The Church and the Middle Ages Essay - 596 Words

The Church and the Middle Ages The Middle Ages were a period in Europe dating from the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West, around the 5th century. However, the fixing of dates for the beginning and end of the Middle Ages is arbitrary. According to the Norton Anthology, Medieval social theory held that society was made up of three estates: the nobility, composed of a small hereditary aristocracy,...,the church, whose duty was to look after the spiritual welfare of that body, and everyone else...( Norton 76). According to Microsoft Encarta, No one definitive event marks the end of antiquity and the beginning of the Middle Ages. By the end of the 5th century the culmination of several long-term trends, including a severe†¦show more content†¦GRAPH According to Microsoft Encarta, The early Middle Ages drew to a close in the 10th century with the new migrations and invasions, the coming of the Vikings, and the weakening of all forces of European unity and expansion (Microsoft). These acts resulted in violence and dislocation which caused isolation, population to diminish, and the monasteries again became outposts of civilization. During the high Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church became organized into an elaborate hierarchy with the pope as the head in western Europe. He establish supreme power. Many innovations took place in the creative arts during the high Middle Ages. Literacy was no longer merely requirement among the clergy. New readings were addressed to a newly literate public that had both the time and the knowledge to enjoy the work. The late Middle Ages were characterized by conflict. Towns and cities began to grow in alarming numbers; the new towns wanted to have their own self-control. They wanted to be free of outside leadership. One result of this struggle was the intensification of political and social thinking. In the late medieval period, there was a ugre for the direct experience with God, whether through private, interior ecstasy or mystical illumination. Christ and the apostles presented an image of radical simplicity, and using the life ofShow MoreRelatedThe Church Of The Middle Ages3873 Words   |  16 PagesThe Church is a highly acclaimed power that is still in power to this day. The Pope is still in power and the Catholic Church has been in power for almost 2000 years. The Church has a huge following and many people follow it blindly. Though there is no feudal system to put the Church on top and there is now a separation of Church and State, it was not always like that. The Church’s history is anything but pure. It constantly used it’s power against those that relied on the Church for answers andRead MoreMedieval Church And The Middle Ages1435 Words   |  6 Pages The time period lasting from approximately 800-1500 A.D. was known as the Middle Ages. The most important component of the Middle Ages was feudalism, a system of social hierarchy. In the European feudal pyramid, the uppermost ranking was the king, followed by nobles and church officials, knights, and peasants. One’s social ranking determined their place in society as well as their amount of power. The manor system was the economic system associated with feudalism. In the manorial system, a landownerRead MoreThe Catholic Church And The Middle Ages1283 Words   |  6 PagesTHE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE MIDDLE AGES I wanted to do this research paper on the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages because the church has always fascinated me. I have always found the history and the corruption of the Catholic Church to be of great interest and when I read in Robinson Crusoe, when he stated something to the effect that he would rather be captured by cannibals than catholic priests , I decided to do this paper on the Catholic Church. I thought it was a very interesting statementRead MoreThe Church in the Middle Ages Essay2025 Words   |  9 PagesThe Church in the Middle Ages By The Middle Ages, one understands a relatively long historical period extending from the end of the Roman Empire to the 1500s. The conquest of The Roman Empire by Germanic tribes, and synthesis of Germanic and Roman ways of life formed the civilization which we call medieval (medieval-from Latin words; medium (middle) and aevum (age)). Medieval civilization was greatly influenced by the Muslims in Spain and The Middle East, and by Byzantine Empire and ChristiansRead MoreThe Church during the Middle Ages1613 Words   |  6 PagesThe Middle Ages were a time that revolved around Christianity and converting or killing off all those who were not Christian. As a result, strict laws were put in place that prohibited the practices that weren’t Christian. This also meant anything that was pagan was prohibited and punishable by death. There were many practices that would be considered pagan, but the main ones of concern were the things the Church did not approve. Of the things the Church did not approve magic, like witchcraft, andRead MoreEssay on Middle Ages- Catholic Church1744 Words   |  7 PagesThe Middle Ages was a time of rebirth for the Church. The Church had a growing amount of power, and used this power to get messages sent to its followers. One important message created an ever-growing distance between believes and nonbelievers of the Church. Throughout the Middle Ages there have been inconsistencies with the doctrines and actions of the Church. There is one constant within the Church, throughout the Middle Ages the Church has opposed outsiders and has mistreated those outsiders fromRead MoreThe Christian Church in the Middle Ages Essay1114 Words   |  5 PagesThe Christian Church in the Middle Ages The Christian Church in the Middle Ages played a significant role in society. Unfortunately though, the church is often regarded as the capital of corruption, evil, and worldliness. Today, so many people depict the medieval church as being led by materialistic popes, devouring tithes from poverty-stricken peasants, having various illegitimate children, and granting indulgences for money from wayward believers. Yes, circumstances like this may have beenRead MoreThe Church: The Guardian of Culture in the Middle Ages1135 Words   |  5 PagesThe Middle Ages were characterized by a rigidly hierarchical society, which was justified by the view that, like the branches of a tree, every level of society was preordained and important. While the nobility and the clergy stood at the top of the society hierarchy, Jews and those who pursued dishonorable professions were branded outsiders. The Church acted as guardian of culture, particularly within its monasteries and convents. They preserved the scholarship of antiquity, often through theRead MoreThe Decline of the Medieval Church at the End of the Middle Ages678 Words   |  3 PagesTowards the end of the Middle Ages and into the duration of the Renaissance, the Medieval Church’s social and political power dwindled. Centuries prior the Catholic Church gained a surplus of control, largely due to the stability it maintained during the chaotic breakdown of the Western Roman Empire . Yet toward the end of the Middle Ages the Church set in motion factors that would ultimately lead to its downfall as the definitive figure of authority. However, despite political and social controversyRead MoreThe Changes in the Catholic Church during the High Middle Ages972 Words   |  4 PagesRoman Catholic Church became divided when the King of France decided to replace the current Italian Pope with one that he elected. During the Great Schism, there were two popes claiming authority over the Catholic Church. Following the sp lit, the papal offices began to lose their authority. Ultimately, the cardinals of both popes decided that an ecumenical council of godly men could collectively possess more divine authority that just one pope. In 1409 at the council of Pisa, the church council was