Lesson 11-3 The Middle Ages and the Church Monasteries: Communities where monks lived and dedicated their lives to God. Monks had to obey the head monk. Monasteries were churches, farms, homes and schools all rolled into one. Most monks spent much of the day in prayer Monks also farmed, studied and made wine, medicines and craft goods.

Women in the church Nun: Women that chose to serve God. Saints: Person believed to be holy. Hildegard of Bingen German religious woman that lived from 1098-1179. She wrote book, composed religious music, and founded a community where nuns lived and worked.

Urban II Pope in 1095 that called for a war to capture Jerusalem and nearby lands where Jesus had lived. These lands were called the “Holy Land” Crusades: Series of wars to take the “Holy Land” The armies of the First Crusade held the Holy Land for about 100 years after defeating the Muslims. Later the Muslims took their lost land back

There were seven more crusades, but the Muslims continued to hold on to their land. The crusades inspired attacks on non-Muslims that resulted in persecution of the Jews of Europe and Eastern Orthodox Christians. Ronconquista Long war fought by Christian armies to recapture Spain. Began in 718 and ended in 1492.

Cathedrals: Large Christian churches. Gothic: Style with pointed arches, many windows, soaring spaces and buttresses for support. Chartres is one of the most famous Gothic cathedrals. Plague: a terrible disease that spreads quickly. It is caused by bacteria spread by rats and fleas. Wiped out 1/3 of the western European population during the next 130 years.