Reformation Day History - Part 2 (RDH2)
2. The Fall of Constantinople
You might not imagine that the fall of a "Christian" city to Muslims would have anything to do with Martin Luther nailing a theses to a church door just under a hundred years later, but Constantinople's loss was the West's gain. In 1453, the siege of Constantinople came to an end, and the city was left under Muslim control. The city was renamed Istanbul. The Byzantine Greek culture of the city fled as droves of people, including Greek scholars, headed for the West, Italy in particular.
These Greek exiles brought ancient manuscripts with them to the West. Some of these manuscripts were copies of the New Testament. In the West, the Latin Vulgate dominated. Many Bible scholars only read the Bible in Latin. This influx of Greek manuscripts of the Bible led many to begin a renewed study of the Scripture. Some even called for the Bible to be translated into the native languages of the people. This renewed interest in study also lead a renewed interest in all ancient thinking, especially Greek philosophy. The fall of Constantinople helped shape the academic climate that was necessary for the Reformation to begin. Ingredient #2
To be continued...
RDH1 - The Great Schism
You might not imagine that the fall of a "Christian" city to Muslims would have anything to do with Martin Luther nailing a theses to a church door just under a hundred years later, but Constantinople's loss was the West's gain. In 1453, the siege of Constantinople came to an end, and the city was left under Muslim control. The city was renamed Istanbul. The Byzantine Greek culture of the city fled as droves of people, including Greek scholars, headed for the West, Italy in particular.
To be continued...
RDH1 - The Great Schism
Labels: Reformation Day
posted by Bryan Cirlot at
11:45 AM
2 Comments:
Was the Eastern Orthodox pope in Constantinople at the tie of the fall?
No. In fact, as of 1439, the East and West were back together. The church in Constantinople asked for help against the Turks, and it eventually led to the temporary reunion of the long standing division. After the fall of Constantinople, however, the separation returned to "normal." For the next several centuries, the Eastern Church existed under Muslim rule.
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