The Eclipse of the Papacy

(Originally written July 29, 2006 in Book 5)

The History of Western Philosophy
Bertrand Russell

Chapter XV - The Eclipse of the Papacy

The Christian 13th century was the culmination of Greek philosophy, Alexander's conquests and oriental religions.

Russell calls Satan "a development of Ahriman" (Russell, 476). Ahriman was an evil Persian God.

Linehan - Yes, Christianity incorporated a number of influences, but to state that it is wholly derivative is ridiculous. Also to not explicitly state the influence of ancient Judaism is wholly disgusting from a purely historical point of view... Russell does pay lip service to the Jewish element of Christianity. My apologies.

Russell believes that the switch from Plato to Aristotle may have been detrimental.

The Pope became a pawn of the French King.

The rise of a wealthy merchant class also took power from the papacy.

Cities became more independent from Pope and Emperor.

The decline of the papacy can be stated as the beginning with a plenary indulgence issued in the first jubilee year by Pope Boniface VIII.

The Avignon Papacy caused further independence form the Pope and weekend its power.

Pope Gregory XI returned the papacy to Rome. The French Cardinal's split form the Church causing the Great Schism. The Schism ended in 1417 with the council of Constance and the crowning of Pope Martin V.

John Wycliffe (1320-1384) shows the decline of Papal power. Wycliffe was a realist and a Platonist, but a scholastic nonetheless. He was orthodox until he was 50 then became heretical. The heresy became apparent in 1376 with the lectures at Oxford called "On Civil Dominion". His heresies were on property ownership. Eighteen theses of Wycliffe were condemned by Gregory XI. He was protected by the Queen and the mob of England from the Pope's summons. He translated the Vulgate into English and labeled the Pope as an anti-Christ. He denounced transubstantiation as a blasphemous folly. He got into more trouble when he did not condemn the Peasant's Revolt of 1381. He was excommunicated in 1366. His teachings were stamped out in England but reached Bohemia and Jan Hus. The Hussites paved the way for the Reformation.

End of Book 2

Linehan - I have lost a bit of respect for Russell in his treatment of Christianity. He labels many devout Christians as bigots, but his tactics are driven by bigotry. He is inconsistent and a great bigot himself. There have been a number of atrocities performed in the name of Christ, but how many atrocities have been performed in some other name? Christians ought to be held in a higher judgment, but atrocities performed in Christ's name discredits the performers and performances, not Christ.