1. Medieval Christianity

2. Papal Monarchy
In the Middle Ages, church officials were appointed to their office as grants from nobles, making them vassals
When appointed to a church office, a secular ruler gave the individual the symbols of their office, a practice known as lay investiture
Pope Gregory VII, elected in 1073, disagreed with lay investiture and sought to bring the Church’s affairs under internal control

3. Religion in High Middle Ages
The Catholic Church formed the foundation of people’s lives in the High Middle Ages
The sacraments were seen as necessary for salvation and could only be administered by the clergy
The veneration of saints and subsequent use of relics in personal Catholic practice strengthened the role of the Church
Medieval Christians engaged in pilgrimages to holy sites and shrines

4. Religion in Daily Life
Church an important part of European lives from birth to death
Rely on priests for holy sacraments such as baptism, marriage, and communion as means of accepting God’s grace
The Catholic Church was seen as only route to salvation
Christians worshipped saints and prayed to them for guidance and support
Pilgrimages to holy shrines were believed to bring spiritual benefits

5. New Religious Orders
In the late eleventh and twelfth centuries, Europe experienced a resurgence of religious enthusiasm leading to the emergence of new monastic orders with differing views of Christianity
The Cistercian order spread rapidly from southern France
The Franciscans, emerging in Italy, took vows of poverty
Francis of Assisi
The Dominican order was founded in Spain and defended Church teachings from heresy
Dominic de Guzman

6. Innocent III
Under Pope Innocent III in the thirteenth century, the Catholic Church reached the height of its political power
Innocent believed that kings and other political rulers should be subject to the authority of the pope
In attempt to turn people against their rulers, Innocent forbade the practice of priests giving important Christian rites known as sacraments

7. Inquisition
The Inquisition was created by the Church to serve as a court for prosecuting and punishing heretics
Many leaders were part of the Dominican Order
Sometimes used torture to make accused confess
Accused who did not confess still considered guilty
Most Christians believed the use of force to save souls from damnation was acceptable

8. The First Crusade
Muslim Seljuk Turks took control of Asia Minor, including Jerusalem, in the mid-eleventh century
In 1095, Pope Urban II called for a holy war, or crusade, against the Muslim infidels who controlled Jerusalem and the Holy Land
The First Crusade establishes four Latin crusader states

9. Jerusalem Falls to Crusaders
Army of first Crusade is mostly French
Knights motivated by religious conviction, as well as wealth and adventure
In 1099 thousands attack Jerusalem, which was in control of Fatimids of Egypt

10. Jerusalem falls to Crusaders
City falls after 6 weeks of siege
July 15, 1099 the goal of “liberating Jerusalem” is achieved
Inhabitants are slaughtered by crusaders disobeying orders of their leaders
Killed Jews, Muslims, it did not matter
Muslims went to their sacred mosque seeking shelter, but Crusaders massacred them all

11. Early Crusades
Recall that the Crusades at the beginning are merely a series of armed pilgrimages
Main target is Jerusalem, the most important/difficult of Christian pilgrim sites
The Second and Third crusades, backed by a number of European kings, were failures
Holy Roman emperor, Frederick Barbarossa drowns
Richard I of England negotiates access to Jerusalem

12. Later Crusades
The Crusades continued in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries with limited success
Children’s Crusade
The later Crusades led to the weakening of the Byzantine empire after the sacking of Constantinople
Last two major crusades organized by Louis IX and was defeated, and died of plague without any major conquests

13. Later Crusades
The first widespread attacks on the Jews began in the context of the Crusades.
As nobles sold their land and freed their serfs to join the Crusades, the feudal way of life slowly eroded
By the mid-1400s the nation-states of England, Spain, and France had emerged

14. Impact of Crusades
Italian merchants in port cities increased trade with the Eastern world, although the Crusades were not the only reason this happened
During the Crusades, Jews began to be blamed for Jesus’ death and were targeted for widespread harassment and attack

15. Impact of Crusades Feudalism started to break down
Nobles lost power as they sold land to pay taxes and freed serfs to fight as soldiers
Monarchs increased power as they levied taxes and raised armies
Taxes from trade with the East brought monarchs additional power and helped them to create strong nation-states

16. Architecture of High Middle Ages
The Gothic style of architecture first appeared in the twelfth century.
Gothic cathedrals are considered artistic and architectural triumphs.
Architects used technical innovations in the construction of Gothic churches.
The combination of ribbed vaults and pointed arches allowed for greater building height.
Flying buttresses distributed the weight of the ceiling outward and down, allowing for the insertion of stained glass windows.

17. Architecture of High Middle Ages
Spiritual impressions
High ceilings created a sense of upward movement toward God.
Varying amounts of natural light entered the church, depending on the time of day.
Stained glass windows depicted religious scenes and daily life.

18. University in High Middle Ages
The first European university appeared in Bologna in the eleventh century. By 1500, Europe had more than 80 universities
Much of the liberal arts education was focused on theology and scholasticism, the scholarly attempt to reconcile faith and reason
In the 1200s, Saint Thomas Aquinas wrote Summa Theologica, an attempt to reconcile the teaching of ancient Greek philosophers with the doctrines of Christianity

19. Literature in High Middle Ages
Latin was the universal language of medieval civilization
In the twelfth century, a market emerged for literature written in the language of everyday speech, or vernacular
Two popular types of vernacular literature were troubadour poetry and heroic epics
In the fourteenth century, Geoffrey Chaucer published his famous work The Canterbury Tales

20. Troubadour and Heroic Poetry
Troubadour poetry
Especially popular in late 1100s
First written and performed by knights and nobles
Celebrated chivalry and courtly love
Medieval heroic epic poetry
Also known as chanson de geste
Described battles in which knights bravely fought to defend their kings and lords