Christendom
A scribe in southern England coined the word Christendom during the 9th century. This writer translated Paulus Orosius' book History Against the Pagians and needed a term for universal culture focused on Jesus Christ. The Anglo-Saxon term crīstendōm appeared at the court of King Alfred the Great of Wessex. Early usage meant what modern speakers call Christianity itself, much like the Dutch christendom or German Christentum today. By late Middle English, the meaning shifted to lands where Christianity is the dominant religion. Canadian theology professor Douglas John Hall stated that Christendom literally means the dominion or sovereignty of the Christian religion. Roman Catholic auxiliary bishop Thomas John Curry defined it as the system dating from the fourth century by which governments upheld and promoted Christianity. British church historian Diarmaid MacCulloch described Christendom as the union between Christianity and secular power.
Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313 proclaiming toleration for the Christian religion. He convoked the First Council of Nicaea in 325 whose Nicene Creed included belief in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. Emperor Theodosius I made Nicene Christianity the state church of the Roman Empire with the Edict of Thessalonica of 380. Malcolm Muggeridge wrote in 1980 that Christ founded Christianity but Constantine founded Christendom. Canadian theology professor Douglas John Hall dates the inauguration of Christendom to the 4th century with Constantine playing the primary role. Theodosius I and Justinian I played secondary roles in establishing this new political order. The Church gradually became a defining institution of the Roman Empire before AD 170. In terms of prosperity and cultural life, the Byzantine Empire was one of the peaks in Christian history. Constantinople remained the leading city of the Christian world in size, wealth, and culture. There was a renewed interest in classical Greek philosophy alongside an increase in literary output in vernacular Greek.
The Great Schism of 1054 divided the Church religiously into two main branches. Western Christianity centered around Rome formed what historians call Latin Christendom. Eastern Christianity centered around Constantinople formed what is known as Byzantine commonwealth. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Latin Christendom rose to a central role in the Western world. Tensions between Pope Innocent III and secular rulers ran high during the Middle Ages. The pontificate of Innocent III is considered the height of temporal power of the papacy. The Corpus Christianum described the community of all Christians united under the Roman Catholic Church. Its legal basis was the corpus iuris canonica or body of canon law. Before the East-West Schism there had been the notion of a universal Christendom including both East and West. After the schism hopes of regaining religious unity ended with the Fourth Crusade when Crusaders conquered Constantinople. This event hastened the decline of the Byzantine Empire on its path to destruction.
The Peace of Augsburg of 1555 officially ended the idea among secular leaders that all Christians must be united under one church. The principle of cuius regio eius religio established religious political and geographic divisions of Christianity. The Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 legally ended the concept of a single Christian hegemony in territories of the Holy Roman Empire. Subsequently each government determined the religion of their own state. Christians living in states where their denomination was not the established one were guaranteed rights to practice faith publicly during allotted hours. At times there were mass expulsions of dissenting faiths as happened with the Salzburg Protestants. Some people passed as adhering to the official church while living as Nicodemites or crypto-protestants. European wars of religion usually taken to have ended with the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. In the 18th century focus shifted away from religious conflicts either between Christian factions or against external threats of Islamic factions.
Pope Paul VI observed in his 1964 encyclical letter Ecclesiam Suam that Christendom had fallen or was in its death throes. Canadian theology professor Douglas John Hall argued transition to post-Constantinian situation has been in process for a century or two beginning with 18th-century rationalist Enlightenment. American Catholic bishop Thomas John Curry stated end of Christendom came because modern governments refused to uphold teachings customs ethos and practice of Christianity. He pointed to First Amendment to United States Constitution in 1791 and Second Vatican Council Declaration on Religious Freedom in 1965 as key documents setting stage for its end. British historian Diarmaid MacCulloch claimed Christendom was killed by First World War from 1914 to 1918. This war led to fall of three main Christian empires: Russian German and Austrian plus Ottoman Empire. The Christian empires were replaced by secular even anti-clerical republics seeking to keep churches out of politics. Only surviving monarchy with established church Britain was severely damaged by the war losing most of Ireland due to Catholic-Protestant infighting.
Medieval Christianity created first modern universities according to Walter Rüegg's research on European institutions. The Catholic Church established hospital system in medieval Europe vastly improving upon Roman valetudinaria. These hospitals catered to particular social groups marginalized by poverty sickness and age. Jesuits made numerous significant contributions to development of science throughout history. Renaissance technology spanned roughly 14th through 16th century marked by printing press linear perspectivity patent law double shell domes and Bastion fortresses. Gutenberg's printing press made possible dissemination of knowledge to wider population leading to gradually more egalitarian society. Professor Noah J Efron states generations of historians discovered many ways Christians played crucial roles fashioning tenets methods and institutions of what became modern science. Virtually all modern scholars agree Christianity moved early-modern intellectuals to study nature systematically. Medieval conditions saw catastrophic loss of knowledge following fall of Western Roman Empire but Church scholars like Aquinas and Buridan carried spirit of scientific inquiry forward.
In 2009 Christianity was majority religion in Europe including Russia with 80 percent Latin America with 92 percent North America with 81 percent and Oceania with 79 percent. United States home to world largest Christian population followed by Brazil and Mexico. Estimated number of Christians ranges from 2.2 billion to 2.4 billion people representing approximately one-third world population. Largest Christian denomination is Catholic Church with estimated 1.2 billion adherents. Protestantism has 800 million followers while Orthodoxy counts 260 million adherents. Changes worldwide since 1900 show rapid spread of Christianity in Global South and Third World countries. By 2010 about 157 countries and territories had Christian majorities. Many Christians live under state religions such as Argentina Armenia Costa Rica Denmark El Salvador England Georgia Greece Iceland Liechtenstein Malta Monaco Norway Romania Vatican City Switzerland. The faith represents largest religion globally with three main groups being Catholic Church Protestantism and Eastern Orthodox Church.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
Who coined the word Christendom and when did it appear?
A scribe in southern England coined the word Christendom during the 9th century. The Anglo-Saxon term crīstendōm appeared at the court of King Alfred the Great of Wessex.
When did Emperor Constantine issue the Edict of Milan to proclaim toleration for Christianity?
Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313 proclaiming toleration for the Christian religion. He convoked the First Council of Nicaea in 325 whose Nicene Creed included belief in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
What year did the Great Schism divide the Church into Latin Christendom and Byzantine commonwealth?
The Great Schism of 1054 divided the Church religiously into two main branches. Western Christianity centered around Rome formed what historians call Latin Christendom while Eastern Christianity centered around Constantinople formed what is known as Byzantine commonwealth.
Which treaty legally ended the concept of a single Christian hegemony in territories of the Holy Roman Empire?
The Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 legally ended the concept of a single Christian hegemony in territories of the Holy Roman Empire. European wars of religion usually taken to have ended with this treaty in 1648.
How many Christians were estimated to exist globally by 2010 and which countries had Christian majorities?
Estimated number of Christians ranges from 2.2 billion to 2.4 billion people representing approximately one-third world population. By 2010 about 157 countries and territories had Christian majorities including Argentina Armenia Costa Rica Denmark El Salvador England Georgia Greece Iceland Liechtenstein Malta Monaco Norway Romania Vatican City Switzerland.