Christianization

CHRISTIANIZATION OF ROME Pagan culture and religious practice remained important through the fourth century AD, but in AD 392 the emperor Theodosius I forbade pagan worship, and Christianity effectively became the official religion of the Roman state. JUPITER, THE CAPITOLINE TRIAD AT A RELATIVELY EARLY DATE, THE SKY-GOD JUPITER (GENERALLY EQUATED WITH THE GREEK GOD ZEUS) TOOK ON GREAT IMPORTANCE IN THE ROMAN STATE RELIGION. HIS MAIN TEMPLE IN ROME, THAT OF JUPITER OPTIMUS MAXIMUS ('THE BEST AND

Originally written around the year 1000, and composed closer to the year 800, The poem Beowulf is a renowned story that displays many different surroundings and religious beliefs. It is assumed most people in the area had already been converted to Christianity, which provides the best explanation for why Beowulf contains a large number of Christian influences for the story to have taken place when it did. Beowulf contrasts from other medieval poems, as they tend to be either exclusively Christian

The Beliefs of Beowulf Beowulf can be referred to as the mother poem of England. The true origin of the poem is unknown. However, it is believed to be written by a monk around the time of 700 A.D. near the modern-day West Midlands of England. Regardless, the author expresses their knowledge of Christianity and paganism throughout the poem. The two beliefs are very different from one another, but the author was able to tie them together to build the story. The paganism reflects past memories of the

Source 10.1 According to Gregory, what led to the conversion of Clovis? According to Gregory, the conversion of Clovis was caused by a war between his people and the Alamanni. He believed that his army was in danger of being killed and began to pray for help and a victory in war. He made a promise “that if thou wilt grant me victory over these enemies…, I will believe in thee and be baptized in thy name” (Source 10.1 449) and soon after the Alamanni fled, thus giving Clovis the victory. As a result

The story of Beowulf was written during a period of transition. It was almost as if the author was putting out the old and bringing in the new. The old would be the pagan belief system while the new would be Christianity. From the beginning of the poem it appears that the author is deeply in Christian traditions and values as he immediately references the Old Testament at the beginning of the poem and repeatedly throughout. However despite this frequent reference of Christianity, much of what

In the works, Beowulf and the Aeneid, the protagonists display Christian and Pagan ideologies, and relate them to every-day situations. As one analyzes the ideologies of the characters, it is clear that there are many similarities and differences. While the characters, Beowulf and Aeneas share similar characteristics in their biblical allusion, worshiping a deity or deities, and there courage in entering devil like situations, however they differ in their quest, Aeneas had a destiny to found Rome

History of the English People. Beowulf was written in the Middle Ages (500-1000) on Scandinavia, which was a highly pagan society, however the narrator is telling this story within the timeframe of medieval Anglo-Saxon Britain, which was undergoing Christianization. Hence, within the author’s structure of the poem bear a resemblance to the society presented in Bede. Both books while highlighting the intermingling of Christian and pagan elements did not shy away

The literary work of Beowulf is believed, by many, to contain numerous attributes of Christian propaganda. Throughout the story of Beowulf, there are several circumstances and coincidences that distinctly relate to the Christian belief system. One can only imagine that these ideas of Christian propaganda; which include the use of Christian themes and beliefs in works of literary art, were strategically placed throughout the story of Beowulf to help the conversion from the old world pagan religious

Pagan and Christian Influences in Beowulf Beowulf is believed to be written sometime after the Anglo-Saxons had already converted from Paganism to Christianity, however the people of the time still had many Pagan beliefs and customs. The ideas mentioned in this poem could suggest the author, who was living a somewhat new Christian lifestyle, was criticizing and reflecting on the ways of his cultures past. It could also be said that he was trying to find a balance between the two ideas, as was everyone

The Fusion of Christianity and Paganism What caused the unique mixture of Christian and pagan elements within Beowulf? Most of the time a story is based around a single theology or idea. Beowulf is an exception to this norm in that it contains multiple religious elements on opposite ends of the religious spectrum. To understand why Beowulf contains such unique elements, it is important to know the history of Christianity in England, analyze pagan, and Christian elements from the story. The Formation