Modern Secular Historian Report

In The History of the Franks, Gregory of Tours portrayed Clovis as a leader who, although his conversion to Christianity appeared to be genuine, nonetheless, used his conversion to realize his political aspirations. By converting to Christianity, Clovis, according to Gregory of Tours’ narrative, was able to garner the support of Christian leaders such as Saint Remigius and, consequently, gain powerful political allies. Moreover, as a result of his conversion, Clovis became a king who was more attractive to orthodox Christians. Furthermore, Clovis’ conversion provided him with a reason for conquering territories that were not ruled by orthodox Christians. Thus, Clovis

Gregory of Tours writes in his History of the Franks that Clovis had a change of heart following the defeat of the Alamanni at the Battle of Tolbiac in 496. Supposedly pagan at the time, the king, overwhelmed in battle, begged his gods for aid. When none came, he believed himself forsaken and turned to the Christian god for guidance. His army bounced back and the battle was won. When he returned home and told his Catholic wife, Clotilda, what had happed, she had the Bishop of Reims help her convince her husband to be baptized, to which he finally agreed. First, however, he sought the approval of his people. They, too, agreed and joyously converted alongside him in mass conversions across Gaul. Gregory of Tours likens Clovis to “another Constantine,” the Roman Emperor who had Christianized his

During the Fifth century, Germanic tribes from the north invaded the Western Roman Empire and sacked Rome (González pp. 260 & 270). This created political and social disorder. The Empire was then divided into separate independent kingdoms (González p. 269). As a result, the church tended to fill the void for order created by the political instability (González p. 260). However, as various kingdoms became established, local church leaders began to be appointed by kings rather than the churches (González p. 273). And, since the church had acquired much land, bishops became lords rather than pastors (González p. 273). The political instability cre-ated by a lack of a strong central government led to an increasingly feudal society (González p.318).

According to Gregory, what led to the conversion of Clovis? According to Gregory, the conversion of Clovis was caused by a war between his people and the Alamanni. He believed that his army was in danger of being killed and began to pray for help and a victory in war. He made a promise “that if thou wilt grant me victory over these enemies…, I will believe in thee and be baptized in thy name” (Source 10.1 449) and soon after the Alamanni fled, thus giving Clovis the victory. As a result of this victory, Clovis kept his promise and was baptized into Christianity.

Throughout history, there have been many instances of leaders converting to new religions, but none have had an impact such as the conversion of Constantine I, nor as ground-breaking as that of Clovis I. Constantine I was born in the year 280. During his reign as emperor of the Roman Empire, the state was falling apart. 1 He was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He called the Council of Nicea in 325 to resolve conflicts arising between the Arian Christians and the Athansian Christians. 2 This resulted in the canonization of Athansian Christianity, to which Constantine I converted his empire. 3Clovis I was born in the year 466, he was the king of the Franks and ruled Gaul for 30 years. 4 It is unknown when he converted to Christianity, however he was baptised in 496. Clovis I was the first Germanic king to convert to Christianity, and while he did not convert his entire state, his conversion was a turning point in Frankish and European history. Behind any conversion, is a reason. For Constantine I, it was an empire coming apart at the seams. For Clovis, it was a need to be more palatable to a mostly Christian populous.

The expression “Jesus take the wheel” is quite common in today’s world, but just because it is a modern saying does not mean that it did not have any relevance in earlier time. Throughout the story of Beowulf, a comparison between Christianity and paganism had always been a topic discussed both within the text and spoken aloud in the classroom. Likewise, in this instance, man-made issues serves as a mirror of paganism and trust in God becomes Christianity. Many factors throughout section three revert to paganism rather than Christianity because there was no trust in God. Details such as pride, arranged marriage, and death are the major aspects of man-made issues in this section.

Throughout the course of different eras in our history many great, powerful, and memorable conquerors have left their heritage. The years that spanned from 500-1500 known as the Middle Ages, or the medieval period, were the Age of Discovery. Were it took a shift from old-fashioned to modern. In the course of such years, forces such as the Church and state rose and fell. Societies slowly emerged, having strong rulers as allies. It is true, though, that all of these “rulers” were peculiarly different. Still, the reign of William the Conqueror and Charlemagne left a memory of fierce, strong, and victorious monarchs. The ruling of both of these leaders were very different in the role of faith and development in learning and knowledge. Yet their success can also be seen in their leading abilities and great military accomplishments when trying to protect their territories, expand their land and establish

The single most important aspect of European empires, beginning just prior to the fall of Rome, is the spread of Christianity to all areas of the continent in as little as a few hundred years. Many theologians state that Christianities spread is the indirect influence of God and the adoration of people to one true faith. Though it is true that Christianity has brought about people that even atheists could call saints, it is unquestionable that Christianity was so monumental because it united larger groups of people and its spread is contributed to adherence to local customs and its lack of new ideas in comparison to other religions of the day.

According to Gregory, what led to the conversion of Clovis? According to Gregory, the conversion of Clovis was caused by a war between his people and the Alamanni. He believed that his army was in danger of being killed and began to pray for help and a victory in war. He made a promise “that if thou wilt grant me victory over these enemies…, I will believe in thee and be baptized in thy name” (Source 10.1 449) and soon after the Alamanni fled, thus giving Clovis the victory. As a result of this victory, Clovis kept his promise and was baptized into Christianity along with the rest of his army.

There is irrefutable evidence that over the period of the Middle Ages, both Christianity and Islam have been anchors in both shaping and influencing governance of kingdoms and empires comprising Western Europe, the Byzantine Empire, and territories ruled by Islam. Religion during this period was widely used to set laws, influence culture, justify armed conflicts, and pronounce punishment on citizens domiciled within the geographies depicted within this essay. I will attempt to illuminate the geopolitical climate, territorial demarcation, and religious influences that depicted life circa 500 – 1517 CE. From the background material submitted, I will directly answer the following questions:

Clark, Anna. The Struggle for the Breeches: Gender and the Making of the British Working

Clovis was a key figure in the conversion of the West. It may have even been easier for him to convert others due to the fact that his wife was the one who converted him from paganism to Christianity. A huge advantage for his determination to convert others was that the people believed that it was God himself that helped him in defeating the neighbors and helped Clovis gain new land. After the conquering, the neighbors were then converted to Christianity. These neighbors included the kingdoms of the Rhenish Thuringians, the Alamans, and the Visigoths. Although he did eventually convert all that he conquered it is unsure whether he himself was converted, "Clovis won

Wilson, P. (2016). Heart of Europe: a history of the Holy Roman Empire. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

Without being married to Clotild, the Christian God wouldn’t of popped into his mind to pray for. Clovis then invited the Bishop to talk to King Clovis in hopes to persuade him to convert. The Queen invited him over in secret, again showing the spectrum of her independence. After talking to the Bishop, King Clovis then converts himself, his subjects, and the lands he then conquers. It could be said without Clotild’s devotion, Clovis’ success in conquering and spreading Christianity would not have happened. Part of the reason Gregory of Tours admires King Clovis so much is because of his ability to spread Christianity throughout the Frankish tribes. When in reality, the Frankish wouldn’t be Christian without the efforts of Clotild and other independent noble women and their endeavors to spread

The first factor that led to the papacy’s increase in authority is the spread of Christianity throughout the region. Coinciding with the collapse of the Roman Empire, missionaries were reaching areas of Europe not under the empire’s control. Missionaries such as Saint Patrick, Saint Columba, and Saint Columbanus spread Christianity throughout the celtic regions of Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Meanwhile other missionaries including Wilfrid, Willibrord, Lullus, and Boniface concentrated their efforts in the Germania, bringing an increase to the population of Christian Saxons. In what is now France, king Clovis I converted to the faith in the late 5th century. On his insistence many of his court and peers followed suit. This strengthened the church by uniting multiple kingdoms under its control. These examples of Christianity spreading throughout Europe demonstrate the growth in power of the church. As new regions became more and more predominately Christian the number of people professing allegiance to the church also increased. The papacy had no shortage of subjects to rule over and an increasing amount of resources at its disposal. This increase in subjects and research, and the land under control of the office increasing led to a dominance over Western Europe.