Medieval Religion and Superstition Weatherly Langsett 5 th

The Roman Catholic Church Throughout the Middle Ages to Roman Catholic faith dominated the whole of the western world. The Church controlled every aspect of life including politics, religion, philosophy, and education which led to corruption in the church. It was widely taught that unless you believed that the Pope was God’s representative on Earth than you would never go to heaven. Denouncement of the Roman Church would mean excommunication. No matter what your social status your whole life would be devoted to the church.

The Crusades The Crusades were Holy Wars initiated by Christians in Europe against the Muslims, who were called ‘Saracens’ during the time of the Crusades. Christians in Europe fastened crosses to their garments after being inspired by Pope Claremont’s preaching and began a military deployment in hopes of the Christians recapturing the Holy Land of Palestine from the Mohammedans. The Christians main aim was to reclaim Jerusalem because it was a significant area in their religion.

Timeline of the Crusades There were eight different Crusades that spanned during sporadic years from The first four Crusades were called the Principal Crusades and the latter four were called the Minor Crusades. Many other attempts were made to reclaim the Holy Land but they are not recognized as significant battles due to lack of results.

The Knights Templar The Knights Templar was founded in 1112 A.D. by Hugues de Payens. The Knights Templar took a vow of poverty which meant that they shared their possessions. This vow was rare for knights. Certain legends claim that the Knights Templar are involved with the Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant.

The Knights Templar Contd. The Knights are normally considered to consist of only nine knights. The purpose of the Knights was to protect the Christian pilgrims that were headed to the Holy Lands.

Martin Luther Martin Luther was a Christian theologian whose teachings have greatly affected and influenced the Protestant teachings. Luther was the first to translate the Bible into German. Luther’s views were condemned by Pope Leo X and after being put on trial he was declared an outlaw for his Protestant views.

Different Beliefs Certain groups of people specifically the Celts, Germans, and Pre-Christian Romans somewhat believed that the dead continued to live even after they were buried. Modern Devotion was a religious movement created by Geert Goote in the late Middle Ages. It attracted many women and they called themselves the Sisters of Common Life and lived together in a life of service towards God. The Brothers of Common Life was formed shortly after the woman’s group started.

Religious Festivals In Medieval Times there were festivals every month celebrating religious holidays. We still celebrate some of the holidays today like Valentine’s Day and April Fool’s Day which used to be called All Fool’s Day. Festivals meant that peasants had days of rest.