1 / 9

The medieval christian church

In Western Europe. The medieval christian church. The Papacy. The collapse of centralized authority in Western Europe that came with the fall of the Roman Empire left a power vacuum To some extent, this vacuum was filled by the popes

marcel
Download Presentation

The medieval christian church

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. In Western Europe The medieval christian church

  2. The Papacy • The collapse of centralized authority in Western Europe that came with the fall of the Roman Empire left a power vacuum • To some extent, this vacuum was filled by the popes • The popes were the Bishops of Rome, but came to be accepted as the supreme leaders of the Christian Church

  3. Important Early Popes • Pope Leo I • 440 – 461 • Made the case for the primacy of the Bishops of Rome • According to scriptures, Jesus had promised to “build his church” on St. Peter—the first Bishop of Rome • Other bishops disagreed with Leo’s claim • 445—Emperor Valentinian III instructed all bishops in the Western Empire to obey Leo’s decrees • 452—Leo negotiates with Atilla the Hun • Pope Gregory the Great • 590 – 604 • Began the political administration of the papal estates in Italy; • Collected income tax and made legal rulings • Led the military defense of Rome against the invading Lombards • Re-energized the Church’s efforts to convert the Germanic tribes to Christianity; • Sent a mission to England under Augustine of Canterbury, which successfully converted the Anglo-Saxons

  4. Hierarchy of the Medieval Church

  5. The Church in Medieval Society • The Christian Church was the most powerful institution in Western Europe during the Middle Ages • The Church was the only source of unity after the fall of the Roman Empire • In chaotic and uncertain times, people reached for spiritual security • Unlike Europe’s secular rulers, the Church has a centralized hierarchy • Village parishes became the central social institution in feudal villages

  6. A Feudal Village

  7. The Church and Secular Rulers • Church officials and secular rulers competed for power and supremacy; • But they also worked together to maintain order • The Church claimed ultimate authority, because the spiritual realm was considered superior to the secular • Church officials (popes, bishops, and abbots) took part in the Feudal system; • Accepted fiefs from feudal lords and granted lands to vassals

  8. Monasticism: Origins • Began with individual ascetics retreating to a life of hard spiritual dedication • Eventually evolved into communities of dedicated monks and nuns • St. Benedict’s monastery at Monte Cassino, Italy (est. 530) became a model for other monastic communities (following the Benedictine Rule)

  9. Monasteries in Society • Monks kept alive the classical learning of Greek and Roman civilization • Provided basic social services, such as health care and charity

More Related