1. The Rise and Decline of the Power of the Church
The Middle Ages
The Rise and Decline of the Power of the Church

2. How to reorganize society?
Feudalism?
Political attempt
Religion
Why would this provide a way to organize a society after the fall of the Roman Empire?

3. Religion in the Middle Ages
Christianity spreads across Europe
Most Europeans become Christian
Easy to unify them
They believe that heaven awaits them after death if they follow their religion and their religious leaders (the Pope, etc.)
Popes become very powerful
Who might have a problem with this?

4. Popes vs. Kings Pope Gregory VII and King Henry IV
Conflict over who can appoint a Bishop (a powerful position within Christianity)
Both claim that they should have the power
Why?

5. Pope Gregory vs. King Henry
Pope excommunicates King Henry from the Church
Excommunicate: Kick out of the church (unable to go to Heaven after death)
King Henry is shunned by his supporters and he is afraid
Henry travels to Italy to ask forgiveness
Pope makes him wait three days barefoot in the snow outside of his castle
Eventually forgives him
What does this prove?

6. The Crusades Palestine
Importance?
Muslim Turks ban Christians from entering the “Holy Land”
Pope calls on Europeans to travel to Palestine and fight a war to win back the “Holy Land”

7. The Crusades Attempt my Christians to “re-take” the Holy Land.
7 major Crusades (many minor ones)
Kings would organize armies and march to the Middle East to fight
The First Crusade
Europeans capture Jerusalem and introduce Feudalism to the area
Other Crusades
The Europeans lose most of them
Eventually come to terms with Muslim rulers to allow Christians to visit the “Holy Land”
Why did people fight?
Money, glory, land, adventure, promises of heaven

9. Effects? Each side learned about each other’s culture Trade grows
Kings gain a lot of power
Distrust between various religious groups
Jewish people were attacked by Christians on their way to the Crusades