The Church in a Barbarian World
After much persecution, much apostolic work, end much deep theological
study, the Church succeeded in overcoming that pagan world of which I was
speaking to you last month, and creating the world of the Christian Empire and
the Byzantine culture in the Age of the Fathers.
But before this work had been accomplished in Western Europe, it was all
swept away again by the barbarian conquests and the Church had. to face quite
a different situation - that of a world given over to barbarism.
In the first age of which I have spoken to you, it was a. question of the
Christians who were largely underprivileged and uneducated people facing the
resistance of a highly educated rich and powerful civilization which despised.
them for their lack of culture..
Now the situation was completely reversed. It was the Christians who were
the civilized people and. they were confronted with the challenge of brute force
and barbarism: by people who were prepared, to destroy everything that they
valued - cities, churches, schools, literature, law and order, justice and
humanity: by people who were not conscious of the value of what they were
destroying, who were satisfied with a far lower standard, of life, so long as they
had. power and freedom to live their own lives.
It was hard for a civilized Roman Christian to face this predicament. We
say today "Better dead than Red", and in those days there were
many people who said "better dead than slaves to the barbarians". That was the
normal human reaction of paganism, when the Macedonians captured Stagyrus or one
of the Greek coastal cities, the citizens held a great banquet the night before
which ended, in their passing round a cup of poison and this was the normal
practise of many peoples - as we see in the fine reliefs on Trajan's Column which
Original format : Manuscript (10 leaves) ; 8.5 x 11 in.
Parent Collection
Christopher Dawson Papers
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This image may be reproduced and used freely for the purposes of private study, scholarship or research without written permission. However, in order to use the digital reproductions for any other reason users must have the express written consent of the Department of Special Collections, University of St. Thomas Libraries, 2115 Summit Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105; (651) 962-5467, e-mail: uarchives@stthomas.edu
Transcript
The Church in a Barbarian World
After much persecution, much apostolic work, end much deep theological
study, the Church succeeded in overcoming that pagan world of which I was
speaking to you last month, and creating the world of the Christian Empire and
the Byzantine culture in the Age of the Fathers.
But before this work had been accomplished in Western Europe, it was all
swept away again by the barbarian conquests and the Church had. to face quite
a different situation - that of a world given over to barbarism.
In the first age of which I have spoken to you, it was a. question of the
Christians who were largely underprivileged and uneducated people facing the
resistance of a highly educated rich and powerful civilization which despised.
them for their lack of culture..
Now the situation was completely reversed. It was the Christians who were
the civilized people and. they were confronted with the challenge of brute force
and barbarism: by people who were prepared, to destroy everything that they
valued - cities, churches, schools, literature, law and order, justice and
humanity: by people who were not conscious of the value of what they were
destroying, who were satisfied with a far lower standard, of life, so long as they
had. power and freedom to live their own lives.
It was hard for a civilized Roman Christian to face this predicament. We
say today "Better dead than Red", and in those days there were
many people who said "better dead than slaves to the barbarians". That was the
normal human reaction of paganism, when the Macedonians captured Stagyrus or one
of the Greek coastal cities, the citizens held a great banquet the night before
which ended, in their passing round a cup of poison and this was the normal
practise of many peoples - as we see in the fine reliefs on Trajan's Column which
