Frequently Asked Questions: The Peace of God
My good folks at the United Methodist Church of the Covenant provided lots of suggestions for sermons. We had more suggestions than we have Sundays available to preach them, so I will be covering on this blog over the coming weeks all those that couldn't be treated in a sermon . The first of these topics that I would like to cover is The "Peace of God." By this I'm not referring to the "peace of God that surpasses all understanding," as mentioned in the New Testament. The "Peace of God" (Pax Dei) I refer to was instead an ecclesiastical/political movement of the middle ages. I actually referred to this in a sermon in early December.
To understand the Peace of God we must first remember the culture from which it arose. This movement arose in 10th century Europe in an increasingly violent militaristic society. This was the age of feudalism in Europe. Most of the land was owned by very wealthy lords who were subject only loosely to their king and to the Roman Catholic Church. These same lords frequently had significant rivalries with each other and had in their retinue a number of knights who fought in their service. The knights were trained as warriors from their youth and upon reaching adulthood fought in the service of their lord. As long as the knightly combat was simply between them, there's not a problem. That's a contest between equals, in terms of training and social status. The problem was that the combat was becoming more widespread, and the society was becoming more and more violent and dangerous and most of the people in society weren't capable of defending themselves. The landholdings of the lords was worked by poor peasants who had no arms or training in arms. Similarly, the clergy had no arms or training. The "Peace of God" then was an effort to curtail and limit the nearly incessant fighting in Europe.
The movement began in 975 A.D. at a church council in Le Puy, and was promoted in subsequent councils over the next fifty years. Attendees frequently invoked the memory of long-dead saints and brought relics from the saints to the councils. Essentially they tried to call on the saints of old to intercede with God to bring down to earth the peace of heaven. The coming millennial anniversary of Jesus' earthly ministry added to the expectancy that such a peace was forthcoming. In particular, the aim of the Pax Dei was to make non-combatants and church grounds off limits for fighting. The peasants and serfs who made up so much of the population would be granted safety as would women and the clergy. Though the saints were invoked to enforce this peace, in reality it was up to the warring parties themselves to enforce it, which was inconsistent at best. Later the cause of this peace was taken up by popes and kings so that it's enforcement was institutional. Eventually, the guidelines of the Peace of God became an established part of medieval society. This movement was important in establishing some order in society, and some elements of it are still with us in accepted limits of warfare- particularly respecting houses of worship and differentiating between combatants and non-combatants in armed struggle.
There was, by the way, a similar movement to the Peace of God that began in the church late in the 11th century. This was the "Truce of God." This sought to place limits on when fighting could take place not just the who and where. Initially, the "Truce of God" forbade armed combat from Saturday evenings until Monday mornings so that Sundays were protected as days of worship and rest. Later the truce was expanded to cover Wednesday evenings through Monday mornings. Additionally, church holidays and feast days as well as the seasons of Advent and Lent were off-limits for fighting. The Truce of God movement maintained momentum through the 1100s, but in the 1200s began to wane as the Kings of Europe gained power at the expense of the lords and nobility.
To understand the Peace of God we must first remember the culture from which it arose. This movement arose in 10th century Europe in an increasingly violent militaristic society. This was the age of feudalism in Europe. Most of the land was owned by very wealthy lords who were subject only loosely to their king and to the Roman Catholic Church. These same lords frequently had significant rivalries with each other and had in their retinue a number of knights who fought in their service. The knights were trained as warriors from their youth and upon reaching adulthood fought in the service of their lord. As long as the knightly combat was simply between them, there's not a problem. That's a contest between equals, in terms of training and social status. The problem was that the combat was becoming more widespread, and the society was becoming more and more violent and dangerous and most of the people in society weren't capable of defending themselves. The landholdings of the lords was worked by poor peasants who had no arms or training in arms. Similarly, the clergy had no arms or training. The "Peace of God" then was an effort to curtail and limit the nearly incessant fighting in Europe.
The movement began in 975 A.D. at a church council in Le Puy, and was promoted in subsequent councils over the next fifty years. Attendees frequently invoked the memory of long-dead saints and brought relics from the saints to the councils. Essentially they tried to call on the saints of old to intercede with God to bring down to earth the peace of heaven. The coming millennial anniversary of Jesus' earthly ministry added to the expectancy that such a peace was forthcoming. In particular, the aim of the Pax Dei was to make non-combatants and church grounds off limits for fighting. The peasants and serfs who made up so much of the population would be granted safety as would women and the clergy. Though the saints were invoked to enforce this peace, in reality it was up to the warring parties themselves to enforce it, which was inconsistent at best. Later the cause of this peace was taken up by popes and kings so that it's enforcement was institutional. Eventually, the guidelines of the Peace of God became an established part of medieval society. This movement was important in establishing some order in society, and some elements of it are still with us in accepted limits of warfare- particularly respecting houses of worship and differentiating between combatants and non-combatants in armed struggle.
There was, by the way, a similar movement to the Peace of God that began in the church late in the 11th century. This was the "Truce of God." This sought to place limits on when fighting could take place not just the who and where. Initially, the "Truce of God" forbade armed combat from Saturday evenings until Monday mornings so that Sundays were protected as days of worship and rest. Later the truce was expanded to cover Wednesday evenings through Monday mornings. Additionally, church holidays and feast days as well as the seasons of Advent and Lent were off-limits for fighting. The Truce of God movement maintained momentum through the 1100s, but in the 1200s began to wane as the Kings of Europe gained power at the expense of the lords and nobility.
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