The Power of the Medieval Church Unit 1 Activity 17 Presentation

unify: to bring together Setting the Stage Collapse of the Roman Empire  CHAOS Western Europe divided into various kingdoms  structured by FEUDALISM The ONE UNIFYING factor  THE CHURCH! The Church was involved in spiritual and political matters unify: to bring together

Great Schism (Divide) 1054: Church split into WEST (Roman Catholic Christianity) and EAST (Greek Orthodox Christianity) Timeline We’ll look at events roughly around here for THIS lesson! (1000 to 1300 C.E.) 500 B.C.E. 0 C.E 300 C.E. 800 C.E. 1400 C.E. Roman Republic 509 B.C.E. to 27 B.C.E ~500 years Roman Empire 27 B.C.E. to 284 C.E. ~300 years Roman Empire (West) 284 C.E. to 476 C.E. ~100 years Various Kingdoms 476 C.E. to 800 C.E. Holy Roman Empire + Various Kingdoms 800 C.E. to 1806 C.E. ~1000 years Roman Empire (East) later known as the Byzantine Empire 284 C.E. to 1453 C.E. Emperor Constantine moved capital of the empire from Rome to Byzantium in 330 C.E. = the fall of the Roman Empire = the beginning of the MIDDLE AGES

Map THREE religions: Roman Catholic Christianity Greek Orthodox Christianity Islam This lesson will look at the Catholic Church’s power and influence in western Europe.

How did the Church become so WEALTHY? TITHES LAND People required to give 10% of their income/produce/labor to support the Church Land given to the Church by nobles or taken by force

How did the Church become so POWERFUL? With money, comes the power to INFLUENCE With land, comes the power to PROVIDE WEALTH SOCIAL SERVICES LITERACY People look to the church for food, moral guidance, celebrations, sacraments, salvation (Church could provide these services because they had $$ and land) Church officials often the only ones who could read = became trusted advisers to kings People look to the Church for knowledge and information

SPIRITUAL/INTELLECTUAL The Power of the Church TWO KINDS OF POWER: Spiritual + political spiritual: relating to sacred or religious things intellectual: relating to learning or knowledge political: relating to government, laws, power secular: things NOT related to religion SPIRITUAL/INTELLECTUAL POLITICAL/SECULAR People relied on Church’s teachings to gain salvation Church performed sacraments for people Church preserved learning and began universities Church had $$$ and land Power of excommunication Pope crowned emperors Church officials can READ