HistoryExtra podcast Why did medieval Europe become Christian?
Aug 27, 2023
Why Christianity became deeply embedded in medieval Europe and the survival of old Roman gods. The concept of being Christian evolved over the Middle Ages. The spread of Christianity and its connection to violence in the medieval world. The nature of Christianity in the later Roman Empire and the influence of Emperor Constantine. The role of Constantine's conversion in the Christianization of the West. The relationship between Christianity and administrative leaders in medieval Europe. The transition from worshiping old pagan gods to the dominance of Christianity in Europe.
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Perpetua’s Martyrdom Illustrates Radical Holiness
- Vibia Perpetua wrote a prison diary after childbirth and faced martyrdom in a Carthage amphitheatre.
- Mark Pegg uses her story as a vivid example of radical early Christian holiness tied to violence and sacrifice.
Christianity Combined Ritual, Morality And Universality
- Early Christians blended correct ritual with moral teaching and imagined themselves as a universal community.
- They still assumed old gods existed, often recasting them as demons rather than erasing them outright.
Constantine Made Christianity An Imperial Religion
- Constantine’s embrace of a single highest god and imperial support accelerated Christian prominence across the empire.
- His conversion made being a follower of the emperor increasingly synonymous with being Christian.