:51:40

Sebastian, it's great that you're on the forum. Keep it up! Unfortunately you have committed a grievous sin my son. You're being vague, vague, vague! :-)
Try this answer and see the light, walk into the arms of your maker (I'm doing religious jokes for those of you with a less refined sense of humor).

Continuance can be seen in Byzantium's roads, military structures, centralized administration, imperial court, laws, and Christian organization.

It can also be seen in Byzantium's continuation of the long-term Roman struggle with the Persian Empire.

Byzantium diverged through the development of a reformed administrative system that gave appointed generals civil authority in the empire's provinces and allowed them to raise armies from the landowning peasants of the region. It also diverged through the new ideas encompassed in caesaropapism that defined the relationship between the state and the Church.

Bingham

5/11/2017 12:42:14

Here's your Sunday treat: How did Byzantium and Western Europe interact with each other and with the larger world of the third-wave era?

Byzantium and Western Europe interacted frequently; for instance, in the 500s C.E., the Byzantine emperor Justinian succeeded in conquering parts of Western Europe in his effort to reconstitute the Roman Empire.

The two societies were both Christian, which led to frequent interactions, disputes, and ultimately a schism between the two confessions (as in declaration of faith).

The revival of Western Europe after 1000 C.E. brought it into a closer trade relationship with Byzantium.

The crusading movement in Western Europe inspired hundreds of thousands of Western Europeans to travel to the eastern Mediterranean and even led to the sack of Constantinople by Crusaders in 1204 C.E.

In terms of the wider world, Byzantium and Western Europe were both part of the Eurasian long-distance trade network. Byzantium participated actively throughout the period, while Western Europe did so increasingly after 1000 C.E (it was a rough 500 years for Western Europe!).

Both interacted with the Islamic world through military conflict, trade, and the exchange of ideas (the last two being of the greatest importance).

Both had a profound impact on Eastern Europe, especially through their promotion of rival versions of the Christian faith.

Bingham

5/11/2017 13:02:39

While I'm here, I think this is an interesting one as well: How does the evolution of the Christian world in the third-wave era compare with that of Tang and Song dynasty China and of the Islamic world? My kinda question - context and all that right future DBQ writers?

The Western Catholic Christian world was less developed in comparison to Tang and Song dynasty China and the Islamic world in that the former had smaller cities, weaker political authorities, a more fragmented political structure, a less commercialized economy, and inferior technology. They also, possessed more privileged cities and a more favorable environment for merchants. By 1500, however, Western Europe had come a long way in catching up, though it depended more on borrowing than did its Chinese or Islamic counterparts.

The Orthodox Christian world was more similar to Tang and Song dynasty China and the Islamic world in that it possessed comparable cities, a powerful emperor, a unified government, a professional bureaucracy, a commercialized economy, and a technologically advanced society.

The Orthodox Christian world was similar to the Islamic caliphates in that both did not distinguish as clearly between religious and state authority as in Western Europe.

Western Catholic Christendom was a more militarized society than Tang and Song China.

Izze Chavez

5/11/2017 14:18:22

Thank you Mr. Bingham! Soon I will be dropping some answers as well, but I can't say they will be of any help compared to yours::)

Chloe Shupe

5/11/2017 15:03:59

MQ 3. How did Eastern Orthodox Christianity differ from Roman Catholicism?
- Latin remained the language for the Roman Catholic church but it was abandoned by the Eastern Orthodox church in favor of Greek
- Eastern Orthodox thinkers sought to formulate Christian doctrine in terms of Greek philosophical concepts
- Disagreements about the nature of the Trinity, the source of the Holy Spirit, original sin, and the relative importance of faith and reason
- Eastern Orthodox efforts to prohibit the use of icons - popular painting of saints and biblical scenes on small wooden panels
- Roman Catholic priests shaved and weren't supposed to marry while Eastern Orthodox priests allowed long beards and could marry
- Eastern Orthodox rituals used bread leavened with yeast while Roman Catholics used unleavened bread
- Eastern Orthodox leaders rejected claims of Roman popes to be the sole and final authority for all Christians everywhere

Should I include points about the Western Crusaders and the orthodox view of Roman Catholics as barbarians or does that not answer the question?

Olivia Miller

7/11/2017 21:14:12

I did not include points about the Western Crusaders and the Orthodox view of Roman Catholics as barbarians. I did, however, include:

-Roman Catholic Church maintained some degree of independence from political authorities, while in Byzantium, the emperor assumed the role of both "Caesar" (head of state) and pope (head of the Church)
-Eastern Orthodoxy held the view that Mary had given birth to only the human Jesus who then became the "temple" of God, while this was viewed as heretical to Roman Catholics

Sebastian Covington

8/11/2017 19:30:21

Actually your second point, Olivia is partly true. Nestorius, the bishop of Constantinople, argued this point but it was not a view in the Eastern Orthodox Church then, or today. It was transferred to a Persian church and then spread India, China, and Arabia. (sorry I'm Orthodox)

Eleena Sherman

5/11/2017 21:33:39

This isn't a margin question but I was mostly wondering if I was understanding this correctly. The Byzantine empire was rooted in the faith of Eastern Orthodox which believed that the Church was tied to the state correct? But later Strayer says that Eastern Orthodox leaders rejected the claims that Roman popes were to be the sole authority for all Christians. I'm not really sure what he's saying there because isn't the Byzantine Empire following Eastern Orthodox Christianity which believes that the state is tied to the church? So what does Strayer mean by saying that Eastern Orthodoxy rejected claim that popes were sole authority of the people?

Bingham

5/11/2017 21:44:37

Strayer is alluding to the idea that the RC pope speaks for ALL of Christianity. The is the first essential argument in the faith, who is really in charge versus whether two different view points are valid. Each side has their opinion. No religion is monolithic, homogeneous, or in complete agreement.

Tamara Wattenbarger

5/11/2017 21:41:23

MQ 5: How did links to Byzantium transform the new civilization of Kievan Rus?

First of all, it's important to know that Eastern Orthodoxy wasn't forced on to the Rus, but selected as the new religion by an early ruler named Prince Vladimir.

Things that happened:
-Vlad got a wifey (sister of Byzantine emperor), and lots of Byzantine priests and officials
-Borrowed Byzantine architecture, Cyrillic Alphabet, extensive use of icons, the monk life which emphasized prayer+service, and "political ideals of imperial control of the Church"
-And later on when Byzantium fell, a few Russian church leaders declared Moscow "The Third Rome", making it the final protector of Eastern Orthodox Christianity

Please tell me if I'm missing something!

Bingham

5/11/2017 21:50:53

Looks good.

Alpin Gunduz

6/11/2017 08:13:06

MQ 7:In what ways was European civilizations changing after 1000?

-The population of Europe rose from 35 million in 1000 to 85 million in 1340
-Due to more people, new lands could be cultivated for the improvement of agricultural output, and by 1300 the fores cover of Europe was reduced to 20%
-Due to the stimulus caused by the increase of agriculture, long-distance trade began to flourish involving beeswax, wine, salt, cloth, wheat and furs
-Because urban population numbers were growing , this led to the development of specialized professionals, such as doctors, lawyers and scholars
-Economic growth and urbanization offered European women substantial new opportunities.Women had urban jobs such as weaving, brewing and laundering. Sometimes women even continued the jobs' of their husbands, however it should be noted that by the 15th century European women's' opportunities were declining.

Julissa Ramirez

6/11/2017 23:03:10

This place is magical!

Chloe Shupe

7/11/2017 13:56:59

MQ 11. In what different ways did classical Greek philosophy and science have an impact in the West, in Byzantium, and in the Islamic World?
- Western Europe:
○ Provided a boost to Europe's changing intellectual life
○ Aristotle's writings became the basis for university education and largely dominated the thought of Western Europe
○ Aristotle's ideas were integrated into a logical and systematic presentation of Christian doctrine
○ Growing emphasis on human rationality was one of the foundations of the Scientific Revolution and secularization of European intellectual life
- Byzantium:
○ Kept classical tradition alive
○ Interested in humanities (literature, philosophy, history) and theology rather than sciences
- Islamic World:
○ Flowering of Arab scholarship, especially in sciences and natural philosophy
o Stimulated a debate about faith and reason

Is there anything I should add?

Izze Chavez

7/11/2017 20:30:58

MQ10: Why was Europe unable to achieve the kind of political unity that China experienced? What impact did this have on the subsequent history of Europe?
- Geographic barriers, ethnic/linguistic diversity, and the shifting power among its many cit states kept it from unifying
-Multi centered political systems gave rise to frequent wars, enhanced the status of military men, and drove the "gunpowder revolution" making it much more militarized than China.
-Intense rivalry and willingness to borrow drove technological development, but also decreased the need for innovation within the state itself because of the borrowing that took place.
-endemic warfare, although keeping Europe from unifying, did not stop capital, labor, and goods from passing over boundaries
-Europe's multi state system thus provided enough competition to
be stimulated but also sufficient unity to allow economic
endeavors to prosper.
-There was a separation of church and state.
-High-ranking nobles, acting through formal councils, were able to advise their rulers and approve new taxes, which allowed political freedom.
-The three way power struggle between kinds, warriors, and church leaders allowed merchants a certain freedom and independence.
-Because of the independent states run by merchants, political unity was inconceivable, but in China the merchant class was strictly regulated and there was hardly any power struggle between elite classes, decreasing political freedom.
-Weakness of centralized leaders and the strength of merchants allowed capitalism to thrive.
-This weakness of one centralized power/ ruler gave way to a representative government, but this government only represented three estates: clergy, landowning nobility, and merchants.

Izze Chavez

7/11/2017 20:42:48

MQ9: In what ways did borrowing from abroad shape European civilization after 1000?
-Horse collar, from China/central Asia, enables heavy plowing and contributed to European agricultural development
-Stirrups, from India/Afghanistan, revolutionized warfare by enhancing cavalry forces.
-Gunpowder, from China, enhanced the destructiveness of warfare
-Paper, from China, enabled bureaucracy; fostered literacy;perquisite for printing
-Spinning wheel, from China, sped up production of yarn, usually by women at home
-Wheelbarrow, from china, was a labor saving device for farm and construction workers
-Aristotle, from Byzantium/Islamic Spain, recovered classical Greek thought
-Medical knowledge/treatments, from the Islamic world, enriched European medicine
-Christian mysticism, from Muslim Spain, came to be from mutual influence of Sufi, Jewish, and Christian mysticism
-Music/poetry, from Muslim Spain, contributed to troubadour poetry about chivalry and courtly love
-Mathematics, from India/Islamic world, was the foundation of European algebra
-Chess, from India and Persia, from India/Persia, was a game of prestige associated with European nobility.
-Lateen sail from India and navigational techniques/ship building from China, provided the foundation of European mastery of shipbuilding.

Izze Chavez

7/11/2017 20:54:06

MQ8: What as the impact of the Crusades in world history?
-Spain, Sicily, and the Baltic region were permanently brought into the world of Western Christendom
-Byzantium was weakened by Crusades sacking Constantinople, making it vulnerable to Muslim Turkish conquests.
-In Europe, popes strengthened their position against secular authority
-Europeans came in contact with Islamic world, which then stimulated a demand for Asian goods.
-Europeans learned techniques for producing sugar on large plantations using slave labor. They later brought this practice to the Americas where it thrived.
Muslim scholarship and Greek learning flowed into Europe
-Expansion due to crusades and cross culture interactions allowed for open channel trade, technology transfer, and intellectual exchange. It also hardened cultural barriers between people (Roman west v. orthodox east)
-Christian antisemitism was expressed and exacerbated as Christians, and on their way to Jerusalem. massacred many Jews.
-European empire building continued into the Americas, furthering the notion of crusading that "god wills it"
-The crusades proved politically popular or ideologically useful.

Alison Wang

7/11/2017 21:00:01

MQ 4: In what ways was the Byzantine Empire linked to a wider world?

-On a political and military level, Byzantium continued the long-term Roman struggle with the Persian Empire.
-Economically, the Byzantine Empire was a central player in long-distance trade via the Silk Roads
-Byzantium preserved much of ancient Greek learning and transmitted this classical heritage to both the Islamic world and the Christian West.
-Byzantine religious culture spread widely among Slavic-speaking peoples in the Balkans and Russia.

Am I missing anything?

Izze Chavez

7/11/2017 21:17:25

Here's my answer:
-The conflict between Byzantium and Persia weakened both of their states
-Innovations from Byzantium (Greek fire) were adopted into Chinese and Persian arsenals.
-Had commercial links to Western Europe, Russia, Central Asia, Islam, and China.
-The gold coin used in Byzantium, bezant, was a widely used as currency in the Mediterranean.
-Luxurious products (silk, jewelry, gems, silver, gold, textiles, purple dye, and linen) were in high demand outside of Byzantium coming from Byzantium.
-Byzantium passed traditional Greek learning to the Islamic world and christian west.
-Byzantine religion spread to Slavic peoples (Balkan and Russians)
-Christianity and literacy accompanied Byzantium in over taking Slavs
-Cyril and Methodius made an alphabet in Greek letters that Slavic languages could be written in= cryllic
-bible was translated in this language
-this new language aided the process of conversion

Izze Chavez

7/11/2017 21:07:20

MQ7:In what ways was European civilization changing after 1000?
-Population grew to 80 mil from 35mil.
-New lands were opened for cultivation
-Forests/wastelands became villages run by Bishops or priests.
-Marshes were drained and trees were felled, hurting the environment
-Land was reclaimed from the sea in the Netherlands
-Agricultural advancements stimulated lang distance trade
-England to Baltic coast
- Northern Italian towns
-Self-sustained government became commercialized
-Europe became urbanized
-Merchants, artisans, and university trained professions moved to urban areas and made their own guilds, creating a complex division of labor
-Territorial states developed more efficient institutions of government which demanded obedience from the ones they ruled.
-embryonic bureaucracies
-nominal monarchs consolidated their authority anf soon clear
distinctions of states emerged with their own languages and
cultures.
-In the beginning, the growing economy offered women many opportunities like weaving, brewing, and prostitution.
-As technology advanced, women's guilds were gone and women's occupations were dominated by men.
-Water/animal powered grain-mills substituted for women in the work force
-Women found an escape and relative freedom in the church, first as beguines(laywomen), but as men saw that women had freedoms that were outside of their regulation, they took them away.
-Women then were limited to becoming Anchoress which involved them being locked in cells and fasting.
-Men defined themselves and providers and not as protectors.

Izze Chavez

7/11/2017 21:32:59

MQ6: What replaced the Roman order in Western Europe?
-Political kingdoms arose to replace Roman authority (these kingdoms had already been thoroughly romanized, which gave them ethnic identities, militarized them, and them prominence to their god of war: Woden)
-They wanted to mimic Roman unity so they erected on embryonic bureaucracy, standardized weight and measure, and began to act like an imperial ruler. They were unable to achieve this goal.
-In the West, a social system developed that was based on reciprocal ties between greater and lesser lords among the warrior elites which replaced the Roman social structure (feudalism).
-Roman slavery gave way to serfdom where slaves were not their masters personal property, rather they were tied to their masters estate.
-Roman catholic church became wealthy and took over some of Romes earlier political, administrative, educational, and welfare functions. Latin remained the language of the church while vernacular languages were used by ordinary people. The churches prominence was supported by its supernatural sanctions and its assimilation of other religions. The church reinforced rulers and vice versa, which also strengthened the prominence of the church in the west.

Olivia Miller

7/11/2017 21:40:19

In what ways was the Byzantine Empire linked to a wider world?

-on a political and military level, Byzantium continued the long-term struggle with Persia

-economically, it was a central player in the long-distance trade of Eurasia: its luxurious products were much in demand and its silk industry supplied much of the Mediterranean basin

-culturally, it preserved much of ancient Greek learning and transmitted this classical heritage to the Islamic world and to the Christian West

-religious culture spread widely among Slavic-speaking peoples in Balkan and Russia

-military pressure brought many of the Balkan Slavic peoples under Byzantine control
-Christianity and literacy accompanied this Byzantine offensive
as two Byzantine missionaries developed an alphabet (based on
Greek letters) with which Slavic languages could be written:
made it possible to translate the Bible and aided the process of
conversion

-interacted with the Islamic world through military conflict, trade, and exchange of ideas

Mr. Bingham provided the last one as an answer to another question, but I think it applies here. Please correct me on any of these or add any points that you found.

Bingham

8/11/2017 10:24:50

Well, the last point applies to both, so technically it applies to Byzantium. However, if this were to be on the test, I would not count it because this question is clearly asking for the kind of specificity you gave in the rest of your answer, and the last point doesn't.

Olivia Miller

7/11/2017 22:05:54

what replaced the Roman order in Western Europe?

-reduced population; contracting land under cultivation and expanding marshes/wasteland; long-distance trade dried up; money exchange gave way to barter; literacy lost ground; Germanic peoples emerged as the dominant peoples; and center of gravity moved north and west

-series of regional kingdoms arose to replace Roman authority
-highly fragmented and decentralized society known as
feudalism emerged

-Roman-style slavery gradually gave way to serfdom

Should I not include the first point or is there anything else that I can add?

Tamara Wattenbarger

8/11/2017 08:03:22

I think you should include it, as it does give a reason why the Roman Order was failing, and how it started to need replacing, if that makes sense

Brandon

8/11/2017 18:51:32

I mean your right it does explain why it was failing but that's not the question, so I mean its up to you to put it on there but I wouldn't

Bingham

8/11/2017 10:25:26

Great forum this week guys! People who don't check this are nuts!

Brandon

8/11/2017 18:50:01

I 100% agree.

Callum

25/10/2018 20:38:06

Hey Bingham, I am going to see if I can start this Forum up again.

Bingham

Welcome class of 2020. Some years students collaborate in this space effectively, some years not so much. One thing I know, collaboration significantly enhances learning. If you want access to my thoughts, this is the collaboration space to use. Most people propose an answer to margin questions, big picture question, or anything else related to managing Strayer. Other people can then comment leading to a stronger answer. I'll keep an eye on these pages, and pop in when I think you need me.

Strayer 10, Christendom

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