• Early Medieval Europe Founding of the Church

* Early Medieval Europe Founding of the Church * 2. Introduction: The Roots (This Series) Judaism Greece Rome Christianity and Christ Himself The Early Theologians * 3. Introduction: Fluorescence (The Next Series) Dark Ages Feudalism The Sociopolitical Structure Eve of the Renaissance * 4. Roots of Medieval Era: Judaism of Abraham Hebrews: a population in the city of Ur in Sumeria The word is derived from Greek biblia, which means “book,” hence “People of the Book” Abraham was said to have led his people out of Ur and migrated westward to the Fertile Crescent to settle in Canaan or Israel (see map) There he made a covenant with God (Yahweh): “I will be your God; you will be my people” (Lower left) Hence the expression “The Chosen People.” * 5. Roots of Medieval Era: Judaism of Moses Israelites migrated to Egypt but fell into slavery as pharaohs tried to expel last of the Hyksos. Under Moses (1300 BCE), departed from Egypt and headed toward Canaan At Galilee, forged the ideology of monotheism, the religion of one God Also defined a set of ethical and spiritual obligations Agreed to a covenant binding the community to God in return for his protection * 6. Roots of Medieval Era: The Decalogue The Ten Commandments governing relations between humans and God and among each other Framed in the negative, similar to the Egyptian Book of the Dead First Commandment: Thou shalt not have other gods before me—devotion to a single God (similar to a single God Aten among the Egyptians Retribution is threatened (to 3-4 generations) but unspecified The trials of Job test his faith * 7. Roots of Medieval Era: Judaic Model of the Universe To the Sumerians (and later the Greeks), the universe was chaotic at the beginning Hebrews: the universe was well organized and planned underpinned by a moral code God transcended nature and its phenomena The conception of an ethical monotheism was to influence Western thought * 8. Roots of Medieval Era: