Medieval Christianity

1
Medieval Christianity

• SS.A.2.4.7 SS.B.1.4.4 SS.A.3.4.4

2
The Papacy Politics

• Popes begin to gain control of lands in Italy
• Popes lands known as Papal States
• Popes often dealt with political matters at the
  expense of spiritual duties
• Popes vassals given church titles
• Kings and nobles would give fiefs to bishops,
  known as lay investitures
• Church officials who care more about their
  Earthly lords, and secular titles, neglect the
  holy call of God and Church
• 1073 Gregory VII elected pope
• Believes hes chosen by God to fix Church

3
Pope Gregorys Reforms

• Asserted Popes roll as leader of Christianity,
  including Christian kings
• King Henry IV of Germany disagrees since he had
  used bishops as vassals, to lessen the power of
  Germanys influential nobles
• Pope makes it a sin to accept lay investitures
• Henry does it anyway (Investiture Controversy)
• Controversy continues until Gregory and new king
  agree on Concordat of Worms
• Pope must elect German bishops, then king can
  bestow temporal investitures

4
Church Supremacy

• Popes after Gregory respect his changes, but more
  concerned with gaining power/stability
• Innocent III Pope is supreme judge of Europe
• King John forced to accept Archbishop of
  Canterbury, against his own wishes
• Forces King Philip Augustus to take back his
  wife, and restore her as Queen of France
• Spiritual tools used to exact papal will
• Interdicts denial of sacraments

5
Religious Orders

• New religious enthusiasm engulfs Europe
• Cistercian monks, unhappy with lack of
  discipline, create new, stricter monastic order
• Spend more time preaching to and helping people
• Many wealthy women join convents
• Only place for women to get education
• Francis of Assisi creates Franciscan monastery
• Asks people to return to simplicity of early
  church
• Dominic de Guzman finds Dominican order
• To preach against heresy

6
The Inquisition

• Church needs way to deal with heresy heretics
• Spiritual court set up called the Inquisition
• 13th Century Christians believe the only way to
  Salvation is through Christ and the Church
• Heresy is a crime against God and humanity
• Convicted heretics were made to confess in
  public, and be punished (usually by flogging)
• Dominicans become main source of inquisitors
• Church sees using force to save souls from
  eternal damnation was right thing to do

7
Popular Religion

• Sacraments of Church central to peoples lives
• Baptism, Communion, Confession, Confirmation,
  Marriage, Holy Orders, Last Rites
• Sacraments means for receiving Gods grace and
  salvation from life to death, church is most
  important thing
• Veneration of saints (men and women to copy)
• People ask saints to pray for them to God
• Virgin Mary most highly regarded saint
• Relics remains of saints, or things that
  belonged to saints seen as a link between heaven
  and Earth
• Pilgrimages to holy sites provide spiritual
  benefits