how did the papacy and missionaries attempt to achieve the christianization of pagan europe?

Answer 1

One way was simply to take the pagan holidays they were already celebrating and stamp the name of Christianity on them and keep on celebrating them as we do today!!!

Answer 2

Actually it started with the Romans, once Constantine made Christianity the primary religion of Rome the rest of Europe began to follow as it was held under the sway of the roman empire anyhow. As the old adage goes "so goes Rome, so goes the world."

it was also stated that the early Christians (actually catholics if your talking about the pope) stole ideas and themes that had been in play forever. an early form of PR. "Here is Christmas! New and improved, Better than last years model!" That helped in the transition.

I don't believe it was as brutal a transition for Europe as it was for the Americas, Pre-inquisition of course. Rome had established its dominance, most cultures emulated Rome to curry favor and if you wanted to do business you had to go with the flow even religion wise. Once all the traders were Christians, the people doing business with them had to become Christians and it just spread as it had done before in the early ages of Rome when it spread its religions to the far corners of the continent.

I could be wrong about how brutal the change over was however. After the fall of Rome is a bit Grey for me. But i think you may find buisness was more involved with spreading christianity than missionaries.

Answer 3

Actually while the Romans extended their empire to it's extremes by invading england and Wales, they built a wall (Hadrian's) on the Celtic border of Scotland to stop attacks from the Celts who their feared, mean while in Ireland, another Celtic Nation, which the Romans NEVER invaded, were monks studiously coping books of knowledge gleaned by Irish monk traveling though out Europe during the period of Christianity under Roman rule. Upon the fall of the Roman Empire, known as the 'Dark Ages' it was the Irish monks that by coping the knowledge that the Dark Ages tried to destroy in revenge against the Roman overrule and wnet forward to 'reeducate' and there by saved Christianity as we know it today. That is why Ireland is known as the Island of Saints and Scholars.