1. THE MEDIEVAL CHURCH
Chapter 7, Section 3

2. Church dominates Medieval life
Middle Ages – churches most important goal was to convert Western Europe to Christianity (Catholicism)
Pope Gregory I sends St. Augustine to convert Anglo-Saxons in England (597 C.E.)
Missionaries then come back to European continent to spread faith among Germanic tribes
Late Middle Ages – Western Europe becomes Christian
Non-Christians viewed with suspicion

3. Role of the Parish Priest
Christian rituals = everyday life
Parish priest = only contact people often had with the church
Priest
Celebrates mass
Administer sacraments
Teach the church and explain the bible
Guide moral issues
Assistance to sick and needy
Later days, some ran schools
Participation in sacraments = road to salvation
Village church – social center
Daily life around Christian calendar
Main events in a life happened at the church
Tithes often supported church
Increasing amounts were sent to Rome
Some contained relics
Some made pilgrimages to the relics to pray at them

4. Cathedrals and women
Bishops ran the cathedrals – source of pride to the communities
Women – bible taught as equals
Society saw them as weak and easily led to sin (need male guidance)
Church saw Mary, Mother of Jesus (modest, pure) as ideal
Pray to God through her
Church tried to protect women, yet often punished more harshly

5. Monasteries and Convents
Some men and women withdrew from “worldly” life to devote life to spiritual goals
Monasteries/convents
Benedictine Rule – 530 C.E. – Benedict of Nursia (monk) organizes monastery in Monte Cassino (Central Italy)
Three vows (monks and nuns)
Obedience to abbot or abbess
Poverty
Chastity/purity
Required time for study, work, and prayer
Work – experiment with agriculture
Boost economy of Middle Ages

6. Service and Scholarship
Monasteries & Convents –
SERVICE – provide basic health services
Look after poor and sick
Food and lodging to travelers, especially Christian pilgrims
SCHOLARSHIP – pushed to keep learning alive for all
Libraries – Greek and Roman works
Monks & Nuns often copied the works as a form of labor
Wrote and taught in Latin
Taught classics to other Monks

7. Role for Women Many women entered convents Escape limits of society
Educated women could write, work, compose music, read (Abbess Hildegard of Bingen)
Later Middle Ages, church withdraws former rights of nuns
Formerly preach Gospels
Placed most convents under control of the Church
Restricted the learning of women

8. Growth of Church Power
Pope – eventually claimed papal supremacy (superiority) over all secular rulers (kings/emperors)
Church – richest group
Priests/bishops were often nobles
Church held tracts of land
Church controlled many artistic works from greatest artisans
Church develops CANON LAW
Governs aspects of life; rules for church and living
Disobey and risk EXCOMMUNICATION
Nobles who fought the church could see their entire town/region excommunicated (INTERDICT)

9. Corruption and Reform
Some nobles would leave their fortunes to the church, causing monks/nuns to forgo vow of poverty
Priests could marry – spent more time on family matters
Priests and nuns often lived in luxury
Reform – Abbott Berno (early 900’s) reintroduces Benedictine rules
Refuses to allow nobles/lords to interfere in church business
Reforms spread to the entire church
1073 C.E. – Pope Gregory VII limits secular influence in church
Church only chooses bishops/cardinals, etc
Outlaws SIMONY
FRIARS – did not live “isolated” – traveled to evangelize
First group – FRANCISCANS – formed by St. Francis of Assisi
Preached to the poor combined with good works
Poverty, humility, love of God
Womens group – Poor Clares

10. Jews in Medieval Europe
Jewish communities existed all through Europe (Middles Ages)
Flourish in Spain (Muslims tolerant of Jews and Christians)
Many held positions on courts (Muslim and Christian)
Late 1000’s – Pressure on Jews increases
Often blamed for things Christians could not understand
Little interaction with Christians in the churches, causing separations
Church grows in power, more restrictions placed on Jews
Cant hold jobs/land
Chrisitan leaders still sought their advice on financial items
Many flee to Eastern Europe and thrive