The Church in Medieval Europe
The biological and cultural qualities that make us human
The settlements we create and live in
The political power we assemble and oppose
The religious systems through which many find meaning as individuals and communities
The movement of trade, in cooperation, competition and conflict
The political, industrial and social revolutions if the last 300 years
Technology and mankind
The search for identity as an individual and as a group
Christianity
By following the word of God, many people believed they found meaning with their lives
as individuals
Monastics
Some lived as hermits, secluded from the world and its temptations
The power of the church
George Holmes et al write in The Oxford history of Medieval Europe that in the beginning of medieval christendom, people "flocked to it" for the power it offered rather than their interest in the spiritual part
Lay investiture
Nobles granted their friends high positions within the church
Pope Innocent III
Devoted their lives wholly to serve God
as communities
Monastic communities, where everyone worshipped the same God and helped their brothers and sisters at the same time #
"one of the ablest and most dynamic men to occupy the papacy" George Holmes et al
worked hard for the papal authority and influence throughout Christendom
"The church had scored notable success in [...] promoting itself as a distinct élite corporation", Goerge Holmes et al
the church as a corporation which held great political power and directly influenced the kings of Europe
A common faith united the people and made it easier to control them
One of the most influential popes in medieval Europe, possibly ever
Theme Questions
How might a political system affect the social relations in a culture?
What role might religion play in the political life of a society?
Feudalism
Lords and vassals
There was no social mobility
Pope Innocent III #
Heresy
When the church did not like the choices made by leaders they could accuse them of heresy, basically of being non believers
Interdict #
action taken against an entire region
all churches and churchly services were shut down until the interdict was recalled
the people living in the interdicted area risked eternal damnation
usually used in order to pressure a ruler to conform to the church will, basically using the pressure from the people to make the ruler change his mind
Papal states #
In the papal states the pope was the political and spiritual leader
Some popes argued that religion was to be put above kings
The church had laws of its own, and told its followers that they should follow the law unless they contradicted the church, in which case they should follow the churches law
Karl Marx
Little social mobility due to the feudal system, the church was the only place a commoner had the possibility to move up in the world
The hierarchy of the people was believed to be set by God or nature - Joseph H. Lynch
Gerda Lerner
The difference between the sexes was not biological, but rather cultural #
Joseph H. Lynch has similar view
Canon law
"Key to the enhanced practical powers of the papacy" - Joseph H. Lynch
Most importance was about 11th to 13th century
Decretal letters
Very harsh punishments - Joseph Lynch
"Brought thousand of lay people into contact with the pope, which emphasized the popes authority ..." - Joseph H. Lynch
Pope
"The pope was [...] the chief appeals judge, comparable perhaps to the American Supreme Court" - Joseph H. Lynch
role of church in establishing norms of a family
relations between clergy/non-clergy and between lower class and nobility
bishops were commonly lords or vassals elected by kings and nobles
act in order to influence politics in their favor
by the usage of interdict and heresy the church could influence decisions by rulers
performed many of the functions a modern government does