The Medieval Church

Church Authority

• Involved in spiritual and political matters

• Structure– Clergy– Pope– Bishops– Local priests

Religion as a Unifying Force

• Stable force during constant warfare

• Sense of security and community

• Religion was very important

• Church building served as a religious and social center

Church Justice• Provided a unified set of beliefs• Canon Law

– Marriage

– Religious practices

• Excommunication– Banish from church

– Freed king’s vassals

• Interdict– Harshest punishment to king

– No religious services could be performed on the King’s land

Germanic people adopt Christianity

• Frankish rulers convert people

• Missionaries spread ideas

• Monasteries- religious communities

Church Reform

• Problems in the church– Married with children– Lay investiture-kings or nobles could appoint

religious officials

• Concordat of Worms• Only the church could give a bishop his

power, but the emperor could veto a proposed bishop

• Gothic architecture– Tall– Light, filled with stained glass– Used flying buttresses, ribbed vaults, spires

• Almost 500 churches were built between 1170-1270

• Effect on Town– $$$$– pilgrims

• Art– Sculpture, – Woodcarvings– stained glass

Cathedrals

Crusades - Causes

• Pope Urban II issued a call for a “Holy War” – crusade – main goal was to gain control of the Holy Land and Jerusalem from Muslims

• Motives:– Quarrelsome knights– Younger sons and positions– Religious zeal– Merchants

First and Second Crusades

• Briefly conquered Jerusalem– Defeated by

Saladin

• Saladin– Muslim leader

Third Crusade 1187-1189“Crusade of the Three Kings”

• Goal• Leaders:

– Philip Augustus– Frederick I– Richard the Lion-hearted

• Richard and Saladin• Truce• Results- still hostility between

Muslims and Christians today

Reconquista-Spain

• Effort to drive the Muslims from Spain

• Led by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella

• 1492 – all Jews and Muslims were expelled