Religion in the Middle Ages
The Catholic Church and It's Role in The Government
Baylie H.
The Catholic Church was very important in the Middle ages. The Catholic church was monotheistic, which means they believed in one god. In the Catholic church many people shared the same beliefs in the church teachings, so in difficult times the people would unite. Salvation was the ultimate goal that the Catholic people wanted to achieve in the church. In Medieval Europe the Catholic church was very powerful and ruled over everyone, even if they were non-religious. Also, in the church there were people who were part of the clergy. This meant that they performed sacred functions for the church. Church leaders were vassals which means that they gave land to people and they had serfs working for them.The Catholic church was a part of daily life in the middle ages. On Sundays, the people would go to mass or the Catholic worship service.
The church had played a role in politics and government in the middle ages also. The church was controlling the government, and the government was controlling the church. In 1073 A.D. Gregory VII was elected the pop in the Catholic church. He made a decree saying that the kings and the nobles could not choose any of the higher-ranking Church officials. Henry IV was very angry since he was losing power to the nobles, so he refused to obey the decree which led to Gregory excommunicating him from the church. Excommunicating means to exclude a person from church membership. In 1122 A.D. a new king and pope agreed that the church could choose bishops, but the king could give them a job in the government if they wanted too. This deal was called the Concordat of Worms. A concordat is an agreement between the pope and the ruler of a country or kingdom. By 1198 Innocent III had become pope and he was able to control the kings because the church was at the highest power. He used this power against all the rulers and if a ruler did not obey he would excommunicate them. Innocent III thought that if he indirected someone, that their local people would force him/her to obey the rules.
Baylie H.
The Catholic Church was very important in the Middle ages. The Catholic church was monotheistic, which means they believed in one god. In the Catholic church many people shared the same beliefs in the church teachings, so in difficult times the people would unite. Salvation was the ultimate goal that the Catholic people wanted to achieve in the church. In Medieval Europe the Catholic church was very powerful and ruled over everyone, even if they were non-religious. Also, in the church there were people who were part of the clergy. This meant that they performed sacred functions for the church. Church leaders were vassals which means that they gave land to people and they had serfs working for them.The Catholic church was a part of daily life in the middle ages. On Sundays, the people would go to mass or the Catholic worship service.
The church had played a role in politics and government in the middle ages also. The church was controlling the government, and the government was controlling the church. In 1073 A.D. Gregory VII was elected the pop in the Catholic church. He made a decree saying that the kings and the nobles could not choose any of the higher-ranking Church officials. Henry IV was very angry since he was losing power to the nobles, so he refused to obey the decree which led to Gregory excommunicating him from the church. Excommunicating means to exclude a person from church membership. In 1122 A.D. a new king and pope agreed that the church could choose bishops, but the king could give them a job in the government if they wanted too. This deal was called the Concordat of Worms. A concordat is an agreement between the pope and the ruler of a country or kingdom. By 1198 Innocent III had become pope and he was able to control the kings because the church was at the highest power. He used this power against all the rulers and if a ruler did not obey he would excommunicate them. Innocent III thought that if he indirected someone, that their local people would force him/her to obey the rules.
Inquisition
Blair W.
The Catholic Church was extremely power in the medieval society. The leaders of the church wanted everyone to accept their teachings. Church leaders were afraid if people stopped believing in the church it would endanger people going to heaven. The church tried to put an end to heresy by sending friars to preach the Church’s message. To the church a heresy is a crime against God. In 1233, the pope established a court called the Inquisition which was like a grand jury. The Inquisition's job was to bring people to the court suspected of heresy. People brought to confess their heresy were suppose to confess and ask for forgiveness. People who did not confess could be tortured until they admitted their crime. The pulley was the first torture of the Inquisition used. The executor would hoist the victim to the ceiling with a rope and secure their hands behind their back. In this position they suspened about six feet in the air. In this position they had heavy weights attached to their feet. They would pull the rope all the way up then drop the victim repeatedly and then stop which causes dislocation in joints and nerves. This process was repeated until the victim confessed or became unconscious. Christian monks would stand there and copy down any confessions the victim said. If the bound to a wooden cross victim still didn’t confess they would be bound to a wooden cross. Those after they were still tortured were considered guilty. The executor would then break each leg and arm in two different places with a iron bar and left to die.The Inquisition turned the guilty ones to the political leaders and they would execute them. There were a lot of many other ways they would torture people to admit their heresy.
Blair W.
The Catholic Church was extremely power in the medieval society. The leaders of the church wanted everyone to accept their teachings. Church leaders were afraid if people stopped believing in the church it would endanger people going to heaven. The church tried to put an end to heresy by sending friars to preach the Church’s message. To the church a heresy is a crime against God. In 1233, the pope established a court called the Inquisition which was like a grand jury. The Inquisition's job was to bring people to the court suspected of heresy. People brought to confess their heresy were suppose to confess and ask for forgiveness. People who did not confess could be tortured until they admitted their crime. The pulley was the first torture of the Inquisition used. The executor would hoist the victim to the ceiling with a rope and secure their hands behind their back. In this position they suspened about six feet in the air. In this position they had heavy weights attached to their feet. They would pull the rope all the way up then drop the victim repeatedly and then stop which causes dislocation in joints and nerves. This process was repeated until the victim confessed or became unconscious. Christian monks would stand there and copy down any confessions the victim said. If the bound to a wooden cross victim still didn’t confess they would be bound to a wooden cross. Those after they were still tortured were considered guilty. The executor would then break each leg and arm in two different places with a iron bar and left to die.The Inquisition turned the guilty ones to the political leaders and they would execute them. There were a lot of many other ways they would torture people to admit their heresy.
Beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church in the Middle Ages
Esther V.
Beliefs in the Catholic Church, during the Middle Ages were very significant in the lives of the people. For most, their whole lives were lived for the purpose of the church. The church was the most important thing in their day and the inhabited European countries were mostly Roman Catholic. The people trusted the clergy and the priests and greatly supported them in their monetary needs. However, there were a lot of hoaxes and lies in the church. Many of the church officials took their jobs just to earn money and they were corrupt. The people were, for the most part, oblivious to the theft of the church and would most often turn a blind eye to them. They were not suspicious of them. Despite all this, most would go to mass out of tradition, but not true faith. In The Canterbury Tales, a poem by Geoffrey Chaucer, the Pardoner (church official) would rip off the people he was serving. He would present false relics, or the remains or belongings of saints. In spite of all this, there were some who taught the religion out of sincerity. For example, the nuns and monks of the monastery lived their entire lives in simplicity. They would take care of the poor and set up hospitals and schools. Monks would also serve as scribes, or people who would copy well-written books down for future use. Scribes had to be very patient and could not make mistakes or grammatical errors. Friars would travel the lands; missionaries to the immobile. In A.D. 597, Pope Gregory I, sent 40 monks to Britain, to convert the people there. They succeeded in converting Ethelbert, the ruler of Kent. Ethelbert permitted them to build a cathedral in Canterbury, and the city is an important center for Christianity and Roman Catholicism to this day.
Esther V.
Beliefs in the Catholic Church, during the Middle Ages were very significant in the lives of the people. For most, their whole lives were lived for the purpose of the church. The church was the most important thing in their day and the inhabited European countries were mostly Roman Catholic. The people trusted the clergy and the priests and greatly supported them in their monetary needs. However, there were a lot of hoaxes and lies in the church. Many of the church officials took their jobs just to earn money and they were corrupt. The people were, for the most part, oblivious to the theft of the church and would most often turn a blind eye to them. They were not suspicious of them. Despite all this, most would go to mass out of tradition, but not true faith. In The Canterbury Tales, a poem by Geoffrey Chaucer, the Pardoner (church official) would rip off the people he was serving. He would present false relics, or the remains or belongings of saints. In spite of all this, there were some who taught the religion out of sincerity. For example, the nuns and monks of the monastery lived their entire lives in simplicity. They would take care of the poor and set up hospitals and schools. Monks would also serve as scribes, or people who would copy well-written books down for future use. Scribes had to be very patient and could not make mistakes or grammatical errors. Friars would travel the lands; missionaries to the immobile. In A.D. 597, Pope Gregory I, sent 40 monks to Britain, to convert the people there. They succeeded in converting Ethelbert, the ruler of Kent. Ethelbert permitted them to build a cathedral in Canterbury, and the city is an important center for Christianity and Roman Catholicism to this day.
Monks, Nuns, and Friars in the Middle Ages
Emie B.
Christianity was spread to the north by missionaries and monks. Missionaries are people who are sent out to spread the word of Christianity. The first missionaries were first sent, to what is now England, Germany, and France. While missionaries spread around the world to spread their faith, monks isolated themselves from society to practice their faith. Monks (men) lived in monasteries and Nuns (women) lived in convents. Women were not usually educated in the Middle Ages but by becoming a nun, women could learn how to read and write. The convents provided the only source of education for women during the Medieval Ages. Each nun would go through a medieval ceremony, the medieval ceremony kind of resembled a wedding. A nun would be seen as married to God. A ring would be placed on the nun’s finger and she also would wear a wedding headdress. The daily life of monks revolved around worship, reading the Bible, and manual labor. Monks contributed much to society; for example they offered shelter to travelers, provided hospitals, ran schools, copied books, and they aided the poor. To become a monk you had to follow certain vows. Some of the common vows were poverty, obedience, and silence for some monks but not all of them. Friars were kind of like nomads because they traveled and did not live in monasteries like monks, but friars lived by preaching Christianity to people and begging for food. The word friar came from the Latin word for “brother”. The most famous friar was St. Francis of Assisi. He is mainly famous for finding the Franciscan Order. He was born wealthy but later gave up his wealth to serve the poor. Another friar and priest was Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas was one of scholasticism’s greatest champion. He also accomplished the ideas of combining CHurch teachings and the ideas of Aristotle.
Emie B.
Christianity was spread to the north by missionaries and monks. Missionaries are people who are sent out to spread the word of Christianity. The first missionaries were first sent, to what is now England, Germany, and France. While missionaries spread around the world to spread their faith, monks isolated themselves from society to practice their faith. Monks (men) lived in monasteries and Nuns (women) lived in convents. Women were not usually educated in the Middle Ages but by becoming a nun, women could learn how to read and write. The convents provided the only source of education for women during the Medieval Ages. Each nun would go through a medieval ceremony, the medieval ceremony kind of resembled a wedding. A nun would be seen as married to God. A ring would be placed on the nun’s finger and she also would wear a wedding headdress. The daily life of monks revolved around worship, reading the Bible, and manual labor. Monks contributed much to society; for example they offered shelter to travelers, provided hospitals, ran schools, copied books, and they aided the poor. To become a monk you had to follow certain vows. Some of the common vows were poverty, obedience, and silence for some monks but not all of them. Friars were kind of like nomads because they traveled and did not live in monasteries like monks, but friars lived by preaching Christianity to people and begging for food. The word friar came from the Latin word for “brother”. The most famous friar was St. Francis of Assisi. He is mainly famous for finding the Franciscan Order. He was born wealthy but later gave up his wealth to serve the poor. Another friar and priest was Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas was one of scholasticism’s greatest champion. He also accomplished the ideas of combining CHurch teachings and the ideas of Aristotle.
Jewish Expulsions & Anti-Semitism
Jacie S.
In the Middle Ages, Christianity was the main religion in England. England was also a monarchy. Jews and Christians happen to live together for many periods of time before the Jews were persecuted horribly. After the peace they had shared before, the Jews were seen differently and were treated very cruely by the Christians. The Christians would blame everything on the Jews. For example, they would accuse the Jews of murdering Christian children for Passover. They were also blamed for the Black Plague and they were tortured until they would admit they poisoned the wells to make everyone severely sick and eventually die. Not only were they blamed for economical and everyday problems and situations,the Jews were stripped of their rights in that civilization. A Jew could not own a Christian slave, even if they were wealthy, because of his or her culture.They were also forbidden from holding public office and eating or having sexual contact with the Christians. Basically some things that involved the Christians and the Jews were not allowed. But the Jews were able to work and conduct business. Later on they were relocated to the outskirt of medieval Europe because the Christians felt them as a burden.
The Christians felt the Jews as a threat to society because if the Jews spread their religion then the Christian belief would lose followers and eventually perish from the loss of followers and supporters. This is not the only big reason the Christians persecuted the Jews. They also persecuted the Jews because they believed the Jews belief in Allah was critical and unbeneficial to other people believing in God. The Jews belief and their possible “threat” to the Christian religion by gaining the support of the Christians’ followers is what could have caused this horrible cruelty.
Jacie S.
In the Middle Ages, Christianity was the main religion in England. England was also a monarchy. Jews and Christians happen to live together for many periods of time before the Jews were persecuted horribly. After the peace they had shared before, the Jews were seen differently and were treated very cruely by the Christians. The Christians would blame everything on the Jews. For example, they would accuse the Jews of murdering Christian children for Passover. They were also blamed for the Black Plague and they were tortured until they would admit they poisoned the wells to make everyone severely sick and eventually die. Not only were they blamed for economical and everyday problems and situations,the Jews were stripped of their rights in that civilization. A Jew could not own a Christian slave, even if they were wealthy, because of his or her culture.They were also forbidden from holding public office and eating or having sexual contact with the Christians. Basically some things that involved the Christians and the Jews were not allowed. But the Jews were able to work and conduct business. Later on they were relocated to the outskirt of medieval Europe because the Christians felt them as a burden.
The Christians felt the Jews as a threat to society because if the Jews spread their religion then the Christian belief would lose followers and eventually perish from the loss of followers and supporters. This is not the only big reason the Christians persecuted the Jews. They also persecuted the Jews because they believed the Jews belief in Allah was critical and unbeneficial to other people believing in God. The Jews belief and their possible “threat” to the Christian religion by gaining the support of the Christians’ followers is what could have caused this horrible cruelty.
Conclusion:
Even though some historians believe the Middle Ages were a positive period of growth for society in Europe, this time period was actually very dark and lacked progress in the areas of religion. The church had very close ties with the government. As a result, the Inquisition was formed. The Inquisition was an unfair period of time to everyone involved. The people who were accused of heresy were more often than not, innocent, and most of them were brutally murdered. Also, Anti-Semitism added to the Middle Age’s terror. Thousands of Jews were killed in light that they started the Black Death, a horrible plague. Another reason that the Middle Ages were more negative, is that there was a huge miscommunication between the church and the government. Both believed that they ran each other, and excommunication resulted. Excommunication ultimately cut off a certain person who was believed to be breaking the church’s laws and there was no longer any hope for that person’s salvation. Lastly, a reason that the Middle Ages were awful is that the church was dishonest with the people that they served. They would present false relics and give the people false hope. Based on all of these facts, the Middle Ages most certainly had a bad influence on the people in that time.
Even though some historians believe the Middle Ages were a positive period of growth for society in Europe, this time period was actually very dark and lacked progress in the areas of religion. The church had very close ties with the government. As a result, the Inquisition was formed. The Inquisition was an unfair period of time to everyone involved. The people who were accused of heresy were more often than not, innocent, and most of them were brutally murdered. Also, Anti-Semitism added to the Middle Age’s terror. Thousands of Jews were killed in light that they started the Black Death, a horrible plague. Another reason that the Middle Ages were more negative, is that there was a huge miscommunication between the church and the government. Both believed that they ran each other, and excommunication resulted. Excommunication ultimately cut off a certain person who was believed to be breaking the church’s laws and there was no longer any hope for that person’s salvation. Lastly, a reason that the Middle Ages were awful is that the church was dishonest with the people that they served. They would present false relics and give the people false hope. Based on all of these facts, the Middle Ages most certainly had a bad influence on the people in that time.
Works Cited
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"Daily Life of a Monk in the Middle Ages." Daily Life of a Monk in the Middle Ages. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014. <http://www.lordsandladies.org/daily-life-monk-middle-ages.htm>.
Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 07 May 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/holocaust/article-215021>.
"Famous Medieval Saints." Famous Medieval Saints. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014. <http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-religion/famous-medieval-saints.htm>.
"Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History." Relics and Reliquaries in Medieval Christianity. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014. <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/relc/hd_relc.htm>.
"History of the Catholic Religion." History of the Catholic Religion. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014. <http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-religion/history-of-the-catholic-religion.htm>.
"Medieval Nuns." Medieval Nuns. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014. <http://www.lordsandladies.org/medieval-nuns.htm>.
"People & Ideas: The Roman Catholic Church in Medieval Europe." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 07 May 2014. <http://www.pbs.org/godinamerica/people/catholic-church.html>.
"Pilgrims and Pilgrimage." Pilgrims and Pilgrimage. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014. <http://www.york.ac.uk/projects/pilgrimage/content/med_saint.html>.
"Role of the Church in Medieval Europe." Role of the Church in Medieval Europe. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014. <http://www.slideshare.net/ejsuthe/role-of-the-church-in-medieval-europe>.
Spielvogel, Jackson J. World History Journey across Time, the Early Ages. New York: Glencoe McGraw Hill, 2007. Print.
"The Horrors of The Church and Its Holy Inquisition." The Horrors of The Church and Its Holy Inquisition. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2014. <http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/vatican/esp_vatican29.htm>.