Western Civilization prides itself on the elimination of the spoils system. Family ties have only a shadow of their former power in the granting of jobs as idealist push for more qualifications and resume building. However, Western idealists were not the first to come up with these ideas and likely used their knowledge of history to point to the values of efficiency in doling out positions. The Islamic religion and the expansion of Alexander the Greats empires are two of the best examples in history where the job was given to the best man(men) and not solely the closest relation.
When Alexander the Great died at his young age, the empire was left headless. Alexander basically left it up to the most cut throat generals to find a place in his empire and establish themselves. Although the methods that were used to elect these generals would seem to be more a war than an actual election in the present day, the truth is that only the men most fit would receive the position. Muhammad employed a similar tactic with the religion of Islam although his intentionality may be questioned a bit further.
Muhammad left no clear heir to his role as the leader of Islam. Not only does this cement his role as a prophet(in the discussed religion) but it allows for the religion to grow according to the people. Had Muhammad left an heir or chosen his successor his opponents would have used that decision as leverage in an attempt to discredit his authenticity as a prophet. It is unknown if the religion could have survived such an attack. Some may claim that the splintering of the religion into several factions is due to Muhammad's failure to address this contingency. Despite these claims, it is often the ability of a religion to be fluid that allows for it to survive in an ever changing world. Bestowing upon the followers the ability to shape their culture may be one of the main reasons Islamic tradition continues.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
The Crusades, also set to Heavy Metal
The subject of The Crusades came up in class this past week as a major change in Islamic-Christian relations during the medieval period. The Crusades were a major blot on the name of Christianity, as thousands upon thousands of people were massacred on both sides in the name of religion. Countless atrocities were committed throughout the bloody history of the Crusades, which planted the seed of mistrust between Muslims and Christians.
This view was also shared by the Power Metal band called Demons & Wizards, which was a side project of Blind Guardian and Iced Earth, two European Metal bands. One of their songs is called "Poor Man's Crusade" and it paints the Crusaders as misled individuals under the control of a deceiver. Yet it also accuses the Christian soldiers of mindless slaughter under the guise of "religious purification".
A few song lyrics stand out as relating directly to the discussion in class. The Pope that began the Crusades, Pope Urban II, is referenced in the song as: "He convinced us all. He is a gifted man, though he will slaughter in the name of Christ. Holy and bright, he's a devil in disguise. Protector of the cross, beware of the snake." As a man of the cloth, Pope Urban II should have proclaimed a message of peace, but instead, he deceived many Christians into joining a series of brutal wars.
Demons & Wizards also highlight the fact that the conquering Christians viewed the Muslim rule over Jerusalem as an insult to the birth place of their religion that could only be rectified by pagan deaths. The chorus explains this viewpoint through the following lyrics: "The Holy Land, home of our blessed lord, enslaved and stained by godless hands, they shall be damned. Jerusalem is waiting for you to rise once again, so we will slaughter in the name of Christ."
The last part of the song details the needless sacrifice and the bloodthirsty nature of the Christian soldiers in a senseless war. This set of lyrics also explains one of the strong motivators of the Christian soldiers. By joining the Crusades, the soldiers were deemed pure and free of sin, as long as they fought well in combat against the Muslims. This is shown as:"You'll shed your blood, Your bodies fall. That is the price you'll pay to cleanse you of your sins. Vicious and cruel, let's kill them all, let's kill them all. So we will slaughter in the name of Christ."
With such a violent meeting between two major religions, it seems inevitable that these events would have a lasting impact between Islam and Christianity. Muslims began to view the Christians as barbarians, while the Christians saw all Muslims as vile pagans. The Crusades would go on to influence other aspects of Europe and the Middle East, such as the movement of ideas and the spread of trade.
It seems that Blind Guardian has a recurring Christian theme in some of their songs. The singer is from Blind Guardian, so the vocals may sound similar to "Precious Jerusalem", the song from my previous post. It is the same Power Metal type of music as last week, so it shares the slower tempo and the epic story element.
This view was also shared by the Power Metal band called Demons & Wizards, which was a side project of Blind Guardian and Iced Earth, two European Metal bands. One of their songs is called "Poor Man's Crusade" and it paints the Crusaders as misled individuals under the control of a deceiver. Yet it also accuses the Christian soldiers of mindless slaughter under the guise of "religious purification".
A few song lyrics stand out as relating directly to the discussion in class. The Pope that began the Crusades, Pope Urban II, is referenced in the song as: "He convinced us all. He is a gifted man, though he will slaughter in the name of Christ. Holy and bright, he's a devil in disguise. Protector of the cross, beware of the snake." As a man of the cloth, Pope Urban II should have proclaimed a message of peace, but instead, he deceived many Christians into joining a series of brutal wars.
Demons & Wizards also highlight the fact that the conquering Christians viewed the Muslim rule over Jerusalem as an insult to the birth place of their religion that could only be rectified by pagan deaths. The chorus explains this viewpoint through the following lyrics: "The Holy Land, home of our blessed lord, enslaved and stained by godless hands, they shall be damned. Jerusalem is waiting for you to rise once again, so we will slaughter in the name of Christ."
The last part of the song details the needless sacrifice and the bloodthirsty nature of the Christian soldiers in a senseless war. This set of lyrics also explains one of the strong motivators of the Christian soldiers. By joining the Crusades, the soldiers were deemed pure and free of sin, as long as they fought well in combat against the Muslims. This is shown as:"You'll shed your blood, Your bodies fall. That is the price you'll pay to cleanse you of your sins. Vicious and cruel, let's kill them all, let's kill them all. So we will slaughter in the name of Christ."
With such a violent meeting between two major religions, it seems inevitable that these events would have a lasting impact between Islam and Christianity. Muslims began to view the Christians as barbarians, while the Christians saw all Muslims as vile pagans. The Crusades would go on to influence other aspects of Europe and the Middle East, such as the movement of ideas and the spread of trade.
It seems that Blind Guardian has a recurring Christian theme in some of their songs. The singer is from Blind Guardian, so the vocals may sound similar to "Precious Jerusalem", the song from my previous post. It is the same Power Metal type of music as last week, so it shares the slower tempo and the epic story element.
University of Sankore
The founding of Islam and its spread had a large influence on world. Not only did the new power cause Persia and Byzantium to crumble, its spread touched worlds that were both distant and unique. One world Islam spread to was West Africa. Besides the introduction of faith, Islam brought to this world the thirst for knowledge. In the mythical city of Timbuktu a University was founded that rivaled any University to date, its name was Sankore.
Sankore University was founded in 989 CE, originally as a Mosque. However, during the reign of Mansa Musa (1312-1337) the University was founded. soon becoming a large center of learning with an student population of 25,000 from all over Africa. There were four levels of degrees available at Sankore, primary, secondary, superior, and the circle of knowledge. The Primary degree was learning Arabic and memorizing the Quran. The Secondary degree was in general studies. These studies included the sciences such as astrology, mathematics, and chemistry. The University also offered courses that a trade school would offer, such as carpentry, tailoring, farming, fishing, and construction. Finally, business and ethics were offered. The Superior degree offers students a chance to do research and be instructed by the best professors. The Circle of Knowledge is becoming an imam or a professor at the University.
Unfortunately, the University went into decline when Timbuktu was invaded by Morocco in 1593 and took the best professors back to Morocco. The University never recovered, however its legacy lives on. Some figures have the manuscripts discovered at over a million. This large and prosperous center of learning shows us Islams influence and thirst for learning. also it shows us the level of intelligence and learning in Africa. There is an old West African proverb that sums up the nature of West Africa during this time "Salt comes from the north, gold from the south, silver from the country of white men, but the word of God and the treasures of wisdom are only to be found in Timbuktu."
For more information:
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Culture, Geography, Economics, Politics, and Religion, these are the five categories I use to organize my information when writing a history paper. Based on whatever two or three areas contain the most quality information the topics of said paper practically chooses itself. A recurring trend is that religion rarely so chooses itself and any paper that has been written on religion by me is usually not done so by choice. However, the persecution of the early Christians and the effect this would have on Western Christendom is something worth delving into.
Rarely do new institutions hit the ground running after their initial start-up and Christianity was no exception.
As the religion grew, opponents, like the state of Rome, began to oppose the growing power. Christianity however, was almost buffered by these 'half-assed attempts' (Quote Dr. Andrew Devenney) at eradication. If Rome, perhaps one of the most successful empires this world has seen, had truly put all its resources to the fore Christianity would most likely have been stifled and fizzled out. However, the resistance instead would likely harden the new faith to its course.
As these executions were carried out, the most famous taking place in the Colosseum, Christianity was instead fueled to new heights. Some sects of the religion would seek to use martyrdom as a course by which Christianity could be expanded. As more innocents were slain, more became aware of their plight. A saying that still exists in business today, especially small or growing companies 'all publicity is good publicity'. It became harder and harder for the public to ignore the unjust killings of these 'religious fanatics'.Whats more is that by the time of Constantine, Christianity was being utilized as a fix-it-all glue for the once mighty empire. Constantine publicly announced his faith and suddenly the fledgling religion boomed as temples sprouted up everywhere and some scholars estimate that 30% of the Roman Empire were involved in worship. Christianity gave the religion a new face, a common denominator that a large portion of the people could identify with. What it meant to be a true Roman citizen would be changing.
Most of the above information was found from various internet sites but these are the best sites I have found on the topics presented.
http://www.unrv.com/culture/christian-persecution.php
http://www.unrv.com/roman-republic/fall-of-roman-republic.php
http://www.unrv.com/culture/christianity-history.php
http://www.unrv.com/culture/spread-christianity.php
Precious Jerusalem: The Trials of Jesus set to Heavy Metal
Christianity has been the focus of class this week, so it seemed important to take a closer look at the founder of Christianity from an alternate viewpoint other than the Bible. Most people know about the story of Jesus. The man that overcame many trials and doubt to spread the word of God. Some believe that Jesus was actually the Son of God, and that he died to save man from his sins. Many know about his trials, like wandering the wilderness and being crucified, as it is told in the bible and during Mass.
However, most people have not heard the song "Precious Jerusalem" by the German Power Metal band called Blind Guardian that also outlines the major trials in Jesus's life on earth. Just for the record, Blind Guardian is not a Christian band, but they do expand into mythological subject matter as part of their "Power Metal" status.
One of first obstacles that Jesus faces is doubt, which shows up in the song as: "I know it well, Every word I tell, Seems to make no sense at all". This is the lyricist's way of saying that the message of Christ was often doubted until he could provide a miracle or some sort of proof. His message of love and purity was also included as: "Words will heal it. Love will conquer the hearts of the hopeless, The Almighty is still alive". This explains Christ's overall idea to instill faith in God and to unite the people.
His trials like doubt in his hometown of Jerusalem and the hopeless situation of humanity, and his triumphs like the salvation of Humanity and Resurrection are also included in the song in lyrics like: "I turn to you oh my precious Jerusalem, deny your prophets their passion and treat them like fools", "Can't stand the pain, No more grief and misery. It goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on. Father stop it now, We must stop it now", and "Rise up and follow me, 'Cause I will bring the light. Rise up and follow me, Wake up and clear your mind."
Respectively, the first set of lyrics in the previous paragraph explain the grief that the Priests of Jerusalem gave Christ as they denied his message and how Jesus felt sorrow at the sinful nature of man, doomed to an eternity in Hell. The last lyrics detail Christ's return from death and his urge for people to act like him and to rise up above sin.
As the song shows, Christianity still has a large influence on the world outside of religious functions like church. It has the power to spread, inspire, and to bring the message to the people, just like it used to in Medieval Europe. The main difference is that Christianity is no longer confined to trade routes and the words of missionaries. Now, it can travel and reach more people than ever through alternative pathways like music.
Go ahead and listen to it. It is power metal, so it is slower, has easy to understand lyrics, and has a story to tell, unlike other genres of metal.
However, most people have not heard the song "Precious Jerusalem" by the German Power Metal band called Blind Guardian that also outlines the major trials in Jesus's life on earth. Just for the record, Blind Guardian is not a Christian band, but they do expand into mythological subject matter as part of their "Power Metal" status.
One of first obstacles that Jesus faces is doubt, which shows up in the song as: "I know it well, Every word I tell, Seems to make no sense at all". This is the lyricist's way of saying that the message of Christ was often doubted until he could provide a miracle or some sort of proof. His message of love and purity was also included as: "Words will heal it. Love will conquer the hearts of the hopeless, The Almighty is still alive". This explains Christ's overall idea to instill faith in God and to unite the people.
His trials like doubt in his hometown of Jerusalem and the hopeless situation of humanity, and his triumphs like the salvation of Humanity and Resurrection are also included in the song in lyrics like: "I turn to you oh my precious Jerusalem, deny your prophets their passion and treat them like fools", "Can't stand the pain, No more grief and misery. It goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on. Father stop it now, We must stop it now", and "Rise up and follow me, 'Cause I will bring the light. Rise up and follow me, Wake up and clear your mind."
Respectively, the first set of lyrics in the previous paragraph explain the grief that the Priests of Jerusalem gave Christ as they denied his message and how Jesus felt sorrow at the sinful nature of man, doomed to an eternity in Hell. The last lyrics detail Christ's return from death and his urge for people to act like him and to rise up above sin.
As the song shows, Christianity still has a large influence on the world outside of religious functions like church. It has the power to spread, inspire, and to bring the message to the people, just like it used to in Medieval Europe. The main difference is that Christianity is no longer confined to trade routes and the words of missionaries. Now, it can travel and reach more people than ever through alternative pathways like music.
Go ahead and listen to it. It is power metal, so it is slower, has easy to understand lyrics, and has a story to tell, unlike other genres of metal.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
First Council At Nicaea
Regarding the Byzantines and the rise and modernization of Christiandom, I've chosen to write about the First Council of Nicaea in 325AD. Emperor Constantine called together 1800 bishops from all over Christiandom (of which 318 attended - the number is disputed, but this one, in its specificity, as counted by the most sources) in response to a heretical cult in Nicaea. Essentially, Constantine disliked the cult in the area for reasons unexplained and wanted the Church to define its doctrine in order to exclude the heretics.
The attendees set their agenda and it is translated as this (the underlined sections are attempted hyperlinks to more information):
1. The Arian [a non-trinitarian sect, thought Jesus was 'unbegotten' and a divine 'creature' of God] question regarding the relationship between God the Father and Jesus; i.e. are the Father and Son one in purpose only or also one in being;
2. The date of celebration of the Paschal/Easter observation [moving this away from the Jewish tradition]
3. The Meletian [a dude that was concerned with how easy 'bad' Christians get back into the Church] schism;
4. The validity of baptism by heretics [if theyre not Catholic, should we care about them or slaughter them?];
5. The status of the lapsed in the persecution under Licinius [one of the emperors - he had lost a war in 324 to Constantine.]
The bishops largely accomplished all that they set out to accomplish on the political side of things (sorting out a 'church position' in the world - a rather foreign concept in the post-Reformation world of many denominations) yet did something much more profound in the course of human events.
Those with a history in Church (mine being very recent) will recognize the paragraph they produced in 325AD:
"We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father [the only-begotten; that is, of the essence of the Father, God of God], Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; By whom all things were made [both in heaven and on earth]; Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down and was incarnate and was made man; He suffered, and the third day he rose again, ascended into heaven; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. And in the Holy Ghost. [But those who say: 'There was a time when he was not;' and 'He was not before he was made;' and 'He was made out of nothing,' or 'He is of another substance' or 'essence,' or 'The Son of God is created,' or 'changeable,' or 'alterable'—they are condemned by the holy catholic and apostolic Church.]"
There are hundreds of translations of this paragraph, the Nicene Creed, but this is considered to be a direct translation from the original without input from different denominational traditions. The brackets are words inserted by bishops who wanted more political specificity. That specificity, however, came in precedent of unity that lasted with the Catholic church until the Reformation (ironically, the Reformation began in Britain, the only area of Christiandom from which Constantine didnt invite bishops). The 20 decrees that are, today, either second nature to Christians or not recognized, were issued with a democratic element of bishops. Here, it may be fitting to propose a comparison.
It is incredibly loose, but the Council at Nicaea with its 318 bishops from a geographically widespread area seems like an early representative democracy. Granted, there is an element of theocracy here, but the grouping together to come to make collectively binding decrees is the definition of a representative form of government. Also, the discrepancy between those invited and those who actually showed up is a precursor to the number of MEPs or US members of Congress that show up on any given day. To those more interested, it may be worthy to look into early examples of post-Athenian democracy within Christiandom and especially within Greece (I am sure somebody has already) to draw conclusions for the development of the Magna Carta and the Glorious Revolution.
In this development, there might be trends disregarded by the secular academics which could explain why both tradition and the attempted destruction of tradition have sprung up so strongly in our own age. Perhaps it could help explain why the EU has failed to acknowledge that the Lisbon treaty did, indeed, get killed. After all, the Nicaean Creed is still active, what else from that meeting could be?
[[[The pictures from the top: explanation of the trinity as it is set up in the Nicene Creed, a fresco of the Council, and the main bishops (with Emp. Constantine in the center) with the original Creed.
Sources:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11044a.htm
http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Councils/ecum01.htm
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/nicea1.txt
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I also found this totally unrelated similarity interesting...
There is an odd semblance between this and Obama's creepy stimulus logo. The top one is a T/O Map of the world...maybe the stimulus logo tells us where to find that recovery he promised (I'm not partisan...really ;) ).]]]
The Inferno, A Field Trip Through Hell
The picture probably got your attention didn't it?
The Inferno, by Dante Alighieri, is the first book in a three part series called the Divine Comedy. The Divine Comedy is about a poet named Dante, who travels through the realms of Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. The Inferno describes his journey through Hell with his guide Virgil and all that he encounters within the fiery realm.
The class discussions this week have been about Christianity in Western Europe, so The Inferno is relevant, as it is a very descriptive view of how Medieval Christians imagined Hell. Hell was an important concept in early Catholicism as it kept people in line and enforced order throughout society. Many Christians during the Medieval times were afraid of the eternal punishments that awaited the wicked and strove to act like good Samaritans.
The Inferno describes Hell through the eyes of Dante, as a realm without hope and full of pain. The book goes into much detail, going so far as describing the geography of Hell, portraying it as an upside down mountain, divided into 9 circles, or levels. Each level housed a different kind of Sinner, with the first few reserved for either pagans or sins of excess, such as greed, lust, or gluttony. The next three housed the violent, the slothful, and the heretics. The last two were reserved for frauds and traitors that betrayed the trust of others.
Each level had specific punishments for the sins committed by those inside. An example would be that the greedy in the fourth level were forced to push giant bags of gold uphill for eternity, similar to Sisyphus's punishment in Greek Mythology. Initially, Dante felt sorrow and pity for the tortured souls, but he begins to see that no matter how harsh the punishment, the soul being punished had done something to deserve it. At the very bottom, in the depths of the ninth circle of Hell, Lucifer himself is trapped in a lake of ice and chewing on the three most prominent sinners of history. Cassius and Brutus both planned and carried out the assassination of Julius Caesar, who Dante the Author viewed as the man who was chosen by God to unify Italy. The third traitor is Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus to the Romans, which is the most evil thing Dante could envision.
Ultimately, The Inferno is an allegorical story of what awaits sinners in the afterlife. This tale shows the true horror of Hell as it was imagined by Medieval Christians and the influence of Christianity on Western Europe. Also, it shows a darker aspect of Christianity's Salvation promise. Sure, Heaven awaits the souls of the dead, but only if they have lead a virtous life. Otherwise, those impure souls are sent to a place of eternal punishment and pain, with no hope of redemption.
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