The Church Warm-up

• Pope Gelasius: saidGod made two swords-1 = religious1 = politicalHe thought that byacknowledging both powers in this way that he could keep them from fighting…

Church structure

• Power from the people: heaven at stake; single uniting factor of the Mid. Ages.

• Well run communities, provide schooling for the wealthy.

• Clergy: religious officials; similar to feudalism. Pope-bishop-priests

The Medieval Catholic ChurchThe Medieval Catholic Church

• monasticism: renouncing worldly pursuits to devote life to spiritual work.– St. Benedict – Benedictine Rule of

poverty, chastity, and obedience. • Most responsible for spread of monasticism in the West. Life = work and prayer.

– libraries & scriptoria to copy books and illuminate manuscripts.

– monks missionaries to the barbarians. [St. Patrick, St. Boniface]

• tithe and Peter’s Pence

…

• bishops and abbots played a large part in the feudal system.

• the church controlled about 1/3 of the land in Western Europe.

• tried to curb feudal warfare only 40 days a year for combat.