Church History - Unit 3 Test Review

List one major difference between the Eastern and Western Churches. Explain why it is seen as an issue by the Eastern and the Western Churches. (The Filioque Controversy)

The Filioque Controversy was an argument between the Western Churches and the Eastern Churches. The Western Church believes that the father and the son are one in the same which is the belief of the Holy Trinity. The Eastern Church believes that the son was created by the father. These opinions were seen as issues by the Western church because it was thought that the Nicene Creed was being altered which was not allowed when considering the decisions made by the early council.

List one major difference between the Eastern and Western Churches. Explain why it is seen as an issue by the Eastern and the Western Churches. (Bread)

A difference between these two churches is also the type of bread which is used for communion. The Western Church prefers to use unleavened bread as it is a connection to the Last Supper and a symbol of its purity. Although, the Eastern Church uses leavened bread as a symbol of the risen Christ and his resurrection. This difference caused disagreements because the Western Church would rather acknowledge the sacrifices made by Christ at the Last Supper rather than the Eastern Church who thought that recognizing the ongoing life of the risen Christ was more important. 

List one major difference between the Eastern and Western Churches. Explain why it is seen as an issue by the Eastern and the Western Churches. (Language)

The language barriers between these churches are another difference that was seen as an issue. The Western Church primarily spoke Latin, however the Eastern Church mostly spoke Greek. This difference caused a lack of communication which significantly increased the tensions and contributed to the Great Schism because it prevented communication while also encouraged many religious and cultural differences.

Why is the wording difference “from the Father, to the Son” vs. “From the Father and the Son” so important?

The wording difference is extremely important in this verse because it caused many disagreements regarding the Holy Trinity and the Nicene Creed. This is known as The Filioque Controversy. The source of this disagreement was regarding the holy trinity and whether or not the Holy Spirit is just the Father or the Father and the Son. Specifically, this argument is related to the addition of  “and the Son” in the Nicene Creed. This communication error caused some to believe that the Son was created after the Father which is similar to the Arian faith while it caused others to believe that the Father and the son are one in the same which resembles the Nicene faith.

Explain the importance of the city of Mecca in Islam. Provide specific detail on its history and role within Islam.

The city of Mecca has a lot of importance in the Islamic faith. There are various reasons which include that this is the city where Muhammed was born and he is considered the last prophet. Muhammed was also chosen to receive a specific message which became the Quran. Mecca is also a very important city because it is where the Hajj is located and this is the location where each Islamic individual must journey to as part of a pilgrimage. 

The Quran

The Quran is the Islamic version of the bible. It is all of Muhammed’s teachings and revelations which were written down by his followers. It is taught in Arabic. It is kept in the original language and is not translated to any other language because then it would not be accepted as a true version of these teachings by those who are a part of the Islamic faith. They are worried about translation errors, miscommunication and the Quran losing its value. 

Why would so many Christians would have been willing to give up everything to travel over 4000 miles to from their homes in France & Germany to Jerusalem

There were numerous Christians who were willing to give up everything in order to travel more than 4000 miles to Jerusalem from their homes in France and Germany because Pope Urban II had promised everyone who fought in this crusade full atonement of sins.

Manzikert

Manzikert is a town in Armenia. It is the site of the Battle of Manzikert where the Byzantine Empire, the Eastern Romans, was defeated by the Seljuk Turks, an Islamic army. This battle was significant because it was the point when the Byzantine Empire began to decline and become unstable and the emperor was abducted. This is often seen as an important event which caused the Crusades. 

The Council of Clermont

The Council of Clermont was an assembly for the church and it was called by Pope Urban II where a Crusade was declared. It was a Holy War. It was guaranteed that you would receive a full atonement of sins. This is how Pope Urban II motivated everyone to be involved in the battle.

The Siege of Antioch

The Siege of Antioch was an event where the Crusaders were able to take Antioch. Although they were soon surrounded by the Seljuk Turk army. After multiple months of the siege while the situation was becoming further desperate, some crusaders found the Holy Lance in the city. This surprising miracle caused the crusaders to be wildly determined. They then rushed out of the city and battled against the Seljuk Turks army. This caused the Seljuk Turks to leave.

The Crusaders take Jerusalem

The Crusaders took Jerusalem in 1099. This was an important event since it was the beginning of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Crusaders snuck into the city and created a disastrous scene, including setting things on fire and killing large amounts of people. They are continuously motivated by atonement. The Crusaders do conquer the city of Jerusalem. 

The Knights Templar

The Knights Templar were a group of Knights and Monks who were named after the temple in which it is their job to protect this space. They were called this because their base of operations was located in Jerusalem on the Holy Mount. They were involved in warfare, they had a bad reputation and also had influential military order which played a crucial role in the Crusades. 

The Knights Hospitaller

The Knights Hospitaller were Knights, Monks and nurses who operated the hospitals, this is evident from their name. They still exist today as St. John’s Ambulance and they provide First Aid training and services. 

Horns of Hattin

Horns of Hattin is a geographical location where the battle between the Crusader armies and the forces of Saladin took place. The Crusader armies were defeated after this battle and their military strength became very weak. This left Jerusalem and the Crusaders in a very vulnerable state and Saladin was able to recapture the city.

Saladin

Saladin was a Muslim leader during the Crusades. He leads an army known as the Ayyubids which will take the land of Jerusalem from the Crusaders. He successfully recaptures Jerusalem after the battle at the Horn of Hattin in 1187 and the Crusaders negotiate a surrender. 

Frankokratia

Frankokratia is where the Crusaders conquer the land of Constantinople in order to pay for the boats which were made for them to go to Jerusalem and battle. The Pope was very against this and said that anyone who was a part of the Sack of Constantinople would be excommunicated and there would be absolutely no atonement.

Describe three key similarities/connections shared between Islam, Christianity, & Judaism. Provide specific detail on each point.

There are many similarities and connections between Islam, Christianity and Judaism. This includes that each religion uses the Torah as a religious law. Another connection is that each of these faiths are monotheistic religions and they all believe in the same God. Finally, each of these religions considers Jerusalem, the Holy City.

The Second Council of Nicaea

The Second Council of Nicaea addresses the Iconoclastic Controversy which declared that icons deserve reverence and veneration but not adoration. This is thought to be reserved for God

Should the Fourth Crusade even be considered a crusade? Explain your reasoning using specific examples of what occurred during the Fourth Crusade?

I believe that the Fourth Crusade should not be considered a crusade because they did not fight Jerusalem which was their initial intent. Instead, they attacked another Christian city known as Constantinope and completely destroyed this city. When considering these actions, I believe that the Fourth Crusade cannot be considered a true crusade.