Christianity and Medieval Society Notes
Answer the following questions in complete sentences, using the reading “Christianity and Medieval
Society”.
1. Why did people want to go on pilgrimages?
People wanted to go on pilgrimages to visit holy sites. The importance of religion in medieval society grew,
and people’s desires to know/interact more with religious teachings became more important.
2. Why do you think people left land to the church when they died?
People left their land to the Church because during this time period people were very religious and they
wanted to Church to have valuables such as land so it could prosper (be wealth).
3. What is a religious order?
A religious order is a group of people who dedicate their lives to religion and follow common rules.
4. How were the Church/clergymen involved in the political aspect of life in the Middle Ages?
The Church was the largest landholders in all of Europe because people gave it land when they died. As a
result the Church divided the land up into fiefs and became a feudal lord. Also, clergymen, bishops, and other
church officials often advised local rulers on important political decisions. Some church officials became so
involved in politics they spend less time dealing with religious affairs.
5. Why were some people unhappy that the Church had political involvement?
Some people were unhappy about the Church’s involvement in politics because they were afraid the Church
had become obsessed with wealth and power. People felt that the Church should only focus on spiritual matters.
6. Complete the Venn Diagram with a minimum of 3 facts per section and at least 2 similarities.
Monks
-lived apart
from people
-built
monasteries
-collected,
stored, and
copied Christian
texts
Friars
-unhappy
with politics
in Church
-lived and
worked among
people
-members of
religious
order
-owned no
property
-preached and
begged
7. Who originally began creating universities? Why did they want to create them?
Some of the earliest universities were created by the Church to teach people about religion.
8. How did teaching university classes in Latin help international relationships?
Teaching classes in Latin helped international relationships because all educated people from different
countries could communicate in Latin.
9. How did the universities early creation by the Church influence society in areas outside of religion?
Early universities influenced society in areas outside of religion because they brought together groups of
students who were interested in areas of study outside of religion, and they worked together to seek out teachers
who could teach them about the world. Other areas of study included law, medicine, and astronomy. People began
to study new subjects and some people began to develop new ideas about the world. Mainly people wondered how
human reason and Christianity were related.
10. How did Thomas Aquinas think understanding natural law could help people?
Thomas Aquinas thought understanding natural law could help people because he thought that God created
natural law, and if people studied and learned more about this law they could learn to live the way God wanted. He
thought rational thought could be used to support Christian beliefs. He wrote an argument to prove God’s
existence.
11. How did the Church influence art and architecture? Why do you think so much art of the Middle Ages was
religious?
The Church influenced art and architecture because many churches were works of art. They were also
filled with beautiful objects such as paintings and tapestries that showed respect to God. A lot of art was religious
during the Middle Ages because religious feeling provided inspiration to a lot of artists at this time.
12. How did Gothic churches differ from earlier churches?
Gothic churches were much taller and had huge stained glass windows.
13. Complete the chart below. In each box, list at least 2 specific things the Church did to influence society
politically, intellectually, or artistically during the Middle Ages.
The Church in the Middle Ages
Political
-Acted as feudal lords
-Advised rulers
Intellectual
-Clergy acted as teachers; teaching
about religion
-Helped create universities
Artistic
-Built cathedrals
-Inspired artists and architects