CHAPTER 6.4 CLASS NOTES THE CHURCH AND SOCIETY

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CHAPTER 6.4 CLASS NOTESTHE CHURCH AND SOCIETY
St. Michaels Mount, England
Notre Dame, France
Duomo, Italy
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I. Religion and Society

1. New religious orders developed. The Cistercian
   order were monks who farmed, worshiped, and
   prayed. The most famous Cistercian monk was
   Bernard of Clairvaux.
2. Many women, mostly from nobility, entered
   convents between 1000 AD 1200 AD and became
   nuns. Hildegard of Bingen was a famous nun who
   composed music for the church.
3. Most monks lived in religious communities called
   monasteries. Friars were different. They traveled
   around the world to preach and lived by begging.

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• D. Francis of Assisi founded the first order of
  friars, who became known as Franciscans. The
  Dominican Order was founded by Dominic de Guzman.
• E. In Medieval Europe life revolved around the
  Catholic Church.
• F. Saints were holy men and women who had died.
  Mary, the mother of Jesus was the most honored
  saint.
• G. The Catholic Church tried people for heresy,
  or beliefs that were in conflict with Church
  teachings. The Church established a court called
  the Inquisition where people were brought to
  confess their sins. If they did not confess they
  could be punished or executed.

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• H. Leaders of the Catholic Church persecuted
  Jews. Christians blamed the Jews for economic
  problems. Hatred of Jews is called anti-Semitism.
  In much of Western Europe Jews lost rights and
  were forced to move to other countries.

Edict of Expulsion (Alhambra Decree) 1492
Forced the Jews to leave Spain
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Possible Motives for the Spanish Inquisition

• To establish political and religious homogeneity.
  To make
• all of Spain Catholic.
• 2. To weaken the political opposition to
  Catholic Monarchs.
• 3. Fear that the Jews would encourage the
  Muslims to
• conquer Spain.
• 4. To rid Spain of the powerful converso
  minority (this was a
• group of Jews that had converted to Christianity
  but many
• in Spain felt they were still a threat to
  Christianity).
• 5. For economic profit. Those convicted lost
  their property to
• to the monarchs.

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II. Medieval Culture

1. Architecture of the Middle Ages reflected the
   importance of religion. People built large
   churches called cathedrals in Romanesque and
   Gothic styles.
2. Oxford University was one of the first
   universities established in Europe. University
   students studied grammar, logic, arithmetic,
   geometry, music, and astronomy for four to six
   years.
3. College graduates could continue their education
   and earn a doctorate in law, medicine, or
   theology, the study of religion and God.

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SEGOVIA CATHEDRAL - SPAIN
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Toledo Cathedral - Toledo, Spain
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Toledo Cathedral -Toledo, Spain
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Milan Cathedral Milan, Italy
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York Cathedral York, England
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Notre Dame Paris, France
GOTHIC STYLE ARCHITECTURE
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• D. Thomas Aquinas was a Dominican friar and
  priest. He was famous for his contributions to
  scholasticism, a new way of thinking that changed
  the nature of theology. He combined the ideas of
  the church with Aristotle. He wrote about natural
  law and that people have natural rights that are
  part of human nature and do not come from
  governments. The right to be free is a natural
  right.

Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happiness
Thomas Jefferson
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• E. Latin was the language of educated people in
  Europe during the Middle Ages. Everyday languages
  of local people were called the vernacular.
• F. Vernacular literature began in the Middle
  Ages. Troubadour poetry and the heroic epic, two
  types of vernacular literature, became popular in
  the educated classes. The Song of Roland is about
  a knight named Roland who fights against the
  Muslims.