White’s thesis:

the middle ages (5th to 16th centuries) have usually seen as a unity when in reality it saw great change and diversity
three movements shaped the western church btw. Apostolic times and the modern pd.:  Monastic movement:  Monastic reformation (11th to 13th cents): Protestant Reformation- each had a desire to recapture the authentic xn life
Monastic movement- 1) centers of learning: Bendedict, Cassidorus- inspired them to be scholars and workers- created social atmosphere favorable to scientific development, 2) evangelistic- expanded thru Northern European paganism—brought concept of orderly concept of univese, integrated pattern to history, king and peasant were equal; Cluniacs- brought spiritual renewal free from feudal control and the rise of a capitalist class; Cistercians brought agricultual transformation and rise of industry and capitalism by producing wool
Mendicant Movement- Francis and Dominican- 1) new defense of faith-healthy respect of human reason and natural world, Thomas Aquinas synthesized faith and reason, Aristotle and Augustine 2) new missionary strategy- preparation for mission in the world- established houses in emerging cities, 3) spirituality- devotion to the babe in the manger with awe at the cross- becoming a helpless child and self giving victim on a cross, brought renewal to 3rd order groups in existing church- Friends of God and Brethern of Common Life- devout laypeople
Reformation- 1) rid distinctions btw. Religious life and secular life, 2) monasticize the laity

Lecture 8: Reformation

•    The more freedom people have to discover and use their gifts of ministry, the more effective they will be in outreach and service
•    5 characteristics of renewal:  new understanding of gospel, more adequate and indigenous church structures, liturgy and scriptures in venacular, laity greater role in governance of the church, new useof arts, drama, singing
•    Luther (1483)- 95 theses in 1517
o    His settlement: the Prince decided what the church would be in a given era
o    Mission and Expansion: medieval model of mission- win the area’s leader and establish a territorial church (this worked for most of Western Europe- Scandanavia, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland)
•    Calvin and Geneva (1536 wrote Institutes)
o    Context: Geneva threw off political and religious domination, outsted Roman church, Geneva became impt center of indpendence from state- established school
o    Mission- trained 161 missionaries went to France, Holland, Poland, and Hungary
•    Genius of Protestantism: greater freedom for creativity of Holy Spirit and human personality guided by Holy Spirit
o    Strengths: new possibilities in ministry, economic, and social life; met needs of search for new faith communities in changing society; ordinary people leaders vs. hierachical structures; diversity of expression; less centralized
o    Weaknesses:  excessive individualism, lack of appreciation of history of church; can become very sectarian and intolerant; can be very culture-bound; protestants can stress too much discontinuity or run risk of too much syncretism with nationalism
•    Protestantism and mission
o    Theological rediscoveries helped lay foundation for Prot. Missionary movement
o    Lutheran followed Christendom pattern- win the leader
o    Luther’s ideas spread rapidly
o    Calvinism- two direction- people movements and established churches amidst persecution
o    Ecclesiology stayed in Christendom model, limited mission growth
o    Eliminated monasteries- primary means of mission
o    Change in theology not ecclesiology
•    Faith became belief in “correct doctrine”
•    Some Lutherans said Great Commission had been fulfilled

Key Ideas from L7: Dominicans, Friars, and Prep for Reformation

•    Structure can never produce renewal but renewal needs institutional structures that will help channel and stifle the movement of the Spirit
•    Context: 13th/14th century- loss of vitality of renewal movements, Cistercian abbots lived in great wealth, Crusades, Pinnacle of Pople’s power, church not prepared to meet needs of changing society, people increasingly alienated from church, rapidly changing context: feudal society, trade, rise of middle class
o    Monastic movement unplanned by the hiearchy: began with Poor catholic movement (1207 in S. France)- renounced wealth, refused money, Church ordered them not to preach
•    Dominicans
o    St. Dominic (1170-1222)- influenced by Diego De Azevedo- established house to win the heretic with the word not the sword
o    Reluctanly endorsed by pope in 1216
o    Strategy: sent disciples to strategic points to establish houses, train people, send people out to other strategic points
o    In 4 years:  order organized into 8 countries with 60 houses, focused on cities and universities
o    Organization: like army, leaders elected permanently, monastic discipline to send out to preach and win others to faith
o    By 1243: movement begins to  decline, became a Cardinal, by 1276- Dominican pope, 1277- 404 houses; by 16th  century- Torquemada and Tetzel
o    Missionary work- central asia in 13th/14th c, Polo Bros
•    Fransicans
o    St. Francis—little or no formal education (1208)- heard a command from God to restore the church
o    Vows- simplicity, poverty, deference to priests
o    Reluctant papal approval in 1216
o    Order of OFM- order of little brothers
o    Cardinal Ugolino- organized movement
o    Provided alternative structure for religious life parallel to instutional church

o    Missionary work: John of Monte Corvino to China in 1294- established churches, won 6000, translated NT
•    Prep for Reformation:
o    Context: monastic orer in decline, church corrupt, papacy in avignon- “babylonian captivity of the church” (1309-1377)
o    Radical ideas/key people
o    Marsilus of Padua (Paris, 1324)- overturned idea of hierarchy, state dominating church
o    John Huss (1373-1415, Prague)- christ, not pter foundation of church, some pope been heretics

o    Rennaisance- return to sources, underground christian humanists- Reuchlin, Erasmus, Ximenes, Lefevreo

- Underground streams of piety: Brethern of Common life (1340-1382), Thomas A Kempis (1380-1471)- placed bible above people, God alone could forgive sins, mystics (14th c)

o    Rise of Nation states:  Spain and Englad unified under one king (1450-1500)

Key Ideas from L6: Monastic Renewal and Crusades

•    Characteristics of renewal movements:
o    a drive for a deeper, more authentic Christian life usually on the part of a small group leading to a broader concern for changing society
o    the gap btw. clergy and laity decreases and the gifts of the people are affirmed and the people are encouraged to use them- the church was a movement of laymen and women from the outset
o    concern for the reform of the broader church often happens to a degree
o    influence on broader society and a desire for social transformation and a desire to reach beyond the society to evangelize other cultures
•    Cluniac movement (909)
o    Context ripe for renewal: western europe nominally xn, roman empire collapsed, viking invasions, europe in chaos, feudalism, papcy at lowest point
o    Monastery at Cluny began movement that lasted for 2 centuries
o    Distinctives: an order tied together, family of monasteries, free from local control of bishop, Bendectine rule adopted
o    Other monasteries came under rule and renewed larger church btw. 994-1058; formed a new structure alongside papacy
o    Aimed to reform 2 major issues in church: clerical celibacy and church/state relations
o    Became institutionalized, scandal, Hilldebrand (1073-1085)- Cluniac Pope that said Pope universal leader, can depose emperor, Roman church never erred and never will
o    In 1100- Abbot of Cluny scandal, deposed, came back and slaughtered people
•    Cistercian movement (1098)
o    Robert of Champagne- left Cluniac monastery with 20 others, formed Cliteaux house
o    Distinctives: more disciplined, zealous, ate simple diet, slept in common dorm, each house autonomous
o    Bernard of Clairvaus: people could be sure of salvation if went to monastery, called for crusades (monastery at alcobaca symbolizes what happens when lose vision)
•    Reasons for the Crusades:  restlessness in a crowded Europe, Adventure, religious freedom for Holy Land pilgrimages, Eternal security from a plenary indulgence
•    Legacy of the Crusades: crusading spirit, military monastic orders, launched a militaristic, institutional, and intolerant form of Christian mission, reversal of the Early Christian attitude toward war, stimulation of cities and trade, growth of middle class and nationhood
•    Early 12th century Renewal movements:
o    Basic themes: attacked structure of church and Papacy, attacked the wealth of the Church, rejected some of the sacraments, especially sacraments by unworthy priests, biblicism in venacular, popular with people
o    Leaders:  Henry of Lausanne (switzerland), Tanchelm of Utrect (Holland), Peter of Bruys (belgium), Arnld of Brescia (Italy)
•    Waldensian movement: most impt. Movement in west btw. Celts and Friars
o    Peter Waldo (114-1218)- led people movement, sent out 2 by 2 to preach, condemned heretic in 1184
o    Distinctives:  very biblical, bible as law, memorized large portions of scripture, rejected all sacraments but baptism and Lord’s supper, criticized use of Latin in hierarchy, church and papacy corrupt, both laymen and women preached and gave sacraments
o    Two groups: itinerant ministers as cloth merchants, normal life
o    Spread rapidly- austria, moravia, germany, poland
o    Persecution- 1211- 80 burned in strassburgs, 15th-17th cents- terrible persecution and nearly exterminated
•    The Wycliffe and Lollard student movement (14th cent):
o    Context: three popes at once within 1378-1417
o    Emphases of movement: every believer is called to be a part of the people of God and gifts reside in the whole body of Christ
o    Empowered them to read and interpret the Bible for themselves
o    Missionary: sent them out 2 by 2 to preach the word
o    Theology: Bible is only rule of faith, those who do not keep God’s law lose their right to office including the Pope, rejects transubstatiation, veneration of relics, saints, and pilgrimages, salvation depends on election not on the mediation of the church
o    Connection: continued to preach underground and his ideas spread to John Huss (1373-1415)- the Czech reformer—Luther called a Saxon huss—Moravian movement (18th century) became a catalyst for modern mission movement
•    If we forget our history, we forget our mission:  the Christian movement was a movement of laymen and women from the beginning
•    The Early Christian mission was from the powerless to the powerful

Key Ideas from L5: Dark Ages

•    The establishment of the papal states and the corruption that ensued had as much of a negative impact on the christian movement as constantine
•    Free land is not always good
o    Pepin= king of franks- gave his conquered territory to Stephen, Bishop of Rome- gave rise to the papal states which dominated the papacy until 1870
o    Role and nature of papacy transformed tragically into petty Italian princes more concerned with secular rule
o    Charlemegne (771-814) became Holy Roman Emperor and converted nations by force
o    “descent into darkness”—feudalism, bishops apptd for wrong reason, bishops captive to state controlled church, viking invasions- destroyed celtic monasteries
•    The church loses its power to transform culture when it completely identifies with culture
•    Context of 7-9th centuries:  barbarian control of Roman empire, people accepting christianity for political reasons, lost spiritual vitality, Islam took over middle east, north africa, and spain
•    Missionaries on the periphery
o    Willibrod (658-739)- to Frisians, had authonomy in Frisia and Germany
o    Boniface- central germany, formed monastic communities of men and women, power encounter at sacred tree in Geismar
•    Nestorian movement rivalved the Celts as most vital missionary group in church
•    5th to 9th century- went across Asia and reached India by 520
•    Nestorian church died out in China and central Asia- over contextualization, scriptures not translated, church still dominated by foreign missionaries, disunity btw. Fransicans and nestorians

Lecture 4: Early Monasticism to the Celtic Church

•    Men and women who have made a difference for God have almost always gone through suffering
•    Three response to reforming the church: leave and form new churches, form small groups within the church, conform and give up
•    Most missionaries from 4th to 18th century were monastics (exceptions Waldensians, Lollards, Puritans, Calvinists, Anabaptists)
•    Celtic movement had four attitudes we should emulate: deep devotion, missionary passion, love of learning, respect for venacular cultures

• Patrick (431-460)- source of most vigorous mission movement
• First misisonary monasticism
• Patrick’s method of mission- convert the leaders, train male and female disciples, go to new area

•    Don’t Synod of Whitby movements- Augustine of Cantebury convinced Celtic movement to come under Roman authority

• Columba- Iona- celtic movement back to britain
• Augustine of Canterbury- sent from Rome, brought under authority
• Columbanus (550)- converted Clovis, King of Franks, Frankish church decadent, he made an alterative church and mission structure not id’d with older

•    Benedict of Nursia brought structure and discipline to the monastic movement

• Monastic movement declined due to wealth, becoming center of power, abbots became feudal lords, nobility

•    Renewal of monastery arose on periphery- Cluny (910), Cliteaux (1098), Friars (13th century)

Key Ideas from Lecture 3: The Early Expansion of the Church

•    Johannes Blauw- Missionary Nature of the Church- in the OT- the mission was come to us; in the NT- the misson shifts to Go Out
•    Galatians 4:4- in the fullness of times
•    Three major churches in the ancient world: Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome all established by people whose names we do not know
•    Methods of expansion in early church:  missionary bands, settled ministry, non-professional/lay witness
•    In culture where civilization in decline- troubled sexually, frequent divorce, low view of marriage, old gods discredited, empty profession, temple prostitution with fertility cults, unwanted infants disposed of, half population were slaves

• Xnty offered- life in community, cared for one another, cared for poor- slave equal to master, quality of life and witness, miracles and power, intellectual pursuit of life’s basic questions, high ethical standards, message God acted in history and brings hope for hopeless and love for unloveable

•    Contantine transformed XN movment from politically subversive force to politically powerful force (Edict of Milan in 311 gave toleration; 312- Milvian bridge; 313- freedom of religion)
•    Pre-constantine- new oppts to evangelize and penetrate culture; post-contantine- new temptations to be penetrated by culture and lose evangelistic force

Key Ideas from Lecture 2

• The mission of the people of God is always carried out through two different types of structures: mobile and local, both are normative
• God is constantly raising up new types of structures

• Everyone is called to be involved in world mission, but not everyone is called to leave his or her home and go somewhere else

• We need a more adequate theology of the church

• The Reformation was more concerned with theology than missiology, or the apostolic nature of the church

o Source of Protestant theology springs from truncated ecclesiology of Reformation- church is place where Word is rightly preached and sacraments are rightly observed
o This concept is static and lacks reference to the Great Commission
o Church is called to be a people on mission, not a place
o This is why so many protestant denominations struggle with where and how to prioritize mission
o More adequate theology of Church: apostolic nature of the chuch should result in all of the people of God fulfilling their purpose as sent ones into the world for His glory
• The existence of people with missionary vision is essential not only for the mission out there but for the church here

Key Ideas from Lecture 1

• The Spirit is alive in the darkest places of history
• If Jesus is not central to our theology and ministry, then we miss everything
• God often speaks from the margins in unexpected places and ways
• Movements often turn from their original principles
• Remembering history gives hope for present and future- God does not abandon his mission
• Every mission group was peripheral at the beginning
• We are living in the greatest time of re-shaping the church since the 16th century
• The essence of the church is to be missionary to the ends of the earth
• Mission is not something peripheral to the life of the Church, it is basic
• The missionary movement has changed from a primarily Western movement to an international movement
• Learn to read the Bible with Missiological eyes- what is God’s agenda in history and how is He fulfilling that mission?
• Lk 24:45- Romans 16:26- outworking of great commission in Paul’s life
• Gifts of spirit are given primarily to equip us for mission
• Special activity of the Spirit often in breakthrough of the gospel from one place to another: Acts: Pentecost (ch. 2)- samaritans (ch. 8:16)- ethiopian (8:26)—Cornelius (9)—mission structure (13)—Europe (16:9)- voyage to Rome (27:23)

Why the Explosion of the Early Church?

While exact statistics about the early Christian movement before the time of Constantine cannot be known, we can be sure of the rapid growth of the church in this era of history.  In The History of Christian Missions, Stephen Neill writes,

we may say that by the end of the third century there was no area in the Roman Empire which had not been penetrated to some extent by the Gospel. (pg 35)

Starting as a movement of Jews in Palestine, by 311 the gospel spread throughout the Hellenistic-Roman culture and even as far as India to varying degrees. How did this rapid expansion of the gospel happen?

Neil argues seven factors contributed to the early Christian movement: (pg 35-37)

• a burning conviction that a “great event had burst upon them in creative power. They knew the that the world had been redeemed, and they could not keep to themselves tidings of such incomparable significance for the whole human race.” The gospel spread rapidly through the little conversations and actions of people in the cities of the Roman Empire as well as the full-time ministries of itinerant ministers.
• they addressed the most basic questions of the human experience with a conviction of certainty that the mystery religions, empire cults, and Greek philosophies could not bring.
• many early Christians lived noble lives in the midst of the corruption and seductive temptations of the Empire
• they shared a common life with people of different classes, ethnicities, and cultures in a society that divided people into “greek” or “barbarian,” “slave or free”
• they cared for each other, practiced hospitality, and cared for the poor and outsiders deep

The Emperor Julian writes in early fourth century:

Atheism [the Christian Faith] has been specially advanced through the loving service rendered to strangers, and through their care for the burial of the dead. It is a scandal that there is not a single Jew who is a beggar, and that the godless Galilaeans care not only for their own poor but for ours as well; while those who belong to us look in vain for the help that we should render them

• persecution and meeting in secret- created an interest in knowing why they defied the authority of and were willing to face terrible persecution by the Empire

For a more in depth analysis of the early Christian movement, Alan Hirsch has written well on the subject in his book: The Forgotten Ways