Christianity In The Middle Ages

To begin with, religion and the church was an extremely important factor in people's lives in the middle ages. For example, the text states, “...he

These beliefs affected not just religion, but society and political relations to the the church and the

The church in the Medieval era, however, was incredibly powerful and mostly unopposed. Salvation, to the religious, was and remains the most important aspect of faith. Religion without a fate after death is almost entirely hopeless and borders on nihilistic. The Catholic church used this incessant fear to fuel their political vendettas. This is made evident by the attempted squelching of the Reformation sparked by Martin Luther as well as the expulsion of the Moriscos, Jews, and Protestants from Spain. The church had successfully convinced an entire continent that the only true way to attain eternal life was through the doctrine of the church. This gave the Pope authority, power, and uncontested control over the Christian people, for a

During the age of Absolutism rulers either spread their religion across their empire or converted themselves to the popular religion. Religion was a large driving factor

Not only did the Christian Church hold importance but it also held authority. Document 11 describes the power of the Catholic Inquisition. In attempting to try a man for heresy, they killed him by means of torture. Not only did they have the judging authority, but they could kill men without consequence. The greatest minds of Western Europe were captivated by Christianity as well. Document 13 describes Thomas Aquinas, one of the best thinkers of the Christian postclassical world, in his use of science to try to determine the right and Christian relationship between men and women. In every aspect of Western Europe, Christianity was a defining characteristic.

The single most important aspect of European empires, beginning just prior to the fall of Rome, is the spread of Christianity to all areas of the continent in as little as a few hundred years. Many theologians state that Christianities spread is the indirect influence of God and the adoration of people to one true faith. Though it is true that Christianity has brought about people that even atheists could call saints, it is unquestionable that Christianity was so monumental because it united larger groups of people and its spread is contributed to adherence to local customs and its lack of new ideas in comparison to other religions of the day.

The Catholic Church was by far the largest owner of land during the Middle Ages. While bishops and abbots occupied much the same place as counts and dukes in the feudal hierarchy, there was one important difference between the religious and secular lords. Dukes and counts might shift their loyalty from one overlord to another, depending on the circumstances and the balance of power involved, but the bishops and abbots always had (in principle at least) a primary loyalty to the church in Rome. This was also an age during which the religious teaching of the church had a very strong and pervasive influence throughout Western Europe. These factors combined to make the church the closest thing to a strong central government throughout this period.

The rise of universal religions across the continents was greatly influenced by commerce, politics and the political leaders at the time. Political leaders were accepting the teachings and foundations of various faiths, and this allowed for these regions to thrive. In the Roman Empire, the conversion of Emperor Constantine played a key role in the spread of Christianity. Constantine and the people who succeeded him were pleased with the teachings of Christianity, and this allowed for the religion to spread beyond the cities into hinterlands. In addition, the collapse of the Roman Empire further led to the spread of Christianity since the church was the only source of unity around which people coalesced. Also, trade and commerce further facilitated

For most civilizations, religious figures have had a large influence over the lives of the common people. The Roman Catholic Church was a very influential figure in many civilizations. It can trace its origins to over 2000 years ago. One of the Church’s most influential periods of this time was the Middle Ages. The Roman Catholic Church played a very big role in the lives of the people during that period. For many, it was the center of their life. The three most important impacts of the Church on medieval life were their secular roles concerning laws and their position over the state, the way that the Church unified Europe, and their power over the common people.

The church was a major political force during this point of time. Kings and Queens needed papal approval, especially when there was a lot of conflict going on. This allowed the church to to use political power as it could help them solve and determine which claimants to a throne would be accepted. There were a long history and a lot tension between the church and secular authority over this and other political issues.

Throughout history, leaders have been known for getting involved in topics that don't concern them, such as religion. In medieval times, kings and queens had the power to alter people's opinions, regarding religion. Religion was very important to the people. Religion and politics were always intertwined because religious and political leaders interfered with each other. In medieval Europe, Pope Gregory VII, the Crusades, and Justinian are examples of political and religious topics closely linked.

The power of The Church, in The Middle Ages, was enormous. It touched almost everyone's life in many important ways. The Church baptized a person at birth, performed the wedding ceremony at people' marriages, and

This law, rooted in religious teachings, regulated many facets of daily life, including morals and marriages. During the later Middle Ages, the law of Europe was governed by the Church. An entire jurisdiction was exercised by the church which protected the widows, orphans and helpless and also dealt with offenses. Popes of the Middle Ages eventually had a power over all rulers, even kings and emperors. The pope was the leader of a bureaucratic structure of churchgoing men in charge of church-related business. Based in Rome, the pope was the medieval Church's leader. Church leaders such as bishops and archbishops sat on the king's council and played leading roles in government. Bishops, who were often wealthy and came from noble families, ruled over groups of parishes. The Roman Catholic Church was the supreme power during the Middle Ages. It was the stabilizing force in everyday life which kept the community framework together. The laws and rules of the land, public policies and governance of the people were all affected by religion during the Middle Ages. Any attempt at threatening Christianity by other religions was met with force and all measures were taken to spread the religion in other parts of the

A modern secular historian may use this document as a means of evidence illustrating how the adoption of Christianity by political leaders and kings following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire had a great influence on the religious beliefs and practices that spread and were accepted within their states. Based on the information provided regarding Clovis’s conversion, a secular, or non-religious, historian, may determine that Clovis’s difficulties during his war with the Alemanni, or Germanic tribes, humbled him and instilled him with faith in God, enabling his success in war. It can then be inferred that as news of his success reaches new lands, more people decided to convert to Christianity knowing that King Clovis also participated in the belief system and that it had brought him the ascendancy and prosperity needed to consolidate the Franks and defeat external adversaries.

Towards 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 controversy surrounding the church, the institutions it established cleared a path for a new way of thinking, shaping society in an enduring way.