To What Extent Did Church Influence Medieval Society

The influence churches had on Europe was massive. Catholicism was the main religion at that time and people stopped to make the churches the center of everything. Its power had been built up over the centuries and relied on ignorance and superstition on the part of the populace. It had been indoctrinated into the people that they could only get to heaven via the church. Each Catholic church consisted of a priest. Everyone that practiced this religion thought that the priest was their way to heaven, giving him an enormous power. However, the relationship between people and churches was essentially based on money. If people didn't have the same religion as the church they either lied, fled, or they died.

The Church was the absolute most predominant foundation in medieval life, its impact invading practically every part of individuals’ lives. Its religious observances often shape to the plan; its customs checked every minute in a person 's life; and its lessons supported standard convictions about morals, the significance of life and existence. Church in Western Europe was recognized as the Roman Catholic Church went from the religion of the Roman Empire to the official religion and the most powerful institution of the Middle Ages. All of Europe had been converted to Christianity by the year 1000. Although this process was peaceful at times but other times it got downright ugly.

In the Medieval times, the Roman Catholic Church played a great role in the development of England and had much more power than the Church of today does. In Medieval England, the Roman Catholic Church dominated everyday life and controlled everyone whether it is knights, peasants or kings. The Church was one of the most influential institutions in all of Medieval England and played a large role in education and religion. The Church's power was so great that they could order and control knights and sends them to battle whenever they wished to. The Church also had the power to influence the decision of Kings and could stop or pass laws which benefited them in the long run, adding to this, the Church had most of the wealth in Europe as the

Since warfare and disease made life unbearable, everyone from the common serfs to the prosperous king looked to Church for direction on the key to a happy afterlife (Document 9). People paid heavy taxes/gifts and devotion to guaranteed themselves in themselves a place in the Church since their births (Document 9). This showed how they had much power over all the other classes in medieval society, especially when the Truce of God was proclaimed to control knights from committing felonies on holy days (Document 4 and

This helps us to understand that the church had the authority to control the actions of people and impose punishment on those who do not listen to their commands. The Middle Ages brought a new understanding of faith and rightfully earned the label The Age of

The role of the Roman Catholic Church also had a big influence on the social life of people during the Middle Ages. The Roman Catholic Church “touched everyone’s life, no matter their rank or class or where they lived,” (Doc. 3). The church gave people a sense of belonging. As well, the Code of Chivalry states that “thou shalt respect all weaknesses, and shalt constitute thyself the defender of them,” (Doc. 5).

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

The Middle Ages is often referred to as the Age of Faith and it is correct to do so, as during this period religion dominated all aspects of life from architecture, literature, art and music. The dominant religion during this period was Christianity. The middle ages saw "the emergence … of Christian literary forms… a popular religious culture centred around processions, icons, and relics" (George Holmes 42).

There was one main religion in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. This religion was Roman Catholic Christianity. It was both unifying and separating in some ways. Unlike now, religion served various functions, and was the main cultural aspect in people's lives. The Christian patriarch was more powerful than European kings, and wealthier.

The Medieval Period was a time where citizens were controlled and dominated by three basic things- their feudal obligations, their religion and the crime and punishment system forced upon them. Feudal obligations helped build their social hierarchy and what was proper for them (depending on their rank) to do, Religion controlled their beliefs and ultimately what provided entertainment and the law system sparked fear so that no one will misbehave. They all play an important roll, but the most controlling factor was Religion.

Religion played an important role in life during the Middle Ages. Christianity itself was a huge factor in everyday life. Monks and nuns were men and women who devoted their lives to Christianity by cutting their ties with the outside world. They achieved this by living apart from the outside world in secluded communities known as monasteries where they could focus their attention, religious studies and practices/activities. These communities self-sufficient as they were able to harvest crops and raise animals. Nuns lived in similar communities known as convents. These were separate from the monasteries.

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

People in the middle ages were very religious. People believed that Roman Catholic Church represent God. The church had a big influence on the content spread in the Middle Ages, and they were content with religious or moralistic. The only religion recognized in Middle Ages Europe was Christianity and specifically Catholicism. Christianity in the middle ages dominated the lives. The life of the medieval people was dominated entirely by the church and many religious institutions gained power and wealth. It was single the larges institution in west of Europe. It touched everyone’s life no matter what rank in social class they lived in. Everyone in western Europe was Rome Catholic Christian at that time. From the reaches king all the way down.

“Once there was time time when all people believed in God and the church ruled,” doesn’t George Bernard Shaw make it seem like life would seem simple in the middle ages. Everyone believing in the same ideas and practices. Although, it might not be that simple, back in the middle ages everyone believed the Christianity. The church unified its people from a once corrupt world. The people would devote countless hours of their lives to give back to the church. Above all, the feudal system was controlled by the church, including the all mighty kings. Christianity brought upon an age of faith throughout the middle ages.

The Middle Ages were a period in Europe dating from the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West, around the 5th century. However, the fixing of dates for the beginning and end of the Middle Ages is arbitrary. According to the Norton Anthology, "Medieval social theory held that society was made up of three 'estates': the nobility, composed of a small hereditary aristocracy,...,the church, whose duty was to look after the spiritual welfare of that body, and everyone else..."( Norton 76).