Download What was the Church*s relationship with the King?

Tuesday 16th December
What was the Church’s
relationship with the King?
Do Now
How accurate is this representation
of medieval hierarchy?
 Was the pope the equal of the king?
 Did the king not exert influence over
the clergy?
 Is it safer to say a bishop was above a
priest than a tenant-in-chief was over
a knight?
 Did bishops have control over
knights?
 Did lords have control over
priests/monks?
Objectives
• Consider the relationship between church,
crown and the ‘feudal’ state
• Evaluate the significance of the church in
William’s control of the kingdom.
Ruling through the church..
• Highlight elements which increased or demonstrated William’s power.
• For each highlighted element, write a one or two sentence explanation of
how that reinforced his power.
Expected answers:
1. Monumental architecture projects power
2. Church land tied into knight service
3. Limited papal authority
4. King’s superiority over church courts
5. King’s protection of magnates vs. church
6. King’ ability to use church to control magnates
7. Bringing dioceses into urban centres tightened control of church
8. Replacement of English with Normans/French
9. Appointment of bishops
10. Forbiddance of clerical marriage prevented hereditary church –
churchmen tied to William
To what extent did the Church buttress
William’s control of England?
What were the advantages of using the Church
over using the nobility?
Do you think he made greater use of the church
or of his nobles? Why?
To what extent was the Church independent of
William?