Christianity in Medieval Europe

Christianity dominated life in the Medieval Era, from the commoner to the king. These religious rulers could declare religious wars against different religious groups. While their religions might seem very similar, each religious ruler held a different form of political power. Let's take a closer look at Christianity in Medieval Europe.

Rise and Development of Christianity in Medieval Europe

The Medieval Period began in 500 A.D. and ended around the late 1400s. We're going to go a little bit further back so that we can build a better understanding of where Christianity came from. This religion began in the first century and was about Jesus Christ and his life. From there, it spread to the Roman Empire, though it was illegal to practice. Armenia was the first kingdom to legalize Christianity in 301.

Constantine I, the first Roman Emperor to support Christianity. His Edict of Milan legalized the practice of Christianity in 313. Constantine wasn't a Christian, but allegedly, he converted on his deathbed. In the fifth century, the Franks and the Irish became Christians. Bulgaria followed in the early ninth century, then Poland in the mid-ninth century.

Fig 1: Emperor Constantine I

Types of Christianity in Medieval Europe

Christianity had two powerful sects, the Roman Church and the Byzantine Church. The head of the Roman church was the Pope, while the Byzantine Emperor ruled the Byzantine Church. The Emperor appointed a Patriarch who was just beneath him in spiritual power.

The churches had different theological beliefs that created a divide between them. This division steadily grew until the Photian Schism in 863. The final blow happened during the Great Schism when the two churches separated. The Byzantine Church became the Eastern Orthodox Church, while the other became the Roman Catholic Church.

Eastern Orthodox Church

The Eastern Orthodox Church considered itself the first Christian Church and the only true one. Many different groups make this claim within Christianity. The church believes its leaders can trace their right to rule to the first twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. This religion was more prevalent in Eastern Europe.

Roman Catholic Church

Roman Catholics believe their church is the earthly representation of Christ's will on Earth. They believe that the Pope can trace his right to rule to Peter, one of Jesus's disciples. They believed that the Bible was the oldest book in the world and that it was a guide to a moral life that would lead to Heaven. This religion was more prevalent in Western Europe. For the duration of this article, we will focus on the Roman Catholic Church.

Fig 2: This chart lists the hierarchy within the Roman Catholic Church

Role of Christianity in Medieval Europe

Christianity directly influenced the lives of Europeans, from the King down to the Commoner. We'll examine Christian influence on the Commoner's and Ruler's levels. A commoner's life revolved around the Church, and the burden of the Church was on the commoner. Churches didn't pay taxes and weren't sustained by the kingdom. They relied on people paying ten percent of their earnings to the church.

Churches also charged fees for weddings, baptisms, and other services. Festivals held on Holy Days, like Easter or Candlemas, were also paid for by commoners. While nobles donated to churches, they didn't sustain the entire burden of funding them. People also paid for indulgences, which became a point of contention.

Catholic Heretical Sects:

Beguines

Beguines were women who lived their lives in service of others. They were scattered and unorganized until the 13th century when the French King Louis IX built them beguinages. The Beguinages had different practices based on their location. Unlike Nuns, beguines could join or leave Beguinages whenever they wanted to; plus, they could keep their worldly possessions.

Beguines were popular until Marguerite Perret published a book called Mayor of Simple Souls. The book wasn't well received because Perrot was a woman. In 1311, she was tried and burned at stake for the crime of being a woman who wrote a book. We don't know if Perret was a beguine, but the court records claimed she was.

Fig 3: Beguine Woman

The Catholic Church disliked them because they didn't have permission from the pope and weren't a nunnery. Beguines continued their practices but changed their name to Tertiary. The Beguines were far luckier than other heretical sects. For example, the Cathars were extinguished during the crusades through genocide. The lifestyle of the Beguine offered a third choice to women, who were limited in socially acceptable lifestyles.

Influence of Christianity in Medieval Europe

The Catholic Church held a lot of influence over Western Medieval Europe because the Pope was considered a direct link to God. If a King or noble went against the Pope, Cardinals, or Bishops, they were threatened with ex-communication. Kings were given the right to rule by God if they went against the Pope, who was the voice of God on Earth, then they went against God. Excommunication meant that the people no longer had to serve the king.

The church judged some crimes through ordeals. A person who passed an ordeal was innocent, while someone who didn't was guilty. One of the most well-known ordeals was the Ordeal of Water. A person was tied and thrown into a body of water. If they could escape, they were assisted by the devil, guilty, and executed. If the person drowned, they were innocent and dead. This ordeal was often administered to accused witches.

The Spanish Inquisition

Pope Alexander VI gave the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile the ability to create the Spanish Inquisition. The Inquisition was to find non-Catholics and get them to confess to their heresy. Spain was anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic. In 1492, Jewish people were forced to leave Spain, and the crown confiscated their property. In 1502, Spain forced Muslims to convert or leave.

The Spanish Inquisition's goal was to root out Jewish and Muslim people. Inquisitors tortured suspects until they confessed. It was a bloody and violent time.

Christianity in Medieval Europe

Christianity played a significant role in Medieval Europe. It affected the personal lives of individuals, from commoners to kings. Eventually, people began to feel that the Catholic Church took advantage of them and was greedy. This sentiment led to reformers who attempted to change things. When they failed, events like the Protestant Revolution took place and forced change.