Earl Cairns, Ph.D.: "Christianity Through the Centuries," Ch. 17: Expans...
17. Christian Expansion and
Retrenchment, 186-195. Some treat the Middle Ages as static. Mass migrations in
Europe—Mongol Huns, Germanic Goths, and Teutons—show otherwise. Missionary activity
was dynamic and active in the West as the East faced off with Mohammedanism. Cairns
gives a picture of the rise of imperial Mohammedanism with the tribesman, Mohammed,
and his followers down to 800 with their expansionism. Through Averroes’ translation
of Aristotle, Islamists brought Aristotle to the West, it is claimed. While the
East is weakened by Islamist imperialism, the West is strengthened by Papal outreach
and, even, evangelism. The British Isles has the high spot with Patrick in Ireland,
Columbanus to the Burgundians, and Columba to the Scots. 8th-9th
century Viking invasions weakened the English Church. Iona, Lindisfarne, York and
Jarrow produced scholarship, e.g., Bede and Alcuin later. Gregory 1 sends Augustine
to southern England. The Synod of Whitby in 664 is held to resolve northern and
southern differences—Romanist rule, haircuts, the Easter dating, and clerical marriage
(Celtic clergy being married). Boniface or Winfrid (680-755) brought Christianity
to Germany’s Teutons. Wilfrid, an English Churchman, brought Friesland and the low
countries to Christianity. Lombards in Italy were brought to bay under Roman control
while Spain finally yielded to orthodox Christology (v. Arianism). The West was
up and running. Rather than “static,” or, “dark ages,” it appears anything but that.
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