Key Terms

1
Key Terms The Medieval Church

• Sacraments
• Holy Days
• Tithe
• Monasteries
• Benedictine Rule
• Papal Supremacy
• Excommunication
• Interdict
• Clunaic Reforms

• Gregorian Reforms
• Simony
• Lay Investiture
• Ashkenazim Jews
• Anti-Semitism

2
The Church

• The Roman Catholic Church became a strong
  institution during the middle ages.
• Many Christians believed that since the Church
  was the only place to offer salvation, it was the
  most important institution in the world.
• Christians devoted their lives to the Church out
  of fear that if they did not attend Church or
  receive the sacraments, they would suffer eternal
  damnation.

3
The Church

• Life for Christians revolved around the Holy Days
  ? days that were celebrated as feast days for
  saints.
• As a result of constant church attendance, the
  church would profit by charging tithes ? payments
  equal to one tenth of one's income.
• Christians had no choice but to go to church
  because it was the only place where they could
  receive the sacraments ? sacred rites of the
  Church.

4
Opinions

• Many believed that the sacraments were the only
  way to save one's soul, hence church attendance
  was mandatory.
• The Church shaped the beliefs of many people.
• Women were diminutized because of Christian
  beliefs ? women committed original sin, hence
  they were beneath man and needed guidance
• Some people believed that the Church had slowly
  grown corrupt due to some lay officials becoming
  church officials to charge tithes and make
  profits ? when rulers or non-church officials
  create church offices for others, this is known
  as lay investiture.
• Lay investiture led many to turn away from the
  Medieval Church and join other forms of worship.

5
Growth of Monasticism

• - Many people left the towns to go to monasteries
  ? communities of men who devoted their lives to
  worship.
• - Many felt that the corruption of the Church had
  not affected the monasteries and hence chose to
  live their to lead their Christian lives.
• - Corruption would arrive at the monasteries
  leading to the need for reform.

6
The Benedictine Rule

• - Many monks broke monastic laws revolving around
  gambling and celibacy.
• - One abbot, decided to reform the monasteries
  and created rules for monks ? these rules were
  known as the Benedictine Rule

7
The Benedictine Rule (cont.)

• Some rules were
• 1. Monk must remain at monastery for life
• 2. Daily life should follow a strict schedule.
• 3. Seven hours a day should be devoted to manual
  labor.
• 4. Two hours should be reserved for reading
  Christian books.
• 5. Should eat one or two meals a day.
• - These rules were the means by which to
  reinforce the three vows of priesthood poverty,
  chastity, and obedience.

8
The Growing Power of Popes

• - Popes used the growth of the Church as an
  institution as a means by which they could
  acquire more power for themselves.
• - Popes knew that since there were significantly
  more Christians that relied on the sacraments,
  they could use this to control rulers and their
  actions.
• - Popes used two major weapons to control rulers
• Excommunication ? removal from the church of one
  individual and denial of the sacraments.
• Interdict ? removal from the church of a whole
  town or country

9
Clunaic Reforms

• - Abbot Berno of Cluny sought to extend the
  reforms brought about by the Benedictine Rule.
• - Lay investiture had filled monasteries and
  churches with nobles and lay people who were
  usually very corrupt.
• - Clunaic Reforms ? revived the Benedictine Rule,
  removed nobles from monasteries and churches,
  invested new monks who were devoted to religion

10
Gregorian Reforms

• - Gregory VII in 1073, would extend the Clunaic
  and Benedictine Reforms to the Church.
• - Gregorian Reforms ? prohibited the marriage of
  priests, outlawed simony ? sale of church
  offices.
• Ended lay investiture ? investing of titles and
  church offices by non-church officials.

11
The Plight of the Jews

• - Jews began to move away from the Middle East
  and move towards Spain in search of a safe place
  to live.
• - Jews who lived in Western Europe were
  considered Ashkenazim Jews.
• - Jews were welcomed in tolerant Spain because of
  their banking knowledge and ability to help
  revive economies.
• - Persecution of Jews would increase, they would
  be blamed for numerous natural disasters and poor
  situations ? this prejudice against Jews is known
  as anti-semitism

12
Results

• - Popes gained more power during this period and
  used it to send secular officials on wars (the
  Crusades) and to acquire more power for
  themselves.
• - The Church became an institution similar to
  that of any government that existed during the
  Middle Ages.
• - Control of the Church would become a major
  issue for many secular rulers as they attempted
  to invest more power in themselves.