The Political and Moral World of the Carolingian Period
Summary
The Carolingian period was marked by the implementation of penitential fasting to combat famine, the responsibility of bishops to police the moral world, elaborate rituals to mediate tension and harmony, and the importance of education for political operation. Educated writers of the period, like Einhard, Walahfrid Strabo, and Hraban Maur, had a communality of knowledge and shared interest in the Bible, canon law, and Latin church fathers. The education of Carolingian elites was complex and often in Latin. The Carolingian project reached local societies through the structures of public justice, not through those of moral reform.
Table of Contents
- Penitential Fasting to Combat Famine
- Responsibility of Bishops to Police the Moral World
- Importance of Education for Political Operation
- Rise of Theological Debate
- Condemnation of Individual Writers
Q&A
Penitential Fasting to Combat Famine
Q: When did Charlemagne implement penitential fasting throughout his empire, and why?
A: Charlemagne implemented penitential fasting throughout his empire in 805 to combat famine. This was later followed by Louis in 823.
Responsibility of Bishops to Police the Moral World
Q: Who was responsible for policing the moral world during the Carolingian period?
A: Bishops were responsible for policing the moral world, and they often took this role seriously in times of crisis.
Q: Were there any writers of the time who wrote treatises for kings on just rule?
A: Yes, writers of the time wrote treatises for kings on just rule, which held that a king must control his behavior before governing others.
Importance of Education for Political Operation
Q: Why was education important for political operation during the Carolingian period?
A: Education was important for political operation during the Carolingian period because the educated writers of the period had a communality of knowledge through their education and shared interest in the Bible, canon law, and Latin church fathers. They could assume that their peers had similar knowledge, as being literate was necessary for political operation.
Q: Was education available to both genders within the aristocracy during the Carolingian period?
A: Yes, the education during the Carolingian period was available to both genders within the aristocracy.
Q: Did the Carolingians think about general schooling and translating the Bible into German?
A: Yes, the Carolingians thought about general schooling and translating the Bible into German, but they did not seriously develop it, and the education remained an elite affair.
Rise of Theological Debate
Q: When was the rise of theological debate apparent during the Carolingian period?
A: The rise of theological debate was already apparent in the 790s with the discovery of the first new western heresy in nearly four centuries.
Q: Did Carolingian theologians have full access to the Byzantine debate?
A: Carolingian theologians did not have full access to the Byzantine debate but continued to pay attention to the issues.
Condemnation of Individual Writers
Q: Were there any writers in the Carolingian period who were condemned for their works?
A: Yes, individual writers sometimes went outside the bounds of debate, resulting in condemnation by church councils. Amalarius of Metz was a liturgical expert who wrote a detailed exegesis of the allegorical significance of every act of the liturgy, and his works were widely circulated. However, he was eventually condemned for heresy, and his expulsion from Lyon was partly due to his support of Lothar. Gottschalk was a serious scholar trying to make sense of Augustine’s theology of predestination but was condemned for his novel interpretation.
Conclusion
The Carolingian period was marked by the implementation of penitential fasting, the responsibility of bishops to police the moral world, elaborate rituals to mediate tension and harmony, and the importance of education for political operation. The period was influenced by intellectuals, who characterized the period and increased the range of excuses and self-justifications for bad behavior. Education was an elite affair and available to both genders within the aristocracy, with Latin being the language of instruction. While the rise of theological debate was apparent during the period, individual writers who went outside the bounds of debate were condemned for their works.
