Download Medieval Religion and Superstition

Medieval Religion and
Superstition
Weatherly Langsett
5th
The Roman Catholic Church
Throughout the Middle Ages to Roman Catholic faith
dominated the whole of the western world. The Church
controlled every aspect of life including politics, religion,
philosophy, and education which led to corruption in the
church.
It was widely taught that unless you believed that the Pope
was God’s representative on Earth than you would never go
to heaven. Denouncement of the Roman Church would
mean excommunication.
No matter what your social status your whole life would be
devoted to the church.
The Crusades
The Crusades were Holy Wars initiated by Christians
in Europe against the Muslims, who were called
‘Saracens’ during the time of the Crusades.
Christians in Europe fastened crosses to their garments
after being inspired by Pope Claremont’s preaching
and began a military deployment in hopes of the
Christians recapturing the Holy Land of Palestine from
the Mohammedans.
The Christians main aim was to reclaim Jerusalem
because it was a significant area in their religion.
Timeline of the Crusades
There were eight different Crusades that spanned
during sporadic years from 1095-1270.
The first four Crusades were called the Principal
Crusades and the latter four were called the Minor
Crusades.
Many other attempts were made to reclaim the Holy
Land but they are not recognized as significant battles
due to lack of results.
The Knights Templar
The Knights Templar was founded in
1112 A.D. by Hugues de Payens.
The Knights Templar took a vow of poverty which
meant that they shared their possessions. This vow was
rare for knights.
Certain legends claim that the Knights Templar are
involved with the Holy Grail and the Ark of the
Covenant.
The Knights Templar Contd.
The Knights are normally considered to consist of only
nine knights.
The purpose of the Knights was to protect the
Christian pilgrims that were headed to the Holy Lands.
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a Christian theologian whose
teachings have greatly affected and influenced the
Protestant teachings.
Luther was the first to translate the Bible into German.
Luther’s views were condemned by Pope Leo X and
after being put on trial he was declared an outlaw for
his Protestant views.
Different Beliefs
Certain groups of people specifically the Celts,
Germans, and Pre-Christian Romans somewhat
believed that the dead continued to live even after they
were buried.
Modern Devotion was a religious movement created by
Geert Goote in the late Middle Ages. It attracted many
women and they called themselves the Sisters of
Common Life and lived together in a life of service
towards God. The Brothers of Common Life was
formed shortly after the woman’s group started.
Religious Festivals
In Medieval Times there were festivals every month
celebrating religious holidays.
We still celebrate some of the holidays today like
Valentine’s Day and April Fool’s Day which used to be
called All Fool’s Day.
Festivals meant that peasants had days of rest.