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First Millennium Missions Movements

Review of Nestorian, Celtic, and Orthodox mission movements in the first millennium.

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First Millennium Missions Movements

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  1. First Millennium Missions Movements (7th-11th centuries) --- Robert H. Munson

  2. 7th Century • The Islamic Invasion starting in the 7th century led to many Christians now being ruled by Muslim Invaders. • This did not initially hurt Christian growth. It may have actually helped. • Major mission work done by the Nestorian Church, Orthodox Church, and Celtic Church dominate the latter part of the 1st Millennium.

  3. #1. Nestorian Missions • The early church wrestled as to the nature of Jesus Christ leading to several groups: ---Nestorianism (2 natures/1 person) ---Monophytism (1 nature/ 1 person) ---Miaphytism and Orthodox (in between the above two) • <Although the term “heresy” has been thrown around with these terms, all of these views accept both the deity and humanity of Jesus.>

  4. Missions in the Asia • The “Nestorian Church” (or “Church of the East”) was the greatest missionary force during much of the 1st Millennium. • The work started in Syria and Mesopotamia, and moved Eastward along the overland traderoutes toward the Far East.

  5. Traderoutes

  6. By 635 AD, the Church reached China • The Nestorian Stele was erected in 781AD to commemorate 150 years of Christianity in China. • Nestorian missionary priests would partner with traders to establish schools, hospitals, libraries, and churches, along the Central Asian traderoutes. • Hostility from Chinese and Muslim leaders greatly hurt the Nestorian church in in the 2nd millenium, but their story is an inspiration for us today.

  7. Celtic Missions • Patrick. 390AD-460AD. British youth captured by Irish pirates. Later released back to Britain, but then traveled back to Ireland to evangelize. • The Celtic Church was a Western Church movement that was not under the control of the Roman Catholic Church, but also did not see itself as in competition with it. • Its Mission Arm was centered in the Monastery on the Isle of Iona off the coast of Scotland.

  8. Columba. 521-597. Was in a battle with a local king. His army won. However, when he saw that approximately 5000 had died, he determined that he would go into the world and save as many souls as had there been lost. He and 12 other monks went to Iona to set up their monastery. the small island of Iona off the coast of Scotland to set up their monastery. Part of its role was to train evangelists. Over 500 years, Celtic monks traveled all over Northern and Central Europe. • Columban. Approximately 540-615. Ministered in Gaul and Northern Italy.

  9. Iona: Abbey and Martin’s Cross

  10. “Peregrini” “Peregrini” meaning ‘wanderers’ was the term used for this Celitic monk/missionaries. Key verse: Genesis 12:1. They would seek release from their abbot and would travel to a point where they would set up a monastery and a church. They were educated and educators. They trained up local youth. This tended to lead to churches that were indigenous and self-propagating.

  11. Over Time the Celtic Churches Came into Conflict with the Roman Church • St. Boniface (died 754AD) served as a missionary of the Roman Church and actively opposed the Peregrini. • Over time the Celtic Church (which was less hierarchal and centered more on the monastery than the church) slowly merged with the Roman Catholic Church (reaping the benefits of the Peregrini tireless mission work).

  12. Slavic Missions • The Orthodox (Greek-speaking) church sought to minister to the Slavic peoples of Central Europe. • Two sent out were Cyril (826-869AD) and Methodius (815-885AD). • They began ministry work in what is now Bulgaria and then moved up towards modern Czech Republic. • Their mission impact is still felt to this day.

  13. “Rome had throughout insisted on Latin as the sole liturgical language of the West. The languages of barbarians were uncouth, uncultured, and unwritten, and were judged to be ill-adapted to the dignity of liturgy.”(Stephen Neil, 73) Contextualized the faith: A. Created Glagolitic (or Cyrillic) Alphabet B. Translated the Bible (according to tradition) into Slavic language. C. Developed a Localized liturgy.

  14. “Rome had throughout insisted on Latin as the sole liturgical language of the West. The languages of barbarians were uncouth, uncultured, and unwritten, and were judged to be ill-adapted to the dignity of liturgy.”(Stephen Neil, 73) Contextualized the faith: A. Created Glagolitic (or Cyrillic) Alphabet B. Translated the Bible (according to tradition) into Slavic language. C. Developed a Localized liturgy.

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