Christianization Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==== Germanic conversions ==== {{further|Christianization#Germanic conversions{{!}}Germanic conversions}} Christianization spread through the Roman Empire and neighboring empires in the next few centuries, converting most of the [[Germanic peoples|Germanic barbarian peoples]] who would form the ethnic communities that would become the future nations of Europe.{{sfn|Clark|2011|pp=1-4}} The earliest references to the Christianization of these tribes are in the writings of [[Irenaeus]] (130–202 ), [[Origen]] (185–253), and [[Tertullian]] (''Adv. Jud. VII'') (155–220).{{sfn|Cusack|1998|p=56 fn.50}} [[Tacitus]] describes the nature of [[Germanic paganism|German religion]], and their understanding of the function of a king, as facilitating Christianization.{{sfn|Cusack|1998|p=35}} Missionaries aimed at converting Germanic nobility first.{{sfn|Cusack|1998|p=37}} Ties of fealty between German kings and their followers often produced mass conversions of entire tribes following their king.{{sfn|Cusack|1998|pp=78, 101}}{{sfn|Fletcher|1999|pp=236–238}} Afterwards, their societies began a gradual process of Christianization that took centuries, with some traces of earlier beliefs remaining.{{sfn|Lenski|1995|p=55}} In all cases, Christianization meant "the Germanic conquerors lost their native languages. ...[or] the [[syntax]], the conceptual framework underlying the [[lexicon]], and most of the literary forms, were thoroughly latinized".{{sfn|Roe|1980|p=101}} [[Saint Boniface]] led the effort in the mid-eighth century to organize churches in the region that would become modern [[Germany]].{{sfn|Lund|2022|p=113}} As ecclesiastical organization increased, so did the political unity of the Germanic Christians. By the year 962, when [[Pope John XII]] anoints [[Otto the Great|King Otto I]] as [[Holy Roman Emperor]], "Germany and [[Christendom]] had become one".{{sfn|Lund|2022|p=113}} This union lasted until dissolved by [[Napoleon]] in 1806.{{sfn|Lund|2022|p=113}} ===== Frankish Empire ===== {{Main|Germanic Christianity|Christianisation of the Germanic peoples}} {{See also|Christianization of the Franks}} The Franks first appear in the historical record in the 3rd century as a confederation of Germanic tribes living on the east bank of the lower Rhine River. [[Clovis I]] was the first [[List of Frankish kings|king of the Franks]] to unite all of the [[Franks|Frankish tribes]] under one ruler.{{sfn|Brown|2003|p=137}} The most likely date of his conversion to Catholicism is [[Christmas|Christmas Day]], 508, following the [[Battle of Tolbiac]].{{sfn|Danuta|1998|pp=29–57}}{{sfn|Padberg|1998|p=48}} He was baptized in [[Rheims]].{{sfn|Padberg|1998|pp=45–48, 53}} <!--Christianity had been present in [[Gaul]] for 300 years then.--> The Frankish Kingdom became Christian over the next two centuries.{{sfn|Lund|2022|p=113}}{{refn|group=note|[[Grave goods]], which of course are not a Christian practice, have been found until that time; see: {{harvp|Padberg|1998|p=59}}}} Saxons went back and forth between rebellion and submission to the Franks for decades.{{sfn|Riché|1993|p=87}}{{sfn|Lund|2022|p=113}} [[Charlemagne]] (r. 768–814) placed missionaries and courts across Saxony in hopes of pacifying the region, but Saxons rebelled again in 782 with disastrous losses for the Franks. In response, the Frankish King "enacted a variety of draconian measures" beginning with the [[Massacre of Verden|massacre at Verden]] in 782 when he ordered the decapitation of 4500 Saxon prisoners offering them baptism as an alternative to death.{{sfn|Riché|1993|pp=105, 161}} These events were followed by the severe legislation of the ''[[Capitulatio de partibus Saxoniae]]'' in 785 which prescribes death to those that are disloyal to the king, harm Christian churches or its ministers, or practice pagan burial rites.{{sfn|Barbero|2004|p=46}} His harsh methods of Christianization raised objections from his friends [[Alcuin]] and [[Paulinus II of Aquileia|Paulinus of Aquileia]].{{sfn|Riché|1993|p=299}} Charlemagne abolished the death penalty for paganism in 797.{{sfn|Paul|2016|p=60}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page