Christianity in the Middle Ages

Christianity had been introduced throughout the Western Roman Empire before the empire collapsed in 476 CE

Not Widely practiced

Roman Catholic Church began to grow in power & influence

Elected pope in the late 500s, Gregory I took on the task of protecting Rome and its surrounding territory from external threats

In doing this, Gregory I asserted not just the spiritual power of the Church and the papacy.

Papacy =the pope and his power

Gregory I did this by laying the foundation for an elaborate and complex church government that became known as the Roman Catholic Church

The Church became a unifying factor across the different kingdoms and fiefdoms of Western Europe.

Almost all people were members of the Church

Every village had a church and a priest.

Village priests were organized into groups called dioceses.

The head of each diocese was a bishop who lived in a large town. His church was called a cathedral

Higher up the Church ladder were archbishops.

The chief of the archbishops—and of the entire Catholic Church in Europe—was the pope, who lived in Rome.

Like the system of feudalism, the Church had a hierarchy with differing levels of power

Unlike the system of feudalism, the Church had influence over people in many different kingdoms and fiefdoms, rather than just one

the Church was not a formal government, it functioned much like one 

It controlled vast amounts of land and wealth, ruled people, settled disputes, and, at times, even went to war.

The Catholic Church gained power and influence by converting more people to Christianity

Convert = change one’s religious faith or other beliefs

Missionaries from Church traveled the Roman roads across Europe to convert local pops. 

Missionaries =representatives of a religion who go on a mission to convert ppl to that religion

Gregory I (597 AD) sent missionaries to England to convert the pop. to Christianity, most become Christian by within century

In the 700s and 800s, missionaries worked in other parts of Europe

Monasteries were isolated communities where Catholic men and women—monks and nuns—lived apart from society

They devoted their lives to God and the Church.

Monasteries became important centers of learning

In fact, clergy and monks were the most educated people during the Middle Ages.

Monks studied Greek and Latin.

Monks copied and cared for manuscripts

Monks illustrated manuscripts and created masterful pieces of art.