In the 5th century AD, Christianity dominated Central Europe. During this period, Christianization of the Germanic people facilitated the Christian Roman Empire among Europeans. The Germanic tribes underwent Christianization in the Late Antiquity during the Early Middle Ages. By 700 AD, the Germanic paganism ceased to have a political influence in Frankish Empire, and they officially became Christians. Christianity spread through the Roman Empire, and they became very influential. Even though, Christianity was suppressed by more established religious practices, it had existed for many years and it became tolerated as a key religion throughout the empire. The conversion to Christianity continued to expand significantly to the Frankish kingdom, the southern and central parts of France. Christianity provided an important tool for leaders to create an establishment of a common bond among the German people by assisting them to maintain a political military power. The evolution of the religion emerged as the characteristic of the European history in the middle ages. Christianization was accelerated by the Anglo-Saxons and the Celts to the British people who had been influenced to join Christianity. This was due to their early contact with the Roman Catholics who converted the Germans to Christianity. Christianity continued to gain support around 700 A.D through the efforts of the Carolingian missionaries and dynasties. Its increasing popularity became a part of the Anglo-Saxons. The support and legitimization of the Frankish kingdom reorganized and strengthened the churches in central Europe. In the year 800 AD, the Western Empire marked its final stages of reorganization and restoration of the western Christendom. Western Christendom was a union between the Roman church and the Frankish monarchy (Schulze 237).
Historical milestones and most important events that inaugurated the Christianization process
The historical trend of the middle ages rapidly increased the population of Europe and brought political and social change. The colonial empires gave rise to the European expansion by a combination of resource inflows in the Industrial Revolution of the Great Britain that allowed an economy based continent. The British Empire colonies established a government that changed Europe politically. The trend was that happened in the Late Middle Ages included economic stagnation, numerous wars and political revolutions which took place around Europe between the year 1815 and 1871. The Renaissance led to a philosophical and scientific revival of Europe. By the 5th century, Christianization developed gradually over time. The Eastern Church introduced an alteration of the Eastern Christendom. The Magyars ceased their growth in the 10th century and a Christian Kingdom in Hungary whose regional powers and alliances was acknowledged in central Europe this was done with an exception of Mongol invasions when nomadic expansions ceased during the 13th century. The Catholic Church reached the peak of its political power across Europe where they occupied the holy land and founded crusader states. The middle Ages produced different forms of spiritual, artistic and intellectual works. This period saw an increased ethnocentrism which evolved into a modern civic nationalism in Europe and the Italian city-states. The Late Middle Ages crisis began in the 14th century and marked the end of this period. A resurgence of knowledge challenged the traditional doctrines in theology and science with a rediscovery in the Roman knowledge and classical Greek. The population increase benefited the European economy which had improved significantly until the 19th century. This encouraged the future development of Central Europe through Christianization (Logan 115-118).
The fallout of the Christianization process in social-political and cultural terms up to the time of the crusades
Wars that Christians fought against Muslims were called the Crusades. The medieval crusade that was sanctioned and conducted against these groups was seen as the enemies of Christendom. Historians recognized that campaigns against Muslims, heretics and pagans in Europe brought the fallout of the Christianization process in social-political and cultural terms. For many centuries, Jerusalem was governed by Muslims although they tolerated Christian pilgrims because they took a significant part in the growth of the economy. There are different reasons that motivated crusaders but the key reason were pilgrimage. This meant giving up everything even if it meant facing death. Historians numbered the expeditions to be eight in the Holy land. Europeans elected a king in Jerusalem after the first crusade became successful. The Venetian merchants persuaded warriors in the Fourth Crusade to incarcerate Constantinople in 1204 which resorted to the government of the Latin Empire to claim the Greek, or Byzantine. In the 12th century, military instructions were established which were the Knights and Hospitaller Templar. Both orders were military trained and took vows of poverty and chastity. Hospitaller outlasted the Crusaders and was altered even though they were established later. The changes in the European society took place in the 12th century and were considered as a direct result of the participation of Central Europe. There is no doubt that the changes in Europe were contributed by the crusaders (Noble 117).
Works cited
Logan, F. Donald. A history of the church in the Middle Ages. 2nd Ed. London: Routledge, 2013.
Print.
Noble, Thomas F. X. Western civilization: beyond boundaries. 5th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Co., 2008. Print.
Schulze, Hagen. Germany: a new history. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1998.
Print.
