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325
The Coucil of Nicea
A. Constantine creates the Council of Nicea, consisting of bishops spokesmen, and important church leaders to discuss the views of the Arians. The council agreed to condemn Arianism heresy. B. This portrays the active participation of Byzantine emperors in religious matters, and their continued policy of caeseropapism. -
500
Clovis and the Franks convert to Christianity
A. Clovis converts to Roman Christianity rather than Arian after being influenced by his wife Clotilda. B. The Franks attracted the allegience of the Christian population of the fomer Roman empire and the western Christian church. This alliance greatly strengthened the Franks, and turned them into the most powerful of the Germanic peoples -
Period: 500 to Oct 5, 1000
Thesis
Religious and cultural links continued to unify people thoughout the postclassical era, while communication and conquest allowed for the diffusion of religions and ideas, and creation of syncretic faiths. -
570
Prophet Muhammed goes on the Hijra
A. Muhammed and his followers flee from Mecca to Yathrib, later known as Medina. B. This serves as the starting point of the offical Islamic calendar, and marks a turning point for the growth of Islam. -
Period: Oct 5, 600 to
Buddhism gains popularity in China
A. Buddhism first spread to Dunhuang, and then attracted popularity because its high sstandards of morality. Missionaries used Chinese terms to describe Buddhist ideas, creating the syncretic faith of Chan Buddhism. B. Syncretic Buddhism became immensely popular and influential during the Tang and Song dynasties. -
Oct 5, 632
Abu Bakr becomes caliph, Islam divides into Shia and Sunni
A. Abu Bakr succeedes Muhammed and begins the caliphate line, in addition to expanding Islam in towns and bedouin clans. The decision to make Abu Bakr caliph divides Muslims into two sects, Shia and Sunni. B. This division has led to conflicts and disagreements between the two that have continued to today. -
Oct 5, 726
Policy of Iconoclasm
A. Byzantine emperor Leo III begins his policy of iconoclasm, destroying and prohibiting religious images. B. This leads to protests and riots, as well as debates. This portrays the policy of caseropapism, that gave emperors political as well as religious power. In addition, this led to increased tensions between Eastern and Western Christianity -
Oct 5, 1054
The Great Schism
A. Tensions countinued between eastern and western Christianity. The Pope and the patriarch mutually excommunicate each other in 1054, leading to the split of the church into the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Roman Catholic Church. B. The split represented political strains between Byzantine and western European societies. The split between western and eastern churches persists today. -
Oct 5, 1100
Beginning of Bhakti Movement
A. The bhakti movement was a cult that sought to rid the differences between Hinduism and Islam. Guru Kabir, a famous bhakti teacher, taught that Allah, Shiva, and Vishnu were all one diety. B. The bhakti movement, although unsuccessful, built bridges between India's social and cultural communities. -
Persecution of Buddhism in China
A. Daoist and Confucian opposers of Buddhism ally with imperial court, Tang emperors order closure of monasteries and expulsion of Buddhists, Zoroastrians, Nestorian Christians, and Manichaens.
B. The policy discouraged further expansion, but failed in ridding China of foreign faiths. -
Pope Leo III crowns Charlemagne emperor
A. Charlemagne did not call himself emperor until 800, when Pope Leo III crowned him emperor. B. The coronation caused for strained relations with the Byzantine emperor, and created public recognition of his accomplishments.
