The Role of the Church in Medieval Europe
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Transcript The Role of the Church in Medieval Europe
The Role of the Church in
Medieval Europe
Presentation #3
Roman Catholic Church
Center of medieval life in western
Europe
Sometimes known as Age of Faith
Most villages and towns had a Church
Larger towns had a cathedral
Church bells rang the hours, called
people to worship, and warned them
of danger
Center of community
Religious services were held several
times a day
Town meetings, plays, and concerts
held in churches
Merchants had shops around the
square in front of church
Festivals, fairs held near the church
Church provided education for some
Helped the poor and sick
So much a part of daily life that people
determined the proper time for
cooking an egg from by saying a
certain number of prayers
World events
Thought that storms, disease, famine
were punishment from God
Thought that religious devotion would
keep way disasters
Fate after death
Taught that salvation came from
following the Church’s teachings
The Beginning of Christianity
Followers of Jesus
Son of God sent to earth to save
people from their sins
Was put to death by the Romans, rose
from the dead
In 395, Christianity became the
religion of the Roman Empire
Persecution of Christians
Romans persecuted Christians for
their beliefs
Despite this Christianity continued to
spread
Persecution ended with Constantine
issuing a decree allowing them to
practice their religion
Roman Catholic Church
All Christians in Western Europe were
part of the RCC
Church was one of the only stable
parts of society
Church provided
Leadership
Distribution of food
Monasteries provided hospitality to
refugees and travelers
Copied old texts to keep learning alive
Missionaries helped bring converts to
Church
Hierarchy of Church
By high middle ages all members of
the clergy had a rank
Pope – bishop of Rome and supreme
head of Church
Cardinals – assisted and counseled
Pope – appointed by Pope – just
below the Pope
Archbishops – oversaw a large or
important area- archdiocese
Bishops – governed diocese
Within each diocese – local
communities- parish – served by
priest
Power of Church
Church acquired great economic power
By 1050 Church was the largest land owner
in Europe
Some land came
as gifts from monarchs and wealthy lords
Force
Tithe – 1/10th of money, produce or labor
was to be given to the Church
Latin was the official language of the
Church and only common language in
Europe
Church officials were often the only
people who could read - kept records
for monarchs and were trusted
advisors
Pope Gregory and King Henry IV
Gregory elected pope in 1073
New reforms
Forbad priests from marrying
Outlawed the selling of Church offices
Banned the practice of Kings
appointing priests, bishops and heads
of monasteries
Henry was angered by not being
allowed to appoint church officials
Henry called the council of bishops
and declared that Gregory was no
longer pope
Gregory responded by
excommunicating Henry
Popes influence was so great that
Henry begged for forgiveness – 3
days in snow – before he was forgiven
and allowed back into the Church
Elevated the Pope’s authority as
higher than emperor
Church on Salvation
Soul lives on after death – salvation
Salvation – follow the teachings of Church
and living a moral life
Failing to do so - condemned to hell
Hell very vivid
Seven sacraments was essential to
salvation – grace and special blessings
Most important occasions in life
Pilgrimages
To Holy Land
Rome
Churches that housed relics- object
belonging to a saint
Cathedral at Canterbury, England
Went to show devotion, acts of
penance, or to be healed
Travel was difficult and dangerous
Most traveled on foot
Many banned together for safety
Sometimes hired an armed escort
Roads and bridges were built on
popular routes
Monks set up hostels- guest houses a
day apart
Canterbury Tales
By Geoffrey Chaucer 1342-1400
Book of verse about pilgrims
Tales pilgrims told to entertain other
pilgrims while traveling to the shrine of
St. Thomas Becket in Canterbury
Stories include a knight, miller, cook,
and prioress – head of a convent
Crusades
Military expedition to try to regain the
Holy Land from Muslim control
Occurred between 1095 and 1270
Several reasons for going
Wealth
Adventure
Guarantee salvation
Deep religious conviction
Art
Purpose of most was religious
Done to help people learn stories
about Christ since people could not
read
Architecture
Cathedrals built to inspire awe
Tallest building in town
Often 30- stories tall
Many built in the shape of a cross
Long section called the nave
Shorter arms called the transepts
Gothic style Cathedrals
Built from 1150 to 1400
Rising to heaven
Stone arches on
outside called flying
buttresses – built to
spread the massive
weight of the roof and
walls evenly
Tall thin walls with
more windows
Gargoyles – stone
spouts projecting
from the rain gutter
of the roof – usually
in the shape of
beasts -
Inside is lined with
pillars
Stained glass
windows with bible
stories depicted
Construction of Cathedrals
Took from 50 to 100 years to complete
– sometimes 200 years
Constructed by hand
Expression of devotion
Education
Most schooling took place in
monasteries, convents, or cathedrals
Under Charlemagne rule – education
was encouraged
Established new form of writing –
using lower case letters
Clergy were most likely to be
educated
Students were sons of wealthy nobles
studying for careers in the clergy
Spent much of their time with bible
passages
Universities
Began in 1200s
Studied Latin, rhetoric – persuasive
writing and speaking, geometry,
arithmetic, astronomy, and music
Books were hand copied and rare
Church was uneasy about ancient
writers such as Aristotle who taught
that reason and logic were the path to
knowledge
Feared people would question the
church’s teachings
Thomas Aquinas
Italian scholar of philosophy and
theology
Tried to bridge the gap
Saw no conflict between faith and
reason – helped people discover
important truths about God’s creation
Natural law – there is order built into
nature that can guide people’s
thinking about right and wrong
Holidays
Most holidays were connected to the
church
Holiday comes from holy day
Christmas and Easter were the
greatest celebrations
Christmas
Lasted for 12 days
No trees but people of all classes
decorated with evergreens, holly
berries and mistletoe
Attended Mass
Had a great feast often hosted by lord
Easter
Day of church services
Feasting
Games often involving eggs – new life
All holidays
Music
Dancing
Food
Wine and ale
Baked goods
Fried foods
Sometimes holidays included
Bonfires
Acrobats
Jugglers
Dancing bears
Plays – mummers- traveling groups of
actors- used masks, drums, dancers,
make-believe sword fights
Monks
Joined monasteries – communities
devoted to prayer and service –
monasticism
Became monks for various reasons
Seeking refuge from war, sickness or
sinfulness
To study
Attracted to a life of prayer and
service
St. Benedict
Founded the monastic way of life in
the 6th century in Italy
Became Benedictines
Followed Benedict’s rule
Three vows
Poverty
Chastity
Obedience
Daily life
Prayer, study, work
Attended 8 services a day
Cared for sick and poor
Teaching
Copying religious text
Farmed land
Tended gardens
Raised livestock
Sewed clothing
Monastery
Laid out in a cloister – covered
walkway surrounding an open square
North side Church
South side kitchen and dining hall
Another side dormitory – sm. Cells
with wood beds
Fourth side scriptorium- copied books
Convents
Many women who did not wish to
marry joined the convent – monastic
way for women
Nuns did many of the same type of
work as monks
Many became important reformers
Hildegard of Germany
Founded a convent
Wrote many letters of to popes and
church officials criticizing practices of
church
Religious Order
Brotherhood or sisterhood of monks,
nuns, or friars – priests
Each order had its own distinctive
rules and forms of service
Mendicants - beggars
Live a religious life without the
seclusion of monastic life
SFA founded the Franciscans
Traveled among ordinary people to
preach and care for the poor and sick
Had to work or beg for food
Believed in treating all living things
with respect