AP World History: The Medieval ChurchPeriod Three 600 CE – 1450 CE

NY State Standards 2, 4Common Core RS 1, 2, 7, 8, WS 2

I Council of NicaeaThe Roman Emperor Constantine organized the Council of

Nicaea in 325 CE. Its goal was to agree on the official beliefs of the Christian church. *Not all Christians held the

same beliefs at this time.B) The Council of Nicaea agreed that the divinity of Christ and

the Holy Trinity should be the central beliefs of the Church.Anyone whose beliefs differed were heretics.

Heretics are people whose beliefs differ from the accepted view of the

Church.

Arianism was founded by Arius (250 – 336 CE) in in Alexandria, Egypt. Arius asserted that Jesus was made of a distinct substance from God the Father; he was not truly divine, but a divinely

created being.

Council of Nicaea Continued…We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten of his Father, of the substance of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father. By whom all things were made, both which be in heaven and in earth. Who for us men and for our salvation came down [from heaven] and was incarnate and was made man. He suffered and the third day he rose again, and ascended into heaven. And he shall come again to judge both the quick and the dead. And [we believe] in the Holy Ghost. And whosoever shall say that there was a time when the Son of God was not or that before he was begotten he was not, or that he was made of things that were not, or that he is of a different substance or essence [from the Father] or that he is a creature, or subject to change or conversion(3)--all that so say, the Catholic and Apostolic Church anathematizes them. DOCUMENTS FROM THE FIRST COUNCIL OF NICEA [THE FIRST ECUMENICAL COUNCIL] A.D. 325

II The Church Hierarchy

Clergy include any church official.Laymen are not officials of the church.

A hierarchy is a system in

which people are ranked one

above the other

according to status or authority.

POPECARDINALS

ARCHBISHOPS

BISHOPS

PRIESTS

Who is the Pope?

The Pope is the leader of the Catholic Church. On Feb 28 of this year, Pope Benedict XVI retired. Today, Pope Francis I (Jorge Mario Bergoglio

from Argentina), the 266th Pope, officially began his reign. He was elected by the Cardinals, who let the world know by releasing white smoke from the Vatican. The new Pope chose his name because St.

Francis of Assissi devoted his life to helping the poor.

III The Role of the Medieval ChurchA) The medieval Church controlled the most land in Western Europe.

B) Everyone was forced to pay a tithe to the Church; 10% of their income.

C) The Church guided your life from birth to death.

D) The Church fought for power with feudal Kings and the Holy Roman Emperor.

Did You Know?Until 1123, some priests were allowed to be

married and have children. After 1123, all priests and members of the clergy had to

take a vow of celibacy.*Recall that Eastern Orthodox clergy are

allowed to marry.

III Medieval Christian PhilosophersA) Thomas Aquinas

(1225 – 1274)Before Thomas Aquinas, the

Church believed that classical philosophy was in conflict with church beliefs. Aquinas argued Aristotle’s "unmoved mover," a

supreme being whose existence at the beginning of

time set the universe in motion, was the same as the Christians’ God, who created

all things.

Medieval Christian Philosophers Continued…A) Peter Abelard (1079 – 1142)

1. Peter Abelard studied classical philosophers such as Aristotle.

2. The Church accepted his theory of limbo; instead of going to hell, unbaptised babies will go to an intermediary place

between hell and heaven.

Abelard fell in love with his younger student Heloise. After her uncle discovered she was pregnant, Abelard was mutilated. He retired to a monastery, and she to a

nunnery.

IV Monks!!A) Monks and nuns lived in

monasteries (isolated communities).B) St. Benedict (480 – 547 CE) created

the first monastic rule; it was a guideline for how monks and nuns

should live their monastic life.

“…a monk… consider himself… as a poor and unworthy workman… He should have absolutely not anything: neither a book, nor tablets, nor a pen-nothing at all…”

- St. Benedict 530 CE

Eastern Orthodox Christian Monks

The Cloisters, NYC

Monastery at Tatev, Armenia

Franciscan Monk and Nun

V The InquisitionA) The Inquisition was an official Church investigation to root

out heretics. It began in 1230 CE.B) The accused were sentenced to an Auto de Fe (Act of

Faith). The accused had to undergo torture until they confessed or died.

C) The inquisition affected Jews, Muslims and Christians who did not conform to the Catholic Church.

The Catholic Church officially abolished the use of torture in 1917

Warning: The Following Slides Depict

Actual Medieval Torture Devices used During the Inquisition

The Armchair and the Iron Maiden

Rat and Wheel TortureA rat would be placed on the

victim. The rat would be covered and heated, and then would

burrow into the victim.

The victim’s limbs were tied to the spokes of the

wheel. Through the openings of the spokes, the

torturer would break the victim’s bones with an iron

hammer.

The Rack and the Skull Crusher

V Medieval Church ArtA) Most Medieval art was religious

B) Unlike Classical art of Greece and Rome that was realistic, Medieval art was 2-D and abstract. This was due to the belief that our focus

should be on god, not on the body.

Unknown Artist, Florence, 1200 Classical Greek sculpture

5th Century BCE

20

VI Medieval Churches

A) Early Medieval Churches in the Romanesque style, featuring Roman style arches.

B) Later churches were built in the Gothic style. They were taller, lighter, had stained glass windows and

flying buttresses.

Romanesque Church, Italy

Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, Spain, a Romanesque Church, Interior

Notre Dame, a Gothic Church, Paris

Notre Dame Interior

Notre Dame Exterior

Gothic Stained Glass Windows

VII Conflict between the Church & the Holy Roman Empire

A) In 962 CE, the Pope crowned Otto I, the King of Germany, Holy Roman Emperor. *This revived the

Holy Roman Empire.

Recall that Charlemagne was crowned the first Holy Roman

Emperor in 800 CE.

Why was it called the Holy Roman Empire?

Conflict between the Church & the Holy Roman Empire Continued…

B) In 1073 CE Gregory VII became the new Pope. He believed that the Church had become corrupt and issued reforms to fix it. One of his reforms included the banning of lay investiture.

Lay Investiture is when an Emperor (who is a lay

person, and not a member of the clergy)

invested (presented) new bishops with the ring and staff (symbols of spiritual

power).

Conflict between the Church & the Holy Roman Empire Continued…

C) The Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV did not approve of Pope Gregory VII’s ban of lay investiture.

D) 1076 Pope Gregory VII excommunicated Henry IV. He headed north to crown a new Emperor. Henry’s own Princes

deserted him, hoping to gain power and wealth by siding with the Pope!

Recall that excommunication is much, much worse than having your

phone taken away. Imagine being banned from the Church, and

ultimately heaven… for eternity.

Conflict between the Church & the Holy Roman Empire Continued…

E) Faced with revolts, Emperor Henry IV was forced to make peace. In January of 1077, he stood outside Pope Gregory

VII’s door, barefoot in the snow & begged for forgiveness. As a Pope, Gregory had to give it.

“Wretchedly with bare feet and clad in wool, [Henry] continued for three days to

stand before the gate of the castle. Nor did he desist from imploring with many

tears… until he had moved all… present… to such pity and depth of compassion…

Finally, won by the persistence of his suit… we… received him into the favor of

communion and into the lap of the Holy Mother Church.”

Conflict between the Church & the Holy Roman Empire Continued…

F) After obtaining Gregory VII’s forgiveness, Henry IV subdued the German princes. He then led his army to

Rome and forced Gregory VII into exile.G) For 50 years the feud continued.

H) 1122 both sides accepted the Concordat of Worms: a treaty that gave the church sole power to elect and invest bishops with the symbols of spiritual authority, but the Emperor could invest bishops with symbols of

lay authority.*It’s pronounced “Verms”, not “Worms!

Focus Questions

1.List at least 4 ways in which the medieval Church played a significant role in medieval life.2.How did the Church compete for power with Kings and Emperors? Who do you think had the upper hand?3.Do you think that the Church had too much power? Why or why not?

Key VocabularyConstantineCouncil of NicaeaHereticsHierarchyPopeCardinalArchbishopBishopPriestMonkNunMonastery

Rule of St. BenedictRomanesque ChurchGothic Church Illuminated TextPeter AbelardThomas AquinasPope Gregory VIIKing Henry IVLay InvestitureConcordat of Worms InquisitionAuto de Fe