* High Middle Ages * Center of medieval life in western Europe * Towns had a church building * Larger cities had a cathedral * Church bells were a form communication * Services were held several times a day * Center of the community – meetings, plays, concerts * Merchant shops were around the square in front of the church * Church provided education, helped the poor and the sick * daily presence * Church explained natural occurrences * Christianity was so widespread- Middle Ages aka “Age of Faith”

* Romans originally persecuted Christians * Constantine allowed freedom to practice 313 * 396 Christianity was recognized by Rome * Beginning of Middle Ages all Christians were part of the Roman Catholic Church * Church provided leadership at the end of the Roman Empire * Monasteries- communities of monks * provided food and shelter for travelers and refugees * copied old texts by hand * brought new converts to the Christian faith * modeled on the structure of the old Roman government * all members of the clergy had a rank

Pope (bishop of Rome, head of Church) Cardinals (appointed by the pope) Archbishops (oversee archdioceses) Bishops (oversee dioceses) Priests (oversee parishes)

* By 1050 church was the biggest landholder in Europe -some land was gifted, some taken by force -tithe, or tax= 1/10 of a person’s money, produce, or labor to church Church had great political power -Latin was the only common language - Church officials were the only ones who could read/write Latin -Church kept records for the Monarch= trusted advisors * Pope Gregory (elected pope 1073) * Took on reforms: forbid priests to marry, kings couldn’t appoint priests, bishops or heads of monasteries (only pope) * Changes angered King Henry IV- declared that Gregory no longer pope * Gregory excommunicated Henry, told Henry’s subjects not to obey him * Henry had to beg for forgiveness and was let back into the church, this recognized the pope’s authority * Other rulers would later fight over church versus state rights

* Most people in Medieval Europe believed in the afterlife (heaven) * Church taught that you could only gain salvation (entry into heaven) by following the church’s teaching and living a moral life * Moral life= receiving the 7 sacraments= blessing from God * 1. Baptism- entry into the church, cleanse person of sins * 2. Confirmation- formal declaration of belief in God/Church * 3. Eucharist- blessed break (body of Christ), wine (blood of Christ) * 4. Matrimony- marriage blessed by the church * 5. Holy Orders- (men only) man becomes a priest * 6. Penance- confession of sins for God’s forgiveness * 7. Extreme Unction- last rites, or blessing of someone about to die

* Pilgrims traveled long distances to visit holy sites- pilgrimages * -showed devotion to God * - penance for sins * - curing an illness * Traveled on foot in groups for safety * Local rulers built roads and monks set up hostels * Crusades- another type of service to God * The crusades were military expeditions to the land where Jesus live, called the Holy Land by Christians * -Jerusalem was a holy city to Christians, Jews and Muslims * Some people went on crusades to seek wealth, for adventures, because they believe it guaranteed salvation, or because of deep religious feelings

* Art was made for religious purposes * Most people did not know how to read, the art told them the stories of the bible * Cathedrals were examples of the glorious art and architecture * -awe inspiring * - were the tallest buildings (often taller than 30 stories) * -most were built in the shape of a cross * Gothic style cathedrals rose to heaven using arches. * They were taller, thinner and had more windows * Gargoyles- feature of Gothic cathedrals * Sprouted from rain gutters * Shaped like beasts * Gothic Cathedrals were lined with pillars, religious images, stained glass * Stained glass windows often told stories from the Bible * Cathedrals were mostly constructed by hand years to complete

* Most education took place in monasteries, convents, and cathedrals * Charlemagne encouraged the church to teach people to read/write * -lower case letters were developed during this time * Clergy were most likely to be educated * Students were usually nobles studying for careers in the clergy * 1200’s cathedral schools gave rise to universities * Students studies Latin grammar, rhetoric, logic geometry, arithmetic, astronomy and music * Books were handwritten and rare- teachers read to students * Ancient texts were respected, but faith was taught above philosophies that taught reason or logical thinking * Thomas Aquinas- Italian scholar of philosophy and theology * Wanted to bridge the gap between the two ideas * Believed that people were gifts from God * Wrote logical arguments in support of his faith; reason and religious beliefs could work together * His teachings brought together philosophy and Christian theology * Ideas were later accepted by the church

* Marked important days (festivals and fairs) * Usually connected to the Church- holiday = holy day * Christmas and Easter were the most important * Christmas was celebrated for 12 days * Christmas Day= church and a feast from the lord of the manor * Easter- the day of the Resurrection * Church, feasting, games (often with eggs= new life) * Music, dancing and food were part of medieval holidays * Also enjoyed bonfires, acrobats, jugglers and dancing bears * Plays were popular- during church priests acted out Bible stories

* Monks * Men who joined monasteries (monasticism) * Became monks or many reasons; refuge from war, sickness or sinfulness, to study, or attracted to the way of life an service * Saint Benedict developed the way of life * -followers became known as Benedictines * -followed three rules (solemn vows/promises) * 1. poverty (to own no property) * 2. chastity (never to marry) * 3. obedience (to obey their leaders) * Monks attended 8 church services a day, cared for sick and poor, taught, copied religious texts, working on farms/ranches * Monks copied manuscripts in the “scriptoriums” * -copied by hand * -created beautiful illuminated manuscripts * Monastic life was one of few options for women who didn’t want to marry

* Women became nuns and lived in convents (nunneries) * Convents were run similar to monasteries/ same type of work * Many nuns became important reformers and thinkers * Nuns and Monks joined religious orders- with their own rules and forms of services

* Mendicants * Some people wanted to live religious lives without the monastic orders * Francis of Assisi was a wealthy Italian who gave up money and served the poor- he founded the Franciscans * Franciscan friars traveled to preach and take care of the poor and sick * Lived in complete poverty * Begged for food for themselves and the poor * Mendicants means beggar * Saint Francis’ friend Clare founded a similar order of women called the Poor Clares