Transcript The Role of the Church in the Middle Ages

THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN
THE MIDDLE AGES
“The Age of Faith”
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The Christian Church led by the
Pope in Rome.
During Medieval Times, this was
the only major Christian Church in
Western Europe. It was present all
throughout European countries.
(Remember, the Byzantines formed the
Eastern Orthodox Church in
Constantinople. This was the only other
major form of Christianity at the time.)
As a result, in this unit, we will often use
the terms Catholic and Christian
interchangeably, even though Catholicism
is only one branch of modern day
Christianity.
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What do you most want to know about this
topic?
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class.
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Historical
Importance
of the
Church in
Medieval
times
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The Catholic Church was the
center of life in Medieval
Europe.
Some historians called it the
“Age of Faith.”
We will also need to understand
the historic role of the Catholic
Church in order to understand
future periods of history, such as
the Crusades, the Protestant
Reformation, the Age of
Exploration and the Scientific
Revolution.
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Relevance to today
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Pope
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Bascillica of the National Shrine of
Immaculate Conception in
Washington, D.C.
There are currently
77.7 million Catholics
living in the United
States today. (25% of
the population)
You probably know
many people who
follow this very old
religious tradition.
Our country’s history
has been heavily
influenced by
Christianity in all its
forms.
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Which of the reasons for learning about this
topic seems the most important to you? WHY?
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class.
Basics
about
religion in
the Middle
Ages
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Daily presence in a person’s life
from birth to death.
The Church taught that salvation,
or the saving of a person’s soul,
would come to those who followed
the Church’s teachings.
Interesting Fact: Religion was so
important in the Middle Ages that
people determined the proper time
to cook eggs by how long it took to
say certain prayers.
People looked to the Church to
explain things like natural
disasters.
In many cases, people fought and
died in wars in the cause of their
religions. (example: The Crusades)
THINK/PAIR/SHARE
Name one way religion was important in the
Middle Ages.
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class.
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The Church building was the
center of the community.
In larger towns, this would be a
cathedral: a large or important
church.
Usually, a bishop is in charge of
a cathedral.
Religious services held several
times per day.
The church helped poor and
sick.
The Church was often the only
path to an education in the
Medieval world.
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Just like the social structure of feudal Europe,
the Catholic Church had a distinct hierarchy.
All together, we
call the church
workers “the
clergy.”
POPE
Cardinals
Bishops
Priests
Monks and Nuns
REVIEW QUESTIONS
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What is the generic name for all church workers?
Clergy
What is a cathedral?
A large, important church building.
Who was at the top of the Church hierarchy?
The Pope
Who was at the bottom of the Church hierarchy?
Monks and Nuns