Write 500 words on this topic: “Did this literature encourage Christians to exercise political leadership?”
Most of the early Medieval hymns, written by Christian Catholics, had nothing to do with politics. Hymns were important at this time because in a world where many people were illiterate, literature was more likely to survive if it was memorized and recited to groups of people, or sung in the form of a hymn. The main concern of Christian writing in the early medieval times had to do with ethics, heaven, and things beyond history- not the significance (or lack of) of political leadership.
The authorities significant in the hymns, most repeatedly mentioned are Mary (Jesus’ mother, commonly referred to as The Virgin in these hymns), the apostles of Jesus Christ, an assortment of martyrs and prophets, and some angels. The hymns request that these individuals act as intermediaries, to pass on prayer requests to a member of “the holy trinity”: Jesus, God, and the holy spirit. They show a (non-political) hierarchy in heaven: these important individuals who have done well on earth now serve some kind of intervening role and possess some kind of authority in heaven, though how this works is not well explained in the hymns. For example, in Paul the Deacons’ hymn (from 775), John the Baptist is a central figure of authority. John the Apostle is asked to relay the prayer (a request to wash away sin) to Jesus. This hymn is sung to honor John, but there is a small mention of the holy trinity at the end, which is as customary in practically every single medieval hymn. This is the basic “formula” for these hymns, but with a different featured individual. As mentioned above, The Virgin Mary is thought of very highly by the authors of these hymns. There are many dedicated to her or asking her to send prayers to Jesus.
Before the medieval ages and the fall of the Roman empire, there was more of an emphasis on politics by Christian authors. There were a lot of Catholic authors who wrote on the subject of civil matters, like St. Justin and St. Augustine, and Polycarp. They tell Christians to answer to the authorities nobly and with humility, but not to obey them (do not deny Christ to worship the emperor). There is no mention of Christians in positions of political authority, either. This was at the time before the fall of the Roman Empire when a lot of Christians were being persecuted.
It is noticeable how the authorities (both the intermediaries and the holy trinity) in these medieval hymns are not political in any way. There is a hierarchy, but it is one of ethics, and relaying prayers and requests to the ‘higher levels’. The Kingdom of God is not a political kingdom of this world, but a spiritual one, beyond history. There is also no time or change, meaning no progress– political or otherwise. The only link between history and heaven is that the intermediaries gain authority in heaven based on the acts of good and self-sacrifice they did in their lives.
In conclusion, the majority of hymns at the time of the Early Medieval ages do not mention politics. The type of authority Christians were encouraged to strive for was ‘ethical authority’, in way– striving to live a sin-free life with help from the intermediaries. In short, no, the literature did not encourage Christians to exercise political leadership
Cozy Oubliette 