Transcript The Medieval Church

The Medieval Church
A Spiritual and Worldly Empire
The Split
• After Fall of
Rome the
Christian Church
split
– Western Church:
Roman Catholic
Church
– Eastern Church:
Eastern Orthodox
The Church Hierarchy
• Pope was the spiritual leader
of the Roman Catholic
Church
• Ruled the Papal States in
Italy
• Representative of Christ on
Earth
• Claimed Authority over all
Secular, worldly, rulers
Authority of the Church
• All people are sinners; to avoid the tortures
of hell participate in the Sacraments:
rituals of the church
• People sought to gain Salvation, eternal life
in heaven
• Church controlled who part. In sacraments
and therefore controlled who received
salvation, creates absolute power
Authority con’t
• Canon Law – the Church’s body of laws
applied to marriage, morals, clergy
• Excommunication – anyone who refused
to obey church laws faced penalties, the
worst was being made ineligible for
salvation
• Interdict – Whole town would be
excommunicated from the sacraments
How do these practices display the power of the
Church in Medieval Times?
Daily Life
• Village Church – religion linked to daily routines;
marriage, baptisms, exchange news and gossip
• Tithe – The Church required all Christians to pay
a tax equal to a tenth of their income
• Men and women were equal before God; But on
earth men were treated superior
– “Daughters of Eve” – seen as weak and needing
guidance from men
– “Mother of God” – ideal woman, modest and pure
Monks and Nuns
• Withdrew from worldly life
• Devoted their lives to spiritual goals
• Benedictine – Began in Mount
Cassino, Italy
• Oath pf Poverty, vows of chastity, and
obbedience
• Chief duties were prayer and worship
God
• Spiritual benefit of manual labor
• Tended the sick, gave alms, schools
for children,lodged travelers
• Preserved writing of the Ancient
World
• Bede – produced scholarly works – 1st
to use B.C. and A.D.
Missionaries
• The Church spread Christianity throughout
Europe
• St. Patrick set up the Irish Church
• St. Augustine converted many in England
• Many of the missionaries later became
saints
Reform Movements
• As the Church’s wealth and power grew its
discipline weakened
• Clergy tended to be worldly, living in
luxury
• Monks and Nuns ignored their vows
• Corruption and moral decay
• People called for reform
Reform con’t
• The Monastery at Cluny – nobles could not
interfere in the running of the monastery,
prohibited simony, the selling of positions in the
church; outlawed marriage for priests
• Friars – monks who traveled widely; Franciscans
founded by Francis of Assisi; Dominicans
educated people about church doctrines and
disputed heretics, people who believed differently
than church doctrines
Anti-Semitism – Prejudice
Against Jews
• Jewish culture flourished in Spain under
Muslim rule
• German Jews were often protected
• But, many Jews were persecuted; barred
from owning land; practicing most
occupations; charged that Jews were
responsible for the death of Jesus