Religious and Intellectual Developmentsof the Middle Ages 1000-1300

Henry IV of GermanyPope Gregory VII

Changes in the churchPapacy: dominant organizational force in western

ChristianityPope Leo IX a reformer, appointed by his cousin, German

Emperor Henry III Outlawed Simony (buying church offices) Tried to enforce priestly celibacy (in the year 1000, majority

of parish priests were married)1059 Pope Nicholas II papal decree—only Cardinals

could elect the Pope Middle ages—neither Kings nor Popes could imagine a

separation of powers of church and state Decree of 1059 raised concerns about the nature of

cooperation between church leaders and state leaders Both Kings and Popes were corrupt by today’s standards

Changes in the Church

Pope LEO IX Pope Nicholas II

Increase in number of parish churchesMarried Priests had to leave wives or leave

the churchEstablishment of cannon courts in which

litigants could appeal to the Pope (outside the jurisdiction of the Kings)

Parish Churches

Cluny freed itself from obligation to noble families by placing itself under the direct protection of the pope.

Benefactor of Cluny relinquished control over Cluny property.

Cluny benefactor and family granted special spiritual privileges including guarantee of heaven.

Monastic Reformation & Cluny

Monastery at Cluny

Became Pope at 37Goal: bring all of Christendom under Papal

hegemony and to recover Jerusalem from the MuslimsArgued Pope had the right to discipline Kings who

sinnedEngineered the accession of Frederick II to power

as Emperor of GermanyIncreased church lands in Northern Italy of which

Pope was the secular PrinceVatican City

Pope had independent power to tax parishes

Innocent III (1198-1216)

Pope as Supreme head of the Church 2nd in authority is Patriarch of Constantinople Doctrine of Transubstantiation Required Jews and Muslims to wear special

identification to distinguish them from Christians Required Sacramental Confession at least 1 time per

year High conduct for Priests than laiety No new Religious Orders Rules for trial and punishment of heretics and their

protectors

Fourth Lateran Council of 1215

Heresy is the assertion of a controversial or novel change to the established dogma of a religion

Pope Innocent III supported the Medieval Inquisition to stamp out Christian heresyCatharsWaldensiansEpiscopal InquisitionMedieval Inquisition

Torture permitted after 1252Could not result in bloodshed, births, mutilation or deathCould only be used onceFull Confessions

Heresy and Inquisition

The Strappado & Symbols of Heresy

13th century Popes acted more like Kings and less like Christ’s Representative on Earth

Failure of the CrusadesInquisitionsConflict with Frederick II involved the church in

purely political controversy over who had secular control over territories in Italy

Pope Boniface III (1294-1303)National monarchies had gained more loyalty than

papal powerClerical taxationConflict with King Philip IV of France

Decline of the Church

Increased emphasis on differences between Christians and non-Christians

Distinctive badges identified Jews, Muslims and Heretics in most Western Kingdoms

Expulsion of JewsEngland 1290France 1306

Distinctions between Christians and Non-Christians

Philip IV of France levied taxes on French Clergy up to ½ of income from Church property

Pope Boniface III forbade clergy from transferring any property to the French crown

Philip called a meeting of Bishops, Aristocrats and merchants to condemn the PopeBoniface arrested and held in FranceBoniface died (1303), Benedict XI died in 1304.

French Cardinals narrowly elected Clement V

and moved the seat of the Papacy to Avignon in France

Avignon Papacy

Academic Achievements

Scholasticism: a method of reconciling the claims of competing authorities by applying Aristotle’s principles of logic to themSome early scholastics called this method

“dialectic”Dialectic= thesis + antithesis = synthesis

Abelard The Story of My CalamitiesSic et Nom (Yes and No)

Peter LombardBook of Sentences theological questions,

apparently contradictory answers from the Bible and Christian teachings; synthesis in answers

Academic Changes

Thomas AquinasSumma Theologica

God created the world

Study of the natural world can lead to knowledge of God

Reason supports faith

Dante Alighieri (1265-1321)

La Divina Commedia di Dante (Dante and the Divine Comedy). 1465 fresco, in the dome of the FlorenceCathedral. 

Describes Dante’s journey through hell, purgatory and earthGuides: Roman poet Virgil and Dante’s

deceased love, BeatriceVirgil represents reason and classical learning

Guides Dante through hell and purgatoryBeatrice represents Christian wisdom and

blessednessGuides Dante through Paradise

The Divine Comedy

Art & Architecture

Chartres Cathedral

Pilgrimage from the secular to the sacred

Majesty

Façade intended to demonstrate to Approaching worshippers, both the Might of God and the Might of the institution.Western Façade of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris

Gargoyles

Medieval Engineering

Gargoyle PurposePrimary Purpose: Carry water away from the walls

Divide the flow of rainwater away from the roofAdopted from ancient Egyptians and Greeks

Used by the Church as a representation of evilFrighten worshippersRemind them that the end is nearAssured worshippers that evil is kept outside the

churchLions most used imageChimeras: combination of animal body parts to create new

creatures. Chimeras remind the people not to underestimate the

devil

Illuminated Manuscripts

Drogo’s Sacramentary

Vernacular LiteratureVirile and unpolished warrior society

BloodyHeroic warfareHonor LoyaltyWomen subordinate to men

Song of Roland (French)Song of the Nibelungs (German)Poem of the Cid (Spanish)

Not merely revival of classical learningAdapted classical ideas to new, Christian

culture

12th Century Renaissance