Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

Roman Catholic Church Influences on Europe in the Middle Age

Good Essays
356 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Roman Catholic Church Influences on Europe in the Middle Age
The Pope and the Roman Catholic Church made many positive, as well as negative influences on Europe during the Middle Ages. Some of the positive influences were education and music. Some negative influences were the Crusades and conflicts between Kings and the Pope over power. As illustrated in Document 3, there are children learning and a monk is teaching them. They have books on their laps like they are reading. This had a very positive influence on Medieval Society. Before Medieval times, very few people could even read or write. That is why the old churches had a lot of stained glass, because the pictures they formed told religious stories. Religion could spread even if people couldn't read the Bible Document 2 says that Medieval music had and influence on the people of the medieval times. Medieval music unified people because the music had free flowing rhythm, and was also sung in unison. In many religions today there are recitations, such as "The Gloria Patri." That was something that was taken from Medieval times that is still used in many church services today. Along with the good influences came the bad. Pope Urban II believed that it was the "Will of God" for Christians to fight against the Persian people. (Doc. 5) This was a holy war; or Crusade, which is like a Muslim Jihad. Pope Boniface VIII said he "declares state, define and pronounce that it is altogether necessary to salvation for every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff."(Doc. 2) Kings and Lords would not agree with this because the Pope believed he had Divine Power. That mean the Pope believes God has given him power over everything and everyone. Not only does he believe he has this power, he thinks he can tell people they will have salvation only if they are Catholic. As you can see, the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church made many positive, as well as negative influences on Europe during the Middle Ages. Some positives were education and music. Some negatives were the Crusades and conflicts between Kings and the Pope over power.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Apush Summer Assignment

    • 5694 Words
    • 23 Pages

    5. The role of the church had a strong influence on the development of Europe – from patriarchy, to social hierarchy; the church often determined the running of the community. The church helped to unify…

    • 5694 Words
    • 23 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The extent to which the papacy asserted dominance over the Western Church has been greatly disputed amongst historians. Certain historians would argue that there is little to suggest that the pope had control from inside other than papal reform to prevent unrest and, would argue that in fact the real conflict was between him and individual states and that he had to deal with multiple reforms and claims that failed. However, there are Historians who would suggest that, in fact, the papacy was successful in asserting its authority over the Western Church due to the religious significance of the Pope’s position which on occasions caused individual kings to submit to his power. Furthermore, it can be argued that although the Pope was the figure head of the Church and had power, he had to rely on the support and co-operation of Kings if he was to be able to keep control over the Western Church and therefore it could be said that he was not as dominant as one would think.…

    • 2243 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Pope Urban II’s decision to launch the First Crusades altered Medieval Europe politically, socially, and economically. The Pope stressed the religious and economic importance of the Eastern churches and Jerusalem that had both been taken over by Muslim Turks. Previously Vikings and Muslims had been attempting to invade most Western European countries and were troubling them but were soon defeated. All across Europe countries were economically recovering and looking for ways to expand. With the growth of people entering the Catholic Church many people were looking for ways to honor God. Then Pope Urban II announced a Crusade and many countries were eager to assist in his religious mission into the East.…

    • 1092 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    I. Music of the Medieval World (“When God saw that many men were lazy, and gave themselves only with difficulty to spiritual reading, He wished to make it easy for them, and added the melody to the Prophet’s words, that all being rejoiced by the charm of music, should sing hymns to Him with gladness.” -St. John Chrysostom [345-407]. 1:53)…

    • 4678 Words
    • 19 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Since the lives of the people in medieval Europe mostly revolved around faith and on what they believe in, mainly their religion, the effect of the Church in the middle ages on the citizens was huge. The church controlled the people as it was the main center of religious and social life. All Christians belonged to the Roman Catholic Church and it was considered that the church was as important, if not more, than any king or queen. In fact, a king could only be the king if the church approved it, otherwise he could be kicked out anytime the church wished. The pope was the absolute political and social leader of the church and as the church had the most authority, he controlled almost everything in all Christian nations which were sometimes called Christendom during the Middle Ages. The main reason of the immense power of the church was the fact that it owned over one-third of all the land in Europe (largest landholder) and collected a large amount of tax from the public. Power disputes were common between the pope and the crown. Since generally the clergy of the church were the only people who could read, they could easily misuse the holy bible in order to manipulate the people of medieval Europe.…

    • 750 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    HST 171 Paper 1

    • 1364 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Throughout the middle ages, many different institutions have been changing and growing as time has passed. Religion, military, and art and literature have changed significantly over hundreds of years. There are many reasons as to why this happens. As civilizations learn and grow, they begin to change their way of living and thinking according to what might fit in current society. As people begin to change their way of thinking, the culture surrounding them has to change as well. The formation of the papal monarchy between the 11th and 13th century played a huge role in the way society behaved during that time period…

    • 1364 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    No Title Now

    • 1233 Words
    • 5 Pages

    As compared to its experience in the early Middle Ages, Europe in the High Middle Ages was a. more decentralized. c. less militaristic. b. less isolated. d. more religiously diverse. Which is the best summary of the authors’ introductory overview of the late Middle Ages? a. Political and religious institutions grew steadily stronger throughout Europe. b. Populations grew, while cultural institutions faced severe challenges. c. Political conflicts killed as much as one third of the population. d. Populations and religion faced severe challenges, while culture blossomed. Religion and society were a. among the subjects that scholars re-examined in the Late Middle Ages. b. among the subjects that were considered taboo for scholars in the Late Middle Ages. c. among the subjects in which scholars of the Late Middle Ages built on medieval thinking. d. among the subjects that scholars virtually ignored in the Late Middle Ages. The Cluny reform movement sought to a. remove the clergy from royal authority. b. strengthen the powers of the Holy Roman Emperor. c. rejoin the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches. d. abolish monasticism and promote clerical marriage. The group that benefited the most from the Investiture Controversy was a. the German regional princes. b. the monks living in Dominican monasteries. c. the German kings of the Holy Roman Empire. d. the bishops living in non-German areas of Europe. One of the most important results of the Crusades was that a. permanent Christian kingdoms were established in the Near East. b. the Black Death spread from Europe to Asia. c. trade and cultural exchanges with Asia were encouraged. d. None of these answers are correct. The…

    • 1233 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lastly Spain they were inner political turmoil with the last Arabs many money would come in from lots of colonies also Spain had a great advantage based on their culture and art that was in common in Europe since the Renaissance. Another impact that happened in Europe was the affected churches and importance. The Catholic church's had much control in countries mostly like Spain they were characterized as different superpowers in Europe, France, and Portugal also people in that era would make the church as their center of attention in France, the kingdom was divided by Huguenot protestant force and the Catholic loyalist. How did churches affect Europe all of the people from Europe had to be the same religion as the king and queen. If the people didn’t have the same religion as them they were obligated to lied, fled, or even have the death penalty and even in the churches wanted to have control over the people by forcing them to become the queen and kings religion.…

    • 528 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the Early Modern Period the world was experiencing many changes, some of which included religion. There were many changes in religion in Western Europe during the Early Modern Period (1450-1750) including changes in the Roman Catholic Church, due to the Protestant Reformation, and the creation of the Church of England; however, a constant throughout this period was the fact that Western Europe remained predominately Christian.…

    • 384 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The legacy of the Middle Ages, while being debatable, is most closely tied to that of an “Age of Faith” due to the Roman Catholic Church’s power over most aspects of medieval culture. From the 5th to the 15th century, Christianity reigned over any other structures that had power over the Medieval Era, allowing the church to have the most lasting impact on the age and most other time periods that followed. The church was able to outlast any dark or golden age, overpower the feudal system, and gain the complete and utter faith of most people in Europe, giving the age its ultimate title as one of faith.…

    • 664 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Middle Ages Dbq Analysis

    • 853 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The great extent of power and influence that the Catholic church had shaped the lives of Christian Europeans. This was a factor to support how the middle ages were an age of faith. The picture of the huge stone Catholic cathedral…

    • 853 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Once the Byzantine Empire was defeated the rest of Europe fell like a house cards to the Ottoman Empire. Whether through fear or awe and admiration, loyalty to the Church was on the rise throughout Europe, and unfortunately, as a result of the crusades, religious tolerance was at an all-time low. Throughout Europe entire Jewish communities were destroyed and in some cases their residents put to the slaughter. The Crusades were a dark time, and was a great example of how much damage and harm religion has had on society as a whole. Perhaps one of the few positive effects the Crusades had was the knowledge of Asian culture we gained. Asian influence helped pushed Europe into a more cosmopolitan society, and perhaps even helped pave the way for the Renaissance that would eventually sweep Europe. Overall the Crusades were one huge mistake, and the cost hundreds of thousands innocent lives all in the name of one religion:…

    • 329 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Main Idea: The church was a dominant force in the Middle ages due to the disintegration of the Roman Empire and the ability of Christianity to bring people together.…

    • 704 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Bucher, Dr. Richard P.. "What was the Lutheran Reformation?." Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Lexington, KY. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2013. <http://www.orlutheran.com/html…

    • 1095 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    plague

    • 398 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The intellectual decision for most people to become secular from the church dramatically changed the culture of Europe. As people started to become ill with the plague, they started to drift away from the church because they weren’t being healed. The catholic church ran the middle ages. We see this through ideas like Petrine Supremacy and Divine Right. The fact that the pope christens the king into becoming king, “under the power of God” shows how in control the church was. Because of the secularization of people, the church was becoming less powerful, ending the Middle Ages. And because humanism started to form, as the church was ending, the renaissance began.…

    • 398 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays