The Church Shapes Society and Politics
Nearly everyone who lived in Europe during the Middle Ages was Christian. In
fact, Christianity was central to every part of life. Church officials, called clergy, and
their teachers were very influential in European culture and politics.
and power. They closed themselves off in monasteries, and often paid little
attention to the outside world, concerning themselves only with religious matters.
The Church and Social Life
In the Middle Ages, life revolved around the local church. Markets, festivals, and
religious ceremonies all took place there. For some people, however, the local
church was not enough. They wanted to see important religious sites – the places
where Jesus lived, where holy men and women died, and where miracles
happened. The church encouraged these people to go on pilgrimages, journeys to
religious locations. Among the most popular
destinations were Jerusalem and Rome. Each city
had churches that early Christians wanted to visit.
In order to encourage such “religious tourism”
many churches kept relics (an important personal
object) of famous religious figures. Sometimes these
were things as simple as a Saint’s shirt or a Pope’s
cup. However, when a saint died it was also common
for churches to display pieces of their body in
memorials that pilgrims could pray to and see. The
idea was that saints would be watching over these
The head of Saint Catherine of Siena is
important relics from heaven, and one’s prayers
kept on display in the Basilica of San
Domenico in Siena, Italy
were more likely to be answered.
The Church and Political Life
Pope Leo III crowns Charlemagne
The church also gained political power during the
Middle Ages. Many people left land to the church when
they died. In fact, the church was one of the largest
landholders in Europe. Eventually, the church divided this
land into fiefs. In this way, it became a feudal lord. Of all
of the clergy, bishops and abbots were most involved in
political matters. They often advised local rulers. Popes
were heavily involved in politics, and had the power to
excommunicate, or cast out form the church, as a
punishment for people who were not upholding church
values. This was a deeply feared punishment because a
person who died while excommunicated would not get
into heaven.
Some clergy got so involved with politics that they spend little time dealing with
religious affairs. Monks and friars were unhappy with the changing political nature
of the Catholic Church. They thought that the clergy should focus only on spiritual
matters. These people feared that the church had become obsessed with wealth
The Church and the Arts
Many
of
Europe’s
churches were incredible
works of art. Beginning
around 1100 CE, Europeans
built their cathedrals using a
dramatic new style called
Gothic architecture.
Gothic cathedrals were
not only places to pray, but
also symbols of people’s
faith. As a result, they were
towering works of great
majesty and glory. These
cathedrals were massive
with huge stained glass windows to let sunlight pour in, filling the churches with
dazzling colors. Many of these amazing churches still exist with people continuing to
worship in them and admire their beauty.
Medieval churches were also filled with beautiful objects created to show
respect for God. Ornate paintings and tapestries covered the walls and ceilings.
Even the clothing priests wore during religious services was attractive. Their robes
were often highly decorated, sometimes with threads made out of gold. In fact, it’s
really no exaggeration to say that if something was artistic in the Middle Ages, it
was almost certainly made for the Church.
Many books used during religious ceremonies were beautiful objects. Monks
hand-copied these books carefully. They also decorated them using bright colors to
adorn the first letters of the borders of each page. Some monks added thin sheets
of gold or silver to the pages. Because the pages seem to glow, they are called
illuminated texts.