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Influences Brought on by the Catholic Church
During the middle ages, around the years of 500 till 1500, Europe was consumed by both warfare and intolerance. Attempts to provide order had been established, giving way for the feudal system. For a while, this form of government had worked to some degree. Lords would dispense land to peasants in return for loyalty. Though, the system had one great flaw. False loyalty was regularly undergone due to greed, making betrayals common. In efforts to control this disorderly society, Catholicism was made to be the most prevalent part of European life. With the increasing beliefs in this faith, a new philosophy about how people should live emerged, giving rise to the Catholic Church. Everyday life was completely controlled by this new theocratic management. Ideas were monitored, making nothing out of reach from the church. In many cases the pope, who was leader of the church, had more power than kings. The church influenced nearly all aspects of European society, through its concepts of unity, military conflicts, and economics.
The church brought a remarkable sense of unity to Europe, because everyone understood their roles in society. Since religion was so widely promoted, the governments enforced it to all of its citizens. From early childhood, people were taught that the only way they could get into Heaven was if the Roman Catholic Church let them. Preachers would explain the horrors of Hell which would await anybody who did not listen to the Church. A system of justice was developed, called Canon law which would guide peoples conduct. With shared beliefs being endorsed throughout, one could bond to another without much complication regardless of social status. The church administered sacraments which were religious ceremonies. These rituals brought people closer together and allowed their faiths to grow. Village churches were known to be the religious and social centers of town. Holidays were spent there, in addition to the regular worship services held. This surprisingly, brought internal security amongst the people because they could now be part of a strong religious community at the expense of their liberty.
For nearly 500 years Western Europe was within a “dark age”. Constant attack lurked everywhere which was brought on by the Vikings and Magyar. Monasteries and many centers of learning were destroyed. People feared to promote learning, as it would more than likely be put to an end. Thus, many became uneducated and therefore, intolerant. It took quite a bit of time for the church to revive itself. In 910, church reformers wanted to return to the ethics of Christianity. They managed to restore the Church to power, leading them into what historians call “The Age of Faith”. Pope Urban II declared a campaign to claim the Holy Land, Jerusalem, which had been controlled by the Muslims. Incredible religious inspiration was brought on with this call for a crusade. Those who died for the cause were promised to get into heaven. Many of these campaigns were unsuccessful and led to many deaths. People began to lose expectations in the Pope due to the constant disappointment. In Spain, Isabella and Ferdinand upheld an inquisition, which was a massive movement to convert all Jews and Muslims to Christianity. Many converted, though the ones that refused or lied were killed. In 1942, all observant Jews and Muslims were expelled from Spain.
In Western Europe during 1100, society flourished. A new form of cathedral architecture was adopted replacing the previous Romanesque style. Gothic themed buildings became widely popular due to its beautiful design. Gothic cathedrals plunge upward as if reaching toward Heaven. Light is able to gloriously enter through enormous stained glass windows. Sculptures and wooden-carvings were also commonly added. These decorations were meant to inspire all of the worshipers with the brilliance of G-d. Towns envied other town with these superb houses of worship. Inevitably, they began to create their own. It cost a fortune and took decades to build. This would allow many jobs to be produced within the town. Supplies would be gathered and organized, which would then be used for building. Soon, merchants would flock to sites of the cathedrals to sell goods to on-lookers. Entire communities could form around the creation of a cathedral. The church would obtain its wealth by taxing all of it populace, in what they called tithes. 10% of annual income would have to be given to the Church, in the form of either money or goods. A failure to pay the tax, so they were told by the church, would lead them to eternal suffering in Hell. Additionally, baptisms, marriages, and burials were to be paid for. Whichever way you looked, the church received money.
During the middle ages, around the years of 500 till 1500, Europe was consumed by both warfare and intolerance. Attempts to provide order had been established, giving way for the feudal system. For a while, this form of government had worked to some degree. Lords would dispense land to peasants in return for loyalty. Though, the system had one great flaw. False loyalty was regularly undergone due to greed, making betrayals common. In efforts to control this disorderly society, Catholicism was made to be the most prevalent part of European life. With the increasing beliefs in this faith, a new philosophy about how people should live emerged, giving rise to the Catholic Church. Everyday life was completely controlled by this new theocratic management. Ideas were monitored, making nothing out of reach from the church. In many cases the pope, who was leader of the church, had more power than kings. The church influenced nearly all aspects of European society, through its concepts of unity, military conflicts, and economics.
The church brought a remarkable sense of unity to Europe, because everyone understood their roles in society. Since religion was so widely promoted, the governments enforced it to all of its citizens. From early childhood, people were taught that the only way they could get into Heaven was if the Roman Catholic Church let them. Preachers would explain the horrors of Hell which would await anybody who did not listen to the Church. A system of justice was developed, called Canon law which would guide peoples conduct. With shared beliefs being endorsed throughout, one could bond to another without much complication regardless of social status. The church administered sacraments which were religious ceremonies. These rituals brought people closer together and allowed their faiths to grow. Village churches were known to be the religious and social centers of town. Holidays were spent there, in addition to the regular worship services held. This surprisingly, brought internal security amongst the people because they could now be part of a strong religious community at the expense of their liberty.
For nearly 500 years Western Europe was within a “dark age”. Constant attack lurked everywhere which was brought on by the Vikings and Magyar. Monasteries and many centers of learning were destroyed. People feared to promote learning, as it would more than likely be put to an end. Thus, many became uneducated and therefore, intolerant. It took quite a bit of time for the church to revive itself. In 910, church reformers wanted to return to the ethics of Christianity. They managed to restore the Church to power, leading them into what historians call “The Age of Faith”. Pope Urban II declared a campaign to claim the Holy Land, Jerusalem, which had been controlled by the Muslims. Incredible religious inspiration was brought on with this call for a crusade. Those who died for the cause were promised to get into heaven. Many of these campaigns were unsuccessful and led to many deaths. People began to lose expectations in the Pope due to the constant disappointment. In Spain, Isabella and Ferdinand upheld an inquisition, which was a massive movement to convert all Jews and Muslims to Christianity. Many converted, though the ones that refused or lied were killed. In 1942, all observant Jews and Muslims were expelled from Spain.
In Western Europe during 1100, society flourished. A new form of cathedral architecture was adopted replacing the previous Romanesque style. Gothic themed buildings became widely popular due to its beautiful design. Gothic cathedrals plunge upward as if reaching toward Heaven. Light is able to gloriously enter through enormous stained glass windows. Sculptures and wooden-carvings were also commonly added. These decorations were meant to inspire all of the worshipers with the brilliance of G-d. Towns envied other town with these superb houses of worship. Inevitably, they began to create their own. It cost a fortune and took decades to build. This would allow many jobs to be produced within the town. Supplies would be gathered and organized, which would then be used for building. Soon, merchants would flock to sites of the cathedrals to sell goods to on-lookers. Entire communities could form around the creation of a cathedral. The church would obtain its wealth by taxing all of it populace, in what they called tithes. 10% of annual income would have to be given to the Church, in the form of either money or goods. A failure to pay the tax, so they were told by the church, would lead them to eternal suffering in Hell. Additionally, baptisms, marriages, and burials were to be paid for. Whichever way you looked, the church received money.