Download The Age of Faith - White Plains Public Schools

The Age of Faith
E. Napp
Objective: To identify and explain the role of the Roman Catholic Church in the Middle
Ages
Do Now: Multiple-choice questions from previous lessons
1. The most important factor in the fall
4. Mecca was an important city for
of Rome was
which of the following reasons?
(A) Invasions of people from the
(A) It was both a trading center and a
north.
site of worship.
(B) Economic decline and inflation.
(B) It gathered Jews, Christians, and
(C) Invasions of people from the east
Muslims in one urban center.
and south.
(C) It was Muhammad’s base when
(D) The clash between the military
he spread his ideas to the
and civilian power in
Bedouins.
government.
(D) It was the site of the Hijrah.
2. The _____ brought Christianity to
the Slavic peoples.
(A) Scandinavian princes
(B) Byzantine Empire
(C) Western kingdoms
(D) Papal missionaries
3. In exchange for the labor of peasants,
lords provided…
(A) Cloth and an occasional coin.
(B) Festivals and celebrations.
(C) Church services.
(D) Capital investments, justice, and
protection.
The Catholic Church was the only church in
Europe during the Middle Ages, and it had its
own laws and large coffers (financial resources).
Church leaders such as bishops and archbishops
sat on the king's council and played leading
roles in government. Bishops, who were often
wealthy and came from noble families, ruled
over groups of parishes called "diocese." Parish
priests, on the other hand, came from humbler
backgrounds and often had little education. The
village priest tended to the sick and indigent
and, if he was able, taught Latin and the Bible to
the youth of the village.
~learner.org
4. The Muslims tolerated Jews and
Christians because
(A) They all shared the same
scriptures and God.
(B) Christians and Jews had trade
relations with Muslims.
(C) Christians and Jews did not
resist.
(D) Christians and Jews resisted
vigorously and were granted
autonomy.
Questions:
What was the only church in Europe
during the Middle Ages?
________________________________
What did the Church have?
________________________________
Describe the Bishops.
________________________________
Describe the Parish priests.
________________________________
What did the village priest do?
________________________________
What language did the Church teach?
________________________________
Cornell Notes Outline: The Age of Faith (Add Key Words and Summaries)
The Key Words:
The Notes:
I. Before the Medieval Period
A. Romans persecuted the Christian Church for
nearly 300 years until 313 when the Emperor
Constantine ordered toleration of all religions
B. In 392, the Emperor Theodosius proclaimed
Christianity the official religion of the Empire
C. In the next 200 years, the Church in the west grew
strong enough to fill the power vacuum in Europe
as Rome weakened and decayed
II. The Church Becomes Powerful
A. As the state religion, the Christian Church was
exempt from taxes
B. This allowed its wealth to grow
C. The building of churches by the emperors
enhanced the power of the clergy in major
communities throughout Europe
D. One example of the power of Christian Church
officials is that it was not the emperor who rode out
to meet the invader Attila and dissuade him and his
Huns from sacking Rome in 452, but Pope Leo I
III. The Medieval Church
A. The Roman Catholic Church was the only
Christian Church in Western Europe during the
Middle Ages
B. Church officials were often the only literate people
in a community
C. Church officials controlled education
D. The Church collected tithes or taxes from followers
E. Lords sometimes left land to the church
F. The Church was the largest landowner in Western
Europe during the Middle Ages
The Summaries:
Please read the passage below and answer the questions:
During the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church was the single most powerful
organization in Western Europe. There were many reasons for its power. First, people
during the Middle Ages were very religious. They believed that the Roman Catholic
Church represented God on Earth and held the power to send a person to Heaven or Hell.
In addition, many nobles left land to the Church when they died hoping to gain entry into
heaven. Therefore, the Church became Western Europe’s largest landowner. Church
wealth also increased through tithes or church taxes which all Catholics were required to
pay. Finally, the Church was the main center of learning. Church officials were usually
the only people who could read and write. Rulers often relied on Church officials, since
they were the most educated people during the Middle Ages. While Western Europeans
were divided into small kingdoms, the one institution that united people during the Middle
Ages was the Roman Catholic Church.
Questions:
1- What was the single most powerful organization in Western Europe during the
Middle Ages?
________________________________________________________________________
2- Why was the Roman Catholic Church the most powerful institution in Western
Europe during the Middle Ages?
________________________________________________________________________
3- Why was the Roman Catholic Church the largest landowner during the Middle
Ages?
________________________________________________________________________
4- What is a tithe and how did tithes increase Church wealth?
________________________________________________________________________
Why did rulers rely on Church officials?
________________________________________________________________________
5- Why did the Roman Catholic Church unite people during the Middle Ages?
________________________________________________________________________
During the Middle Ages, monks and nuns copied books from the past to make more
copies. They did this by hand because no one in Europe had invented a machine to copy
words. They decorated these books with bright colors and pictures. Over time, the largest
monasteries (a place where monks live together) and convents (a place where nuns live
together) became centers of learning. The monks and nuns kept alive learning from the
past. Even though the central government collapsed with the fall of the Roman Empire,
the Roman Catholic Church remained strong. Barbarians had converted to Catholicism.
The Roman Catholic Church always had a tradition of the monastic life or a person
devoting his or her life to the Church by forsaking marriage and family. Monks and nuns
promised to never marry, to never own property, and to never disobey their superiors in
the Church. They spent their lives praying, studying, and working.
6- What did monks and nuns do that greatly benefited the people of Western Europe?
___________________________________________________________________________
7- What did monks and nuns promise to do?
___________________________________________________________________________
8- Why did the Roman Catholic Church remain strong after the fall of Rome?
________________________________________________________________________
1- “All things were under its domain...its power was such that no one could hope to
escape its scrutiny.”
Which European institution during the Middle Ages is best described by this
statement?
(A) the Guild
(C) Knighthood
(B) the Church
(D) the nation-state
2- The Middle Ages in Western Europe was characterized by the manor system and
(A) the importance of land ownership
(B) absolute monarchies and strong central governments
(C) decreased emphasis on religion in daily life
(D) extensive trade with Asia and the Middle East
3- Feudal societies are generally characterized by
(A) an emphasis on social order
(B) a representative government
(C) many economic opportunities
(D) the protection of political rights
4- The art, music, and philosophy of the medieval period in Europe generally dealt
with
(A) human scientific achievements
(B) religious themes
(C) materialism
(D) classic Greek and Roman subjects
5- In Europe during the Middle Ages, the force that provided unification and stability
was the
(A) central government in Rome
(B) military alliance between France and Germany
(C) federation of the craft guilds
(D) Roman Catholic Church
More Questions:




Place the following groups in the feudal hierarchy:
Lords, Knights, and Serfs
Is the feudal class system a fixed class system:
___________
Explain your answer:
____________________________________________
How does the triangle’s shape convey the realities of the feudal class system?
Top of the Triangle: ____________________________________
Bottom of the Triangle: _________________________________