Lecture 21: Expansion beyond the Boundaries of Empire

Expansion beyond the Boundaries of Empire

Lecture 21

I

n the last lecture, we saw that Ambrose, Jerome, and Augustine provided

a transition from the classical to the medieval world in the West, and we

will shortly follow that transition to Christendom. But in this lecture,

we note the changing realities that Christianity needed to address because

of its engagement with a variety of languages and cultures on the fringes

of and beyond the imperial world. This is especially important because of

the tendency by some to think of Christianity as a European religion or its

appearance in other lands as the result of European imperialism. As we will

see, the truth is far different.

Christianity outside the Empire

•    One reason so little attention is paid to versions of early Christianity

that emerged outside the empire is that the languages that tell their

stories are known by relatively fewer professional scholars. Much of

the substantial literature in these languages, especially in Syria and

Egypt, remains untranslated and, therefore, unknown to generalists.

•    Another reason is that the literature and material culture within the

empire are more abundant, accessible, and appealing. By comparison,

the German tribes left little evidence of their rapid passage across

Europe, and while the architectural remains in Ethiopia are of great

interest, they are sparse in comparison to those of the empire.

•    Further, the forms of Christianity outside the empire quickly

became “heretical” in one form or another and, thus, drifted away

from “authorized” versions of the Christian story. It is an easily

understandable temptation for the historian to tell the story of those

who are our direct forebears.

Expansion of Christianity in the East

•    The expansion of Christianity in the East began early, was

inevitably caught up in the doctrinal disputes within the empire, and