Christianity In the Middle Ages

The church became dominant in Europe following the fall of the Roman Empire. The only religion recognized in the Middle Ages in Europe was Christianity and specifically Catholicism. Christianity in the middle ages dominated the lives of both peasants (poor farm workers) and the nobility (kings, queens, dukes). Religious institutions like the Church became wealthy and influential given the fact that everyone was taught to believe in God and wanted to go to Heaven.

Only religious leaders like the pope or priests could read the bible, mainly because the Bible was in Latin not English (or any other European language). Also, because the printing press was not invented yet, there were not many copies of the bible available because it had to be copied by hand. The Church had the keys to heaven and because of this their wealth matched kings and queens.

To get into heaven not only did you have to be a good person, you had to pay. People had to pay tithes (a tenth of your yearly income had to be paid to the church which could be either in money or in kind such as seed, animals etc.) Rich families could buy high positions for their sons in the Catholic Church and this satisfied their belief that they would go to heaven and attain salvation. People had to pay for a child to be baptized (this had to be done as a first step to getting to heaven as the people were told that a non-baptized child could not go to heaven); you had to pay to get married and you had to pay to bury someone from your family in holy ground (if you were not buried in holy ground you could not go to heaven). Another reason the church was so wealthy was because it got free labor from peasants and did not have to pay taxes.

Judaism in Europe

The persecution of the Jews began systematically almost as soon as Hitler came to power. The. His first actions against Jews was to burn Jewish books: books written by Jews or about the Jewish religion or culture. He also banned Jews from working in government jobs, boycotted (stopped shopping at) Jewish businesses, destroyed Jewish houses of worship and schools, as well as establishing many other anti-Semitic laws. Anti-Semitism is prejudice against Jewish people

Many of the anti-Semitic practices seen in Nazi Germany actually have their roots in medieval Europe. In many European cities, Jews were confined to certain neighborhoods called ghettos. Some countries also required Jews to distinguish themselves from Christians with a yellow badge worn on their garment, or a special hat called a Judenhut.

Some Jews became prominent in banking and moneylending, because early Christianity didn’t permit moneylending for interest this resulted in economic resentment which forced the expulsion of Jews from several European countries including France, Germany, Portugal and Spain during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

Jews were denied citizenship and civil liberties, including religious freedom throughout much of medieval Europe. Poland was one notable exception. In 1264, Polish prince Bolesław the Pious issued a decree (law) allowing Jews personal, political and religious freedoms. Jews did not receive citizenship and gain rights throughout much of western Europe, however, until the late 1700s and 1800s.

Islam in EuropeWhen Islam first emerged in Arabia during the mid-seventh century

(650 AD), there was little indication that within 150 years the movement would come to dominate the entire Middle East, as well as northern Africa

and Spain. Today, Islam is not only the fastest growing major religious group in Europe, but in the world.

Islam has had a long history in Europe, especially in Spain. In 711, Muslim forces invaded and in seven years conquered the Iberian Peninsula. It became one of the great Muslim civilizations; The religion of Islam ruled over the Iberian Peninsula for 700 years. Islamic Spain (711-1492) was a multi-cultural mix of the people of three great monotheistic religions: Muslims, Christians, and Jews. Although Christians and Jews lived under restrictions, for much of the time the three groups managed to get along together, and live side by side for centuries in a multi-faith society.

Spain’s Muslim rule came to an end in 1492 with the conclusion of the "Reconquista," a centuries-long campaign which saw Christian forces retake full control of territories previously captured by Islamic forces. Today, Spain is a largely Catholic nation, and not a place widely associated with Islam. Just 2.1% of Spain's 46 million people are Muslim (although this is expected to rise to 3.3% by 2020). Despite this fact, Islamic heritage and culture can still be seen in the nation's rich cultural fabric. This is especially true when you look at architecture, especially in (the southern region of) Andalucía, but this influence can also be seen in buildings as far north as Barcelona and towards the Pyrenees.

Islam in Europe

Originally from the North African country of Morocco, the Moors were medieval Muslims who

once ruled over areas that currently comprise Spain, Portugal, and Septimania.

History of Religions in Europe1. What was the major religion in Europe during the Middle ages?

2. Who could read the bible and why could only they read it?

3. List three things people had to pay for in order to get into heaven.

4. What is anti-Semitism?

5. Did anti-Semitism begin with Hitler in Europe? When?

6. What are some of the similarities in how Jews were treated during the Middle ages and when Hitler came to power?

7. What event caused the population of Jews to decline in Europe in the 1940’s?

8. What is Europe’s fastest growing religion?

9. What country in Europe did Islamic forces rule for 700 years?

10. How can Islamic rule be seen today there?