1. The Medieval Church

2. Side Bar Task
Define: Medieval

3. The Church Dominates Medieval Life
The Church and its teachings were central to medieval life.
It took centuries for Christian missionaries to spread their faith across Europe.
Religion shaped the everyday lives of Christian Europeans.
The Church hierarchy came to exert considerable economic and political power.

4. Side Bar Task
Why do you think the Church power grows during this time of instability, chaos, and downward decline in life of the early Middle Ages/Dark Ages?

5. Clergy The Church Hierarchy Priests Church Members Bishops Pope
Archbishops/
Bishops
Priests
Clergy
Church Members

6. Side Bar Task
Explain each level, who makes up that group, where they work at, etc.
Pope- Head of the Catholic Church
Archbishop/Bishop- Head of the larger churches, known as Cathedrals.
Priests- Small portion of the population, in charge of local parish (local church), gave out the sacraments, etc.
Clergy- Church Members-

7. Church Life
The priest of the parish, or local region, were very important.
Priests preached the teachings of the Church and explained the Bible, which was only in Latin.
They gave out sacraments, conducted mass, collected tithes (taxes) from the parishioners.
Christians believed that participation in the sacraments would lead them to salvation, or everlasting life with God.
They taught that they way to heaven was through the Catholic Church and that the Pope was infallible which meant that anything he said about religious matters could not be wrong.
People could be excommunicated which means kicked out of the church. This was the worst punishment of the time.
Archbishops/Bishops supervised parished priests, managed larger churches called Cathedrals.

8. Side Bar Task
Question: If the Bible was in Latin how did people know the priest was interpreting the Bible correctly?
Question: Do you think some Priests/Clergy would abuse this over time?

9. Monasteries and Convents
Monks and Nuns- they devoted their lives to spiritual goals.
Monastic Life: Benedictine Rule- The 3 vows Monks and Nuns took:
1. Obedience
2. Poverty
3. Chastity, also known as purity.
Over time the power of the Church grew.

10. Side Bar Task Explain more clearly what each vow means.
1. Obedience
2. Poverty
3. Purity
What type of things do you think monks and nuns did?

11. Church and its Power
Overtime medieval popes claimed papal supremacy, or authority over all secular rulers, including kings and emperors.
Overtime the Church developed its own body of laws, known as cannon law, as well as its own courts.
If any laws were broken they faced punishment with the worst being excommunication.
The church tried to use its great authority to end warfare among nobles, it tried to declare the Truce of God .It demanded the fighting to stop during certain days, holidays, etc.

12. Side Bar Task
How did you think Kings and Emperors felt about Papal Supremacy?