Bernard's Influence On The Medieval Church: Bernard Of Clairvaux

P144 "What should have been the crowning moment of Bernard's whole career had turned out to be the moment of his greatest humiliation." He had tried to elevate himself, to become accepted in a society that shunned him, by using the savage, but it had backfired and therefore the reader can sympathise. Not only had he lost the respect of his peers and fellow Alphas, but also he had lost the respect of someone who was, in many ways, so similar to him. Bernard can be pitied immensely for his ability to sense, see and appreciate things of beauty and as he could value and enjoy his

The Catholic Church during the early 16th Century was rooted throughout Europe. The Church influenced every country and its respective monarchs through the Church’s wealth and power. The Catholic Church placed a tight hold on the general populace with individuals who went against the Church being branded as heretics and excommunicated. The wealth and power of the Church eventually caused the quality of the clergy to deteriorate. Priests became corrupt and subjected to their physical desires. They frequented taverns, gambled and kept mistresses. The reputation of the clergy were horrid as the general populace was relieved that “their priest [kept] a mistress” because it “[secured] their wives from seduction” The knowledge of the clergy degenerated as well as they were no longer required to learn and teach the Holy Scriptures because the Church dictated their actions. The pinnacle of the Church’s corruption was the sale of indulgences. An indulgence was the “extra-sacramental remission of the temporal punishment” sold by priests as a temporary relief from sins. The indulgences were then sold to the general populace for money as the monetization of a priest’s services. Johannes Tetzel was a prominent preacher of indulgences who relied on the money from the sales to subsidize the rebuilding of St. Peter’s basilica in Rome. The corrupt sales did not go unnoticed as Martin Luther, in an effort to stop the corruption of the Church, posted the 95 Theses on the door of a Castle

In the Wife of Martin Guerre, Bertrande falls in love with her husband’s imposter. She confesses her mortal sin to the priest, “’Can you not see, it is in this love that he has wronged me most, and damned my soul’”(Lewis 75)? Her adherence to a strict belief system prevents her from following her personal feelings. Joan of Arc, a French peasant, professed a vision of angels, who told her that Charles VII must be crowned king of France (McKay). Similar to Bertrande, Joan of Arc let her devotion to God triumph over her personal feelings. She followed God’s will and fought for France in the Hundred Years’ War, regardless of the consequences. Another example of this religious strength occurred during the “Black Death” when society relied on their faith as an explanation for and solace during this unfamiliar, colossal devastation. Some chose to live more virtuous lives as penance, while extremists became flagellants to complete penance for themselves and society (McKay). Both Bertrande and Joan of Arc demonstrated that faith in France was greater than one’s religion; it gave reason and security in times of distress and provided a guideline for social

In conclusion, Bernard is interested in pursuing his personal desires, instead of conforming to society because he doesn’t like the way society is and what it is restricting people from.

Throughout the central Middle Ages, Europe was characterized by the power struggle between the secular and the ecclesiastic. The question of rule by God or by man was one which arose with unwavering frequency among scholars, clergy, and nobility alike. The line which separated church and state was blurry at best, leading to the development of the Investiture Conflict in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, and the attempts to undermine the heir to the throne in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Four men stand out among dozens in this effort to define the powers of the lay versus that of the spiritual: Emperor/kings Henry IV and John of England, and the popes who aggressively challenged their exertions of authority, Pope Gregory VII

13. ‘01 Discuss the political and social consequences of the Protestant Reformation in the first half of the sixteenth century.

In the 16th Century, Europeans had their faith shattered and were forced to realize that there was doubt in what they believed in. From the countless wars being fought in the name of religion, to the once great and wealthy countries that needed to reaffirm their place in the world, ‘all that they had once taken for granted was suddenly cast into doubt’ (446). Europeans were desperately searching for new foundations to put their faith in ‘in the face of intellectual, religious, and political challenges’ (446). This period is an example of the expression “Age of Doubt, Age of Uncertainty”.

The Crusades hold a place in the canon of Western history as valiant wars against the infidel in the East, motivated by an unparalleled pious zeal. Whilst revisions to this history have considered more mundane and ordinary motives, such as a want for land or an attempt to reinforce the Peace of God movement, there is something to be said of the religious motivations of the crusaders. The words ‘conquest’ and ‘conversion’ seem ideologically charged – with conquest being what is done by temporal rulers to physical land and people, and conversion being what is done to the spiritual self, by someone who does not have anything material to gain from the action. However, it can be argued that these lines can be blurred; I wish to present the case of conquest being religiously charged, and the idea that any subsequent conversion is of little importance. By examining the geographical targets of various crusaders, I will conclude that they were more interested in conquest than conversion: but this was not necessarily for earthly reasons alone.

“There is strength in numbers” (Mark Shields). This well-known quote emphasizes the importance of working together. However, “strength in numbers” would never be achieved without a great leader. Great leaders are the basis for success in all aspects of society because without someone to lead, plans cannot be executed and ideas remain mere thoughts in people’s minds. One such great leader was Martin Luther, a German theologian, who is credited with beginning the Protestant reformation. Part of the reason why his name is so readily associated with the reformation is because he had the courage to create change. Luther was not the first to have radical ideas about reforming the Roman Catholic Church: there must have been others who loathed indulgences or were cognizant that the papacy often corrupted its power. However, Luther was the one to gather his ideas and stand up against the Church, for the sake of Christianity and its followers. Even though he often faced the threat of harsh consequences, he never recanted his teachings or gave up hope. Despite encouraging mass violence, Martin Luther should be known as a great leader since he reformed the Roman Catholic Church and helped make Christianity more accessible to the common people.

The 17th century French aristocrat Michel de Montaigne lived in a tumultuous world. With the spark of Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses, the fire spread rapidly to France. The nation divided against itself. The rebellious protestant Huguenots and the traditional staunch Catholics both viewed the other group as idolatrous heretics in time when that crime could justify execution. Consequently, Catholic monarchs throughout Europe felt the impending threat to their reigns, too, because if they supposedly ruled through divine right, what would change concerning the support of their subjects? After the peace-making Edict of Nantes, rehashing the religious conflicts of the century was forbidden, but seeing his country—and even his own family—torn apart, how could one refrain from comment? So in his writings, Montaigne has to write around his actual subjects. This isn’t to say, however, that he conveyed none of his ideas directly. Montaigne criticizes the cultural belief in a correct way of life, opposing the idea with a more relativistic viewpoint, though the way in which he presents it, as mere musings in personal correspondence, fails to effectively convince his readers.

When Bernard is exiled to Iceland he is unhappy and decides to go the reservation even when told he shouldn’t. When in London his popularity increases and takes advantage of his new status. He used his new status to get to women, but those women were promised that they would get to meet John through knowing Bernard. Also with being exiled Bernard becomes more independent and individualized. “And then he spends most of his time by himself—alone." There was horror in Fanny's voice.”(pg 35) This is the beginning of where Bernard’s defining feature is a downfall and a virtue. It defines his virtue because it makes an individual to be alone. It’s also a downfall because it makes him insecure and manipulative to John.

Henry VIII was the King that would change England’s religious system and make it his legacy. The religious system would carry on after his reign and become the predominant religion of England. The question is: How did events connected to key historical figures during Henry VIII’s reign cause for a permanent shift in the religious system of England? This question will be answered by analyzing events related to key historical figures during Henry VIII’s reign. These events will not be a biographical representation of any one historical figure, but relayed in connection to the topic of this paper in order to provide an answer for the essay question. This method is being utilized because it provides an analytical perspective, while also providing a personal appeal by tying the facts in with historical figures. History is not just facts, it is a story, and like any good story it should pull a reader in and make them interested. The historical figures utilized will be Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Thomas Wolsey, Thomas Cromwell, and Thomas Cranmer due to their direct correlation to the change in the religious system of England. The sources utilized were chosen and implemented in relation to how they encompassed concepts related to historical

The practical ramifications of this allowed for the flourishing of the Crusades, and gave a sword's sharp edge to the agenda of reform. These political and social motives of Innocent III comes from his understanding of Salvation History, and his critical role in it. That understanding further arises from the theological underpinnings that shaped his paradigm, and shaped the movement of the Council. This becomes exceptionally clear in his opening

Religion in the Middle Ages takes on a character all of its own as it is lived out differently in the lives of medieval men and women spanning from ordinary laity to vehement devotees. Though it is difficult to identify what the average faith consists of in the Middle Ages, the life told of a radical devotee in The Book of Margery Kempe provides insight to the highly intense version of medieval paths of approaching Christ. Another medieval religious text, The Cloud of Unknowing, provides a record of approaching the same Christ. I will explore the consistencies and inconsistencies of both ways to approach Christ and religious fulfillment during the Middle Ages combined with the motivations to do so on the basis of both texts.

Contemporary reports suggest otherwise, however. St Bernard of Clairvaux, for instance, although opposed to the Cathars, said of them in Sermon 65 on the Song of Songs: “If you question the heretic about his faith, nothing is more Christian; if about his daily converse, nothing more blameless; and what he says he proves by his actions ... As regards his life and conduct, he cheats no one, pushes ahead of no one, and does violence to no one. Moreover, his cheeks are pale with fasting; he does not eat the bread of idleness; he labors with his hands and thus makes his living. Women are leaving their husbands, men are putting aside their wives, and they all flock to those heretics! Clerics and priests, the youthful and the adult among them, are