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What is the contribution of Christian civilization
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white knight View Drop Down
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Posts: 80 		  Quote white knight Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: What is the contribution of Christian civilization
    Posted: 25-May-2007 at 23:41

Contribution to the Christian civilization to the world:

Architecture: Gothic, Romanesque, Mezoarabic, Byzantine, Renaissance 
finance: Templar banking
 
are there more?  Thanks.
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  Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25-May-2007 at 23:53
The most important contribution of Christianism to humankind, particularly from Catholicism, is the concept that all humans, of all races, countries and ethnicities, are equal before God. That idea of an universal man appeared first in the Christian faith, particularly with Saint Paul. Afterwards it was addopted by other religions and by the secular thinkers.
 
You can trace the development of the universal human rights of today to those beginnings. Of course, after two thousand years of development.
Pinguin
 


Edited by pinguin - 25-May-2007 at 23:54
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Posts: 7035 		  Quote gcle2003 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26-May-2007 at 05:48
 
Originally posted by pinguin

The most important contribution of Christianism to humankind, particularly from Catholicism, is the concept that all humans, of all races, countries and ethnicities, are equal before God.
I think if anything you underplay the importance of Catholicism (not just Roman) in that regard. The very word 'catholic' implies 'for everyone'.
 
Originally posted by white knight

finance: Templar banking
If anything, Christianity (especially Catholicism) held back the development of modern financial instruments and institutions because of its denouncing of usury.
 


Edited by gcle2003 - 26-May-2007 at 05:50
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I actually stumbled upon this site not too long ago.
www.christianciv.com/LightHasCome.htm
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Originally posted by pinguin

The most important contribution of Christianism to humankind, particularly from Catholicism, is the concept that all humans, of all races, countries and ethnicities, are equal before God. That idea of an universal man appeared first in the Christian faith, particularly with Saint Paul. Afterwards it was addopted by other religions and by the secular thinkers.

Lots of pre-christian religions and philosophy's had that. Buddhism, Judaism, Confusionism, Daoism, the Celtic religions. In fact, having the opposite view is more of a rare thing.


The greatest contribution has to be the organisation. Church hierarchy created an environment that was both highly organised and easily exportable to the European companies that were to dominate the world.
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I think the greatest contribution can be seen as the move towards industrialisation and globalisation, facilitated by the Protestant work ethic. Max Weber, in exploring this topic, does go into how hierarchy was a critical aspect of bureaucracy and so I would agree that church hierarchy served as a model.

The spiritual acknowledgement that a commitment to work, saving, investment etc were all considered righteous has played a critical role in shaping society today.


Edited by Constantine XI - 27-May-2007 at 02:39
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Posts: 7035 		  Quote gcle2003 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27-May-2007 at 07:45
 
Originally posted by Omar al Hashim

Originally posted by pinguin

The most important contribution of Christianism to humankind, particularly from Catholicism, is the concept that all humans, of all races, countries and ethnicities, are equal before God. That idea of an universal man appeared first in the Christian faith, particularly with Saint Paul. Afterwards it was addopted by other religions and by the secular thinkers.

Lots of pre-christian religions and philosophy's had that. Buddhism, Judaism, Confusionism, Daoism, the Celtic religions. In fact, having the opposite view is more of a rare thing.
Being precise, Pinguin said "all humans, of all races, countries and ethnicities, are equal before God." That is certainly not true of Judaism which definitely holds the view that Jews have greater obligations towards God than other peoples. Buddhism has no God to be equal before; while the others are polytheistic and different gods have different preferences.
 
I thought that through, and I cannot think of any pre-Christian religion that was monotheist AND held all people were equal before that single God.
 
It is of course true of many post-Christian but non-Christian religions like Islam and Sikhism.

The greatest contribution has to be the organisation. Church hierarchy created an environment that was both highly organised and easily exportable to the European companies that were to dominate the world.
Well, the organisation was inherited from the Roman empire. So too was the Latin language, but you could well add the concept of a universal tongue for Christendom was a particular contribution of the medieval Western Church.
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Posts: 952 		  Quote Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27-May-2007 at 10:16
How about the collapse of the Roman Empire, probably attributable to the conversion to christianity.
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Judaism certainly did not have that, Omar.
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Posts: 1988 		  Quote TheDiplomat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27-May-2007 at 10:25
individual-liberalism...
 
the birth of individual was a Christian achievement.
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  Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27-May-2007 at 11:29
Originally posted by gcle2003

...Being precise, Pinguin said "all humans, of all races, countries and ethnicities, are equal before God." That is certainly not true of Judaism which definitely holds the view that Jews have greater obligations towards God than other peoples. Buddhism has no God to be equal before; while the others are polytheistic and different gods have different preferences.
 
I thought that through, and I cannot think of any pre-Christian religion that was monotheist AND held all people were equal before that single God.
 
It is of course true of many post-Christian but non-Christian religions like Islam and Sikhism....
 
Very well said. It was in ancient Christianity were that concept arose, precisely with Saint Paul, who brough Christianity to the pagans.
Now, it was a very serious concept for Catholics throught history, and particularly marked when the Europeans met the Amerindians, and decided the Amerindian had "souls"; which means they were human beings like the Europeans. That was inspired in the same concept of humans equal before God, because -for them- all human creatures are property of God in an equal stand.
 
Even more, I believe it is possible to trace the development of the modern concept of human rights from those religious beginning in the Catholic faith. Even feminism and the equality of women can be found in the writings of a Catholic nun of the 17th century: Juana Ines de la Cruz
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Edited by pinguin - 27-May-2007 at 11:29
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Posts: 316 		  Quote Jagiello Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27-May-2007 at 12:02
Universities.It was in medieval Europe that the first universities were founded and it was by the Catholic church.Firstly they learnd mainly theology and latin but it developed throudh the centuries and became what we know now.There are also others like the templar banking system and different orders but i believe this was the greatst and had most impact on today's world.
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Posts: 8792 		  Quote Zagros Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27-May-2007 at 12:25
Universities are not an originally Christian or European concept.
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  Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27-May-2007 at 13:13
Originally posted by TheDiplomat

individual-liberalism...
 
the birth of individual was a Christian achievement.
 
Could you please elaborate?
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Posts: 316 		  Quote Jagiello Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27-May-2007 at 15:31
Originally posted by Zagros

Universities are not an originally Christian or European concept.
 
ShockedObviously the history proffesor that teaches me history and all the books i've read are mistaken.No offence,i'm quite sure the universities are 100% christian incention.I'm not talking about schools,but about the UNIVERSITIES as we know them.You have any proofs or sources that say who invented the universities?
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Posts: 8792 		  Quote Zagros Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27-May-2007 at 15:42
I know what you mean and since you asked so nicely: wikipedia has some decent info on the history.
 
 
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  Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27-May-2007 at 23:57
Well, even today all Western Universities have its logos in Latin, and they have certain rituals and attitudes that, indeed, come from the times universities were religious institutions.
 
Modern Universities, and its methods of teaching, come from Middle Ages Europe. Before them there were always centers of learning, but they worked more in a personal teachings levels, where professors discuss things in a personal level (Platon Academy, the Museum of Alexandria, Madrassas, etc.)
 
Universities are massive machines of learning, with a lecturer, classes, students taking notes, etc.. I mean, a new method of teaching. And as such, they were an original thing when they started.
 
Pinguin
 
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  Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28-May-2007 at 00:03
Originally posted by Jagiello

Originally posted by Zagros

Universities are not an originally Christian or European concept.
 
ShockedObviously the history proffesor that teaches me history and all the books i've read are mistaken.No offence,i'm quite sure the universities are 100% christian incention.I'm not talking about schools,but about the UNIVERSITIES as we know them.You have any proofs or sources that say who invented the universities?
My friend univiersities were up and running outside of Europe while monks copied down texts on parchment, and your richest noblemen did not know how to sign his own name.
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Posts: 279 		  Quote Eondt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28-May-2007 at 03:20
Christian doctrine can be traced as the source of all major arguments for the abolishment of slavery in the 18/19th century throughout the Western hemisphere. This can off-course be traced to Pinguins original statement of the teaching that all humans are equal before God.
 
Capitalist doctrine filled the gap by providing the basis for economic slaveryWink
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Posts: 386 		  Quote Praetor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28-May-2007 at 04:13
Originally posted by Paul

How about the collapse of the Roman Empire, probably attributable to the conversion to christianity.


The Roman Empire had been in decline for over one hundred years before Christianity became the state religion.

Regards, Praetor.
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