Christianity and Medieval Society

1
Christianity and Medieval Society

• It is not just about religion anymore

2
Religious Influence
3
Service to the Church

• Monastic Life
• (structured life devoted to service to God)
• Benedictine Rule
• Vows of poverty, chastity and obedience to abbot
• Convents
• The other choice for women

4
Powers of the Church

• 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)

5
Political Influence
6
Beyond Religious Matters

• Land ownership
• Papal States (area around Rome) were 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?

7
Economic Influence
8
Money Matters

• Church taxes
• Tithe, 10 of income is required to be donated
• Purchase of church offices
• Simonybuy, sell church offices
• Indulgences
• Purchase final salvation for relatives who sinned
  during their life
• Advancements in agriculture
• Monasteries are also self-sufficient communities
  but they strive to do better so they improved
  some farming methods

9
Social Influence
10
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
• Festivals, entertainment, prayer
• 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

11
Intellectual Influence
12

• Church promoted learning
• Maintained schools, monks founded the first
  universities
• Educated young men for priesthood
• Some women in convents also were educated
• Copying books and manuscripts
• Preserved Greco-Roman culture (antiquity)
• Literature influenced
• Who else could read and write? Literature
  contains religious themes

13
Artistic Influence
14
Art reflects society

• Illuminations
• Highly decorated texts
• Ex. Book of Kells
• Gothic Cathedrals
• Taller, more decorative churches than ever before
• Provide economic, social boom for an area
• Ex. Chartres Cathedral