Christianity and Medieval Society

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Christianity and Medieval Society

• It is not just about religion anymore

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Religious Influence
Religious Influence
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Those things a church should do?

• Monastic Life
• Benedictine Rule
• Vows of poverty, chastity and obedience to abbot
• Convents
• The other choice for women

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Those things a church should do?

• Powers of the Church
• Sacraments
• All rites of passage in a persons life are
  overseen by the Church
• Excommunication
• Follow their rules or you will be asked to leave
• Interdict
• Follow their rules or your whole community will
  be asked to leave
• Salvation
• Promise of afterlife is still held by the church
  (sins forgiveness)

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Political Influence
Political Influence
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If they are living in small communities with
private armies, do you think territories will
remain under the same control? So what will
happen next?
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There is no centralized government so Church
attempts to create stability

• Catholicism has a political hierarchy
• Final authority rests with the pope in Rome

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Things a church should not do?

• Land ownership
• Papal States (area around Rome) was governed by
  the Church (it was a lord)
• Any monastery or church was considered part of
  church land ownership
• Ecclesiastical Courts
• Canon law develops, cases involving marriages,
  wills, contracts, orphans, widows and the clergy
  were tried in Church courts
• Feudal Warfare
• Truce of God Tried to get people to stop
  fighting so much amongst themselves ( fighting
  was prohibited on certain days of the week and
  holidays)
• Supremacy
• Conflict over political power who has more the
  king or the pope?
• Watch your readings for more details on that

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Economic Influence
Economic Influence
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Bling Bling!

• Church taxes
• Tithe, 10 of your income is required to be
  donated
• Purchase of church offices
• Simony, so you want to be a bishopjust hand over
  the cash
• Advancements in agriculture
• Monasteries are also self-sufficient communities
  but they strive to do better so they improved
  some farming methods

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Social Influence
Social Influence
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Where else to go? There is no centralized
government so

• Momentous occasions in a persons life
• Birth, marriage, deathgo to church
• Community activity
• The medieval version of communication time
• Assistance
• Hospitals are created and run by the monasteries,
  that is also the place to go if you need help
  because you are poor, lost, aged or sick

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Intellectual Influence
Intellectual Influence
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School Daze

• Church promoted learning
• Maintained schools, monks founded the first
  universities
• Educated young men for priesthood (some women in
  convents too)
• Copying books and manuscripts
• Preserved Greco-Roman culture (antiquity)
• But who was not educated?

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Artistic Influence
Artistic Influence
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Oo, la,la!

• Illuminations
• Highly decorated texts
• Ex. Book of Kells
• Gothic Cathedrals
• Taller, more decorative churches than ever before
• Ex. Chartres Cathedral