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The Germanic Peoples underwent gradual ''' Christianization ''' in the course of Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages . By the 8th century, most of England and the Frankish Empire was Christian, and by AD 1100, Germanic Paganism had also ceased to have political influence in Scandinavia . HISTORY In the 4th Century , the early process of Christianization of the various Germanic People was partly facilitated by the prestige of the Christian Roman Empire amongst European pagans. Until the Decline Of The Roman Empire , the Germanic Tribes who had migrated there (with the exceptions of the Saxons , Franks , and Lombards , see below) had converted to Christianity.Padberg 1998, 26 Many of them, notably the Goths and Vandals , adopted Arianism instead of the Trinitarian (a.k.a. Nicene or ''orthodox'') beliefs that came to dominate the Roman Imperial Church.Padberg 1998, 26 The gradual rise of Germanic Christianity was, at times, voluntary, particularly amongst groups associated with the Roman Empire. From the 6th Century , Germanic tribes were converted (and re-converted) by Missionaries of the Roman Church. Many Goths converted to Christianity as individuals outside the Roman Empire. Most members of other tribes converted to Christianity when their respective tribes settled within the Empire, and most Franks and Anglo-Saxons converted a few generations later. Goths See Also: Gothic Christianity In the 3rd century, East-Germanic peoples migrated into Scythia. Gothic culture and identity emerged from various East-Germanic, local, and Roman influences. In the same period, Gothic raiders took captives among the Romans, including many Christians, (and Roman-supported raiders took captives among the Goths). Wulfila or Ulfilas was the son or grandson of Christian captives from Sadagolthina in Cappadocia. In 337 or 341 , Wulfila became the first bishop of the (Christian) Goths. By 348 , one of the (Pagan) Gothic kings (reikos) began persecuting the Christian Goths, and Wulfila and many other Christian Goths fled to Moesia Secunda (in modern Bulgaria ) in the Roman Empire. Auxentius Of Durostorum , ''Letter of Auxentius'', quoted in Heather and Matthews, ''Goths in the Fourth Century'', pp. 141-142. Philostorgius via Photius, ''Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius'', book 2, chapter 5. Other Christians, including Wereka, Batwin , and Saba , died in later persecutions. Between 348 and 383 , Wulfila translated the Bible into the Gothic Language . Auxentius Of Durostorum , ''Letter of Auxentius'', quoted in Heather and Matthews, ''Goths in the Fourth Century'', p. 140. Philostorgius via Photius, ''Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius'', book 2, chapter 5. Thus some Arian Christians in the west used the vernacular languages, in this case including Gothic and Latin, for services, as did Christians in the eastern Roman provinces, while most Christians in the western provinces used Latin. Franks & Alamanni The following his victory at the Battle Of Tolbiac converted to the ''orthodox'' faith of the Roman Church and let himself be baptised at Rheims . The details of this event have been passed down by Gregory Of Tours . The Alamanni became Christians after a period of syncretism during the 7th Century , by gradual emulation of the new religion of the Merovingian elite. The Lombards adopted Roman Christianity as they entered Italy , also during the 6th century. In the 8th Century , the Franks became standard-bearers of Roman Christianity in Western Europe, waging wars on its behalf against Arian Christians, Islam ic invaders, and pagan Germanic peoples such as the Saxons and Frisians . Until 1066 , when the Dane and the Norse had lost their foothold in Britain , theological and missionary work in Germany was largely organized by Anglo-Saxon Mission aries, with mixed success. A key event was the felling of Thor's Oak near Fritzlar by Boniface , apostle of the Germans, in 723 . Eventually, the conversion was imposed by armed force, successfully completed by Charles the Great ( Charlemagne ) and the Franks in a series of campaigns (the Saxon Wars ), In starting 772 with the destruction of their Irminsul and culminating in the defeat and massacre of Saxon leaders at the Bloody Verdict Of Verden in 787 and the subjugation of this large tribe. England See Also: Christianization of Anglo-Saxon England Christianization of Anglo-Saxon England began around AD 600 , influenced by the Roman Catholic Church from the south-east and the Hiberno-Scottish Mission from the north-west. The first Archbishop Of Canterbury , Augustine took office in 597 . The last pagan Anglo-Saxon king, Penda Of Mercia , died in 655 . Scandinavia See Also: Christianization of Scandinavia Scandinavia was the last part of Germanic Europe to convert and most resistant. From the High Middle Ages , the territories of Northern Europe were gradually converted to Christianity under German leadership, and made into Nation State s under the Church's guidance, finalized in the Northern Crusades . Later, German and Scandinavia n noblemen extended their power to also Finnic , Samic , Baltic and some Slavic Peoples . CHARACTERISTICS Not only because it had an immense impact on the History Of Europe , the Baptism of Clovis deserves a second look. It may also serve to highlight two important characteristics of the Christianization of Europe. Clovis I' wife Clotilde was Roman Catholic and did have an important role in the conversion of her husband.Padberg 1998, 47 Long before his own baptism, Clovis had allowed that his sons became baptised.Padberg 1998, 48 However, the decisive reason for Clowis to adopt the Christian belief was the spiritual battle aid he received from Christ .Padberg 1998, 87 In the Battle Of Tolbiac he came in such difficulties that he prayed to Christ for victory. Clovis was victorious, and afterwards he had himself instructed in the Christian faith by Saint Remigius .Padberg 1998, 52 That a and the Battle Of The Milvian Bridge . However, that a pagan like Clovis, could ask Christ for help also shows the adaptability of the '', to be a God.Padberg 1998: 121 The baptism of Clovis I also highlights the Sacral role of the Germanic king. A Germanic king was not only a Political ruler, but also held the highest religious 'office' for his people.Padberg 1998, 29; Padberg notes, that this is probably disputed research, but can be affirmed for the northern Germanic area He was seen as of Divine descent, was the leader of the Religious Cult and was responsible for the fertility of the land and military victory. Accordingly, the conversion of their leader had a strong impact on his people. If he considered it appropriate to adopt the Christian belief, this also was a good idea for them. Unlike the history of Christianity in the Roman Empire, conversion of the Germanic tribes in general took place "top to bottom", in the sense that missionaries aimed at converting Germanic nobility first, which would then impose their new faith on the general population: This is connected with the sacral position of the King in Germanic Paganism : the king is charged with interacting with the divine on behalf of his people, so that the general population saw nothing wrong with their kings choosing their preferred mode of worship. Consequently, Christianity had to be made palatable to these Migration Age warlords as a heroic religion of conquerors, a rather straightforward task, considering the military splendour of the Roman Empire compared to the comparatively primitive Germanic armies, and the legendary victory of Constantine The Great under the sign of the Labarum . Thus early Germanic Christianity was presented as an alternative to native Germanic Paganism and elements were syncretized, for examples parallels between Woden and Christ . A fine illustration of these tendencies is the Anglo-Saxon poem '' Dream Of The Rood '', where Jesus is cast in the heroic model of a Germanic warrior, who faces his death unflinchingly and even eagerly. The Cross , speaking as if it were a member of Christ's band of retainers, accepts its fate as it watches its Creator die, and then explains that Christ's death was not a defeat but a victory. This is in direct correspondence to the Germanic pagan ideals of fealty to one's lord. This tie between the Christian religion and Germanic nobility is perceptible in the German Holy Roman Empire of the High Middle Ages, and the division from Roman Christianity was latent in the chronic power-struggle between the Emperor and the Pope, known as the Investiture Controversy . From the 16th Century this tension erupted in the Protestant Reformation (the last German Emperor to be crowned by the Pope was Maximilian I in 1493 ), which took hold almost exclusively of territories where Germanic languages are spoken ( Germany , Scandinavia , Britain), while Romance speaking territories remained Catholic (with the exception of Geneva , where Calvinism originated). LIST OF MISSIONARIES Christian Missionaries to Germanic peoples: to the Goths
to the Lombards
to the Alamanni
to the Anglo-Saxons (see Anglo-Saxon Christianity )
to the Frankish Empire (see Hiberno-Scottish , Anglo-Saxon Mission )
to the Bavarians
to Scandinavia
SEE ALSO
LITERATURE AND REFERENCES Lutz E. von Padberg, 1998, ''Die Christianisierung Europas im Mittelalter'', Reclam |
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