Charlemagne s Influence on Christianity in the Early Middle Ages
Charlemagne’s Influence on Christianity in the Early Middle Ages In the eighth and ninth centuries, Christianity and many other religions were beginning to emerge in Europe. The most wide spread religion before Christianity’s emergence was Paganism, in which the people worshipped idols and shrines. Many of the Kings and citizens who wished to live in Charlemagne’s empire practiced paganism but would eventually convert over to Christianity. ... Charlemagne would become a part of the Christian image when he was crowned in 800 A. ... ” Charlemagne was not excited about his coronation from the pope because he did not want to think he owed his crown to the pope. ... The last fourteen years Charlemagne was king, he made it a point to make the papacy inferior to his Empire. Richard Fletcher wrote a book entitled The Barbarian Conversion: From Paganism to Christianity in which he describes how much change was actually involved in converting to a new religion. In his book, Fletcher also describes the how and why aspect of other tribes and communities converting over to Christianity. There is a drastic difference between being a particular religion in modern day America and being a particular religion in the Early Middle Ages of Europe. ... But in the Charlemagne’s era, religion was what established an individual’s culture while also having an enormous impact on their everyday lives. ... ” In Einhard: The Life of Charlemagne, it is states, “Charlemagne practiced the Christian religion with great devotion and piety…” Charlemagne prayed to God everyday and used his emperor status to spread Christianity throughout Europe.