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'Orthodox' Christianity and the birth ofEuropean Nationalism
February 09, 2002by Corey Gilkes
'By the time the fool has learnt the rules of the game, the players have all gone home'. - African Proverb
For many of those who have studied slavery and colonialism it is well known that of all the institutions developed or exploited by European powers, religion was the most debilitating. The destruction of indigenous peoples' image of the Almighty did more to make them submissive to the will of the colonial powers than force of arms ever could. In the last two essays I attempted to throw light upon an aspect of Xianity that is almost completely overlooked by most devotees of the religion; the more esoteric meanings behind what is written in the scriptures. But there is still one other aspect of Xianity that needs to be looked at; an aspect which I believe is at the heart of Western European hegemony. That is the actual way in which the Christian religion has been used by the European to seize and maintain control societies and people.
The answer to the question of what effect Christianity had upon ancient and Medieval Europe is by no means as straightforward as it is made out to be by fundamentalists and apologists. Indeed the very question may be said to stem from a misconception that the influence was one-way - Europe, particularly ancient Europe being profoundly influenced by the tenets outlined in the bible [New Testament], the words first spoken to mortal man by Jesus of Nazareth. The truth is that the relationship enjoyed between Europe and Christianity [hereinafter referred to as orthodox or Western Christianity to distinguish it from the other forms of Christian and pre-Christian faiths that existed around the same time as the early Roman Church] can be summed up in one word, symbiosis. And even this was possible only after extensive 'doctoring', editing and suppression of texts to suit the political needs of first the Roman Empire and later France, England, Spain, Portugal, etc. namely expansionism. The history of Christianity is the political history of Europe.With regard to the influence that Christianity has had upon ancient and medieval Europe [and ultimately the Americas] it is quite fair to say that the Church has left a legacy, a worldview that permeates every aspect of Western European-centred societies. Today, even though most Western societies can boast of a separation between Church and state, their very laws and cultural traits have been shaped in no small way by early ecclesiastical authorities. Actually, what the Church has done was to harmonise these cultural traits that have characterised European societies since primordial times.
We the 'people of colour' have an amazing naivete with regard to religion particularly Christianity as defined by Western Europe. Most are familiar with the Christianity of faith. What is not so well known is its origin, the Christianity of history and how it impacted upon the faith; indeed there are many misconceptions about the faith and most people confuse the historic Christianity with the Christianity of faith. Many of the adherents who follow the faith for the sake of the 'purest' aspects of the religion, believe, in their innocence that others do likewise. As such they staunchly defend a religion the origins and development of which they remain blissfully unaware. So much time is wasted arguing about which denomination is better or whether Creation or Evolution is true, or whether the Bible is the infallible Word of God. Little time is spared for carefully contemplating the extent to which religion has been used as a tool for exploitation and the lengths those who seek political and economic power would go and have already gone in the pursuit of such power. Indeed, due to our misreading of the bible and our love affair with Judaism and things Christian, very few even bother to challenge the implied right of Europeans to rule, so deeply have we internalised feelings of inferiority.
In examining the impact of Christianity upon ancient and Medieval Europe one thing is certain; the Church succeeded in uniting most of Europe. There is no doubt, as the fundamentalists argue, that Christianity has unified Western Europe in ways that transcended the narrow confines of tribalism. That it sought to include everyone through its message of a universal brotherhood. That it harnessed the warring tribes of Europe and in so doing unified the political, economic and social outlook of Western Europe by harnessing the various aspects of the continent's secular culture. However, there is another side to this story; one that is by no means as romanticised as it is often made out to be. Exactly how the Christian Church went about unifying and transforming Europe, if one looks at it honestly, is shameful to say the least. Christianity, as defined by Rome, Greece and to some extent Asia Minor, brought religious intolerance to a level never before seen. It provided justification for the taking of other people's lands by cleverly disguising ethnocentrism and an expansionist ideology in a message of universal brotherhood. Ironically it used this universal brotherhood message to maintain a hierarchical structure that saw Europe and European-centred societies at the pinnacle while the conquered lands and peoples occupied the lower rungs. It introduced chattel slavery and rape in places where such things did not exist before, wanton destruction and contempt for the environment notwithstanding its exhortations to the contrary. It reinvigorated old gender prejudices and superstitions thereby transforming Europe and Western influenced societies into neurotic, male-dominant, sexually repressed societies. In its rise to ascendancy orthodox Christian bishops forged biblical texts - such as the passages following Mark Chap16: 8 - in order to create the myth of an historical death and resurrection. It is this myth of an historical, fleshly death and resurrection of Jesus and his 'appointment' of his disciple Peter that lies at the foundation of European expansionist ideologies and their perception of a divine right, a manifest destiny.
This, along with the 'succession' initiated by Peter's 'appointment', carried immense political weight and served as the basis for the Church's involvement in and manipulation of the political affairs of Europe. Popes crowned earthly monarch yet accounted to none; in fact the European concept of the divine right of kings, though pre-dating Christianity, was reinforced to a large extent by the Church's arrogating unto itself the power to create monarchs. Ecclesiastical law was held superior to secular law and in many cases served as the basis for these laws.
To understand this symbiotic relationship and how Europe has become what it has become, one must first understand the first three centuries of the Christian era. Most people have been encouraged to believe that Christianity sprang up as a fully developed New Order ordained by Jesus the Christ, Son of God, in the midst of a world wracked by sin. Some of them further believe that the religion has changed little from its beginnings some 2000 years ago. This romanticised view has little foundation in historical fact. The Gospels are by no means cohesive, eyewitness accounts; they are in fact extremely unreliable as historical documents. They are devoid of the historical detail that makes, for instance, Josephus' works so valuable. They give little or no indication of the turbulent political climate in Palestine and Rome at that time, the daily cruelties that resulted in thousands of crucifixions and not just one. The Book of Acts fares no better either and apart from the Letters of Paul [those that are not forgeries] it is almost impossible to extricate historical fact from romantic myth.
http://www.trinicenter.com/Gilkes/2002/0902.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrzOUA3z9vA&playnext_from=TL&videos=19G-I_KHggo
February 09, 2002by Corey Gilkes
'By the time the fool has learnt the rules of the game, the players have all gone home'. - African Proverb
For many of those who have studied slavery and colonialism it is well known that of all the institutions developed or exploited by European powers, religion was the most debilitating. The destruction of indigenous peoples' image of the Almighty did more to make them submissive to the will of the colonial powers than force of arms ever could. In the last two essays I attempted to throw light upon an aspect of Xianity that is almost completely overlooked by most devotees of the religion; the more esoteric meanings behind what is written in the scriptures. But there is still one other aspect of Xianity that needs to be looked at; an aspect which I believe is at the heart of Western European hegemony. That is the actual way in which the Christian religion has been used by the European to seize and maintain control societies and people.
The answer to the question of what effect Christianity had upon ancient and Medieval Europe is by no means as straightforward as it is made out to be by fundamentalists and apologists. Indeed the very question may be said to stem from a misconception that the influence was one-way - Europe, particularly ancient Europe being profoundly influenced by the tenets outlined in the bible [New Testament], the words first spoken to mortal man by Jesus of Nazareth. The truth is that the relationship enjoyed between Europe and Christianity [hereinafter referred to as orthodox or Western Christianity to distinguish it from the other forms of Christian and pre-Christian faiths that existed around the same time as the early Roman Church] can be summed up in one word, symbiosis. And even this was possible only after extensive 'doctoring', editing and suppression of texts to suit the political needs of first the Roman Empire and later France, England, Spain, Portugal, etc. namely expansionism. The history of Christianity is the political history of Europe.With regard to the influence that Christianity has had upon ancient and medieval Europe [and ultimately the Americas] it is quite fair to say that the Church has left a legacy, a worldview that permeates every aspect of Western European-centred societies. Today, even though most Western societies can boast of a separation between Church and state, their very laws and cultural traits have been shaped in no small way by early ecclesiastical authorities. Actually, what the Church has done was to harmonise these cultural traits that have characterised European societies since primordial times.
We the 'people of colour' have an amazing naivete with regard to religion particularly Christianity as defined by Western Europe. Most are familiar with the Christianity of faith. What is not so well known is its origin, the Christianity of history and how it impacted upon the faith; indeed there are many misconceptions about the faith and most people confuse the historic Christianity with the Christianity of faith. Many of the adherents who follow the faith for the sake of the 'purest' aspects of the religion, believe, in their innocence that others do likewise. As such they staunchly defend a religion the origins and development of which they remain blissfully unaware. So much time is wasted arguing about which denomination is better or whether Creation or Evolution is true, or whether the Bible is the infallible Word of God. Little time is spared for carefully contemplating the extent to which religion has been used as a tool for exploitation and the lengths those who seek political and economic power would go and have already gone in the pursuit of such power. Indeed, due to our misreading of the bible and our love affair with Judaism and things Christian, very few even bother to challenge the implied right of Europeans to rule, so deeply have we internalised feelings of inferiority.
In examining the impact of Christianity upon ancient and Medieval Europe one thing is certain; the Church succeeded in uniting most of Europe. There is no doubt, as the fundamentalists argue, that Christianity has unified Western Europe in ways that transcended the narrow confines of tribalism. That it sought to include everyone through its message of a universal brotherhood. That it harnessed the warring tribes of Europe and in so doing unified the political, economic and social outlook of Western Europe by harnessing the various aspects of the continent's secular culture. However, there is another side to this story; one that is by no means as romanticised as it is often made out to be. Exactly how the Christian Church went about unifying and transforming Europe, if one looks at it honestly, is shameful to say the least. Christianity, as defined by Rome, Greece and to some extent Asia Minor, brought religious intolerance to a level never before seen. It provided justification for the taking of other people's lands by cleverly disguising ethnocentrism and an expansionist ideology in a message of universal brotherhood. Ironically it used this universal brotherhood message to maintain a hierarchical structure that saw Europe and European-centred societies at the pinnacle while the conquered lands and peoples occupied the lower rungs. It introduced chattel slavery and rape in places where such things did not exist before, wanton destruction and contempt for the environment notwithstanding its exhortations to the contrary. It reinvigorated old gender prejudices and superstitions thereby transforming Europe and Western influenced societies into neurotic, male-dominant, sexually repressed societies. In its rise to ascendancy orthodox Christian bishops forged biblical texts - such as the passages following Mark Chap16: 8 - in order to create the myth of an historical death and resurrection. It is this myth of an historical, fleshly death and resurrection of Jesus and his 'appointment' of his disciple Peter that lies at the foundation of European expansionist ideologies and their perception of a divine right, a manifest destiny.
This, along with the 'succession' initiated by Peter's 'appointment', carried immense political weight and served as the basis for the Church's involvement in and manipulation of the political affairs of Europe. Popes crowned earthly monarch yet accounted to none; in fact the European concept of the divine right of kings, though pre-dating Christianity, was reinforced to a large extent by the Church's arrogating unto itself the power to create monarchs. Ecclesiastical law was held superior to secular law and in many cases served as the basis for these laws.
To understand this symbiotic relationship and how Europe has become what it has become, one must first understand the first three centuries of the Christian era. Most people have been encouraged to believe that Christianity sprang up as a fully developed New Order ordained by Jesus the Christ, Son of God, in the midst of a world wracked by sin. Some of them further believe that the religion has changed little from its beginnings some 2000 years ago. This romanticised view has little foundation in historical fact. The Gospels are by no means cohesive, eyewitness accounts; they are in fact extremely unreliable as historical documents. They are devoid of the historical detail that makes, for instance, Josephus' works so valuable. They give little or no indication of the turbulent political climate in Palestine and Rome at that time, the daily cruelties that resulted in thousands of crucifixions and not just one. The Book of Acts fares no better either and apart from the Letters of Paul [those that are not forgeries] it is almost impossible to extricate historical fact from romantic myth.
http://www.trinicenter.com
http://www.youtube.com/wat
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