Blog Post #12 - Chapter 10

This chapter focuses on the spread of Christianity around the world. First detailing the spread of the religion though Asia. As the faith of Islam began to spread, the faith of Christianity dwindled. Christians in the middle east were not forced to convert but if continued to practice Christianity they had to pay a fine. But this was mostly depended on the local Muslim ruler. Some choose to destroy everything related to Christianity. While others allowed others to continue to practice. But this did change how the faith was practiced.Christians were considered second class citizens and were unable to spread their message. They also did not use art as a way to depict their faith. When Mongols ruled China, Christianity had a sightly but brief renewal. As the Mongols welcomed other faiths. But soon Christianity almost disappeared during the Confucian Ming Dynasty.

Moving on to Africa, there was a very similar situation to China. As Islam expanded to North Africa, Christianity diminished. Expect in Egypt where Christianity was the majority and many people continued to practice while paying a special tax. But Christian-Crusaders from Europe and Mongols from China threatened Egypt. Anti-Christian campaigns started and so did destruction of churches. As result many converted but people persisted in urban areas and rural missionaries. But Christianity did continue to grow in Nubia as they were able to defeat Arab incursions and through an agreement with Muslim Egypt to protect this group for 600 years. By 1500, Nubian Christianity mostly disappeared. Christianity continued to be practiced in Ethiopia.Mostly due to the fact that isolated location and that many Muslims that Christian  Ethiopia's protected persecuted followers of Muhammad.

As Islamic and Christian worlds settled, the focused shifts to Byzantium Empire and Western Europe. Historians think that Byzantium began when a Roman Emperor who favored Christianity started a new capital in the Greek city called Byzantium. The Eastern half of the Roman empire continued after Rome’s fall. Byzantium was wealthier, more urbanized and more cosmopolitan than West Rome. Byzantium controlled Greece, most of Balkans (southeastern Europe) and Anatolia. Political Authority remained centralized and the imperial court was meant to be similar to God’s heavenly court but was similar to ancient Persian imperial Splendor. The state was focused on collecting taxes, maintaining order and suppressing revolts. Byzantium was immediately tied to church unlike the Roman Catholic Church, who had some independence.The Emperor of Byzantium was both the pope and the head of state. There was no separation between church and state. The Church influenced qqevery aspect of life in Byzantium