1. EQ:What are the Middle Ages and what role did Christianity play?

2. A New Religion
Europe (Christianity) spread= the beginning of many cultural and social changes

3. Middle Ages
The Period of time between 500 and CE that lay between the end of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Renaissance

4. What were the Middle Ages?
These changes meant new societies, as well as new art, architecture, cities, beliefs, and lifestyles

5. Why the Middle Ages- in the middle of what?
Before the Middle Ages started, Rome was a large and powerful empire
After the Middle Ages, is a period we call the Renaissance- this was considered another time (like Rome) of great societal achievement
Middle Ages was the time in between

6. “Barbarian” groups move into Roman lands

7. Europe after the Roman Empire
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Europe was in shambles and very disorganized
Groups from the North and East moved into former Roman lands and created their own states

8. KINGS? People started to call themselves kings
No central government, so these “kings” created small kingdoms

9. The Spread of Christianity
In Europe in the Middle Ages

10. “Christianization”
Christianization = the process of becoming Christian, when the main religion in Europe became Christianity

11. Christianization of Europe
With the help of Missionaries and Monks, Monasteries popped up all over Europe
Nearly all of Europe was converting to Christianity
Monastery-housing for monks

12. Christianity Spreads
The people in these new kingdoms were not Christian
They had their own beliefs, called “Pagan Beliefs”
Missionaries and Monks helped spread Christianity
Missionaries are people who try to convert others to a particular religion
Monks are religious men who live under a vow of poverty, chastity and obedience
They were sent by the Pope

13. Pope-leader of the Christian religion, considered last word in decisions
-Then God
Pope

14. Charlemagne
It would take hundreds of years for Europe to fully Christianize
Kings were converting to Christianity with the help of one very important king, named Charlemagne

15. King Charlemagne
The Pope gave me my power! You better not question me- or you are questioning his Holiness, the Pope!!!
In the 700’s there was a king, Charlemagne, who was king of the Franks
He spent a lot of time in war , conquering lands for his kingdom, which spanned over modern day Germany and France
He was given title of “King” by the Pope (who ran the Church)

16. Charlemagne’s Coronation
Pope
Charlemagne

17. The Masses Convert
Everyday people had to make the choice whether or not to convert
Many living in Europe had Pagan, or folk beliefs, remaining from a pre-Christian Europe
They had to make a choice to either keep the same beliefs their families had had for centuries, or abandon them and convert to Christianity

18. What about people who didn’t convert?
We’ll talk about this later, but, if you did kept your Pagan beliefs you could be:
-rejected by your family, friends, and community
-reported to the church (who were like the police)
-accused of witchcraft
-tortured
-put in prison
-executed/killed
What would YOU do??
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