Part 1
New monasticism chapter
Monasticism is a modern kind of religion. It is a modern movement within modern Christianity. It focuses on a model based on the monastic way of life. Monastic has various differences as compared to the traditional monastic life. Monasticism guides the followers on what they have to do in the society. The communities emphasize on various factors. These include thoughtfulness, prayer, and contemplative lives among the people involved. It also guides people on how to practice hospitality and their duty toward needy people in the community. This includes care for the old people. The followers tend to live away from people. They separate themselves and try to associate themselves with simple lives.
The Knight Templar chapter
The knight tempers fought wars during the nineteenth century. These were some of the most powerful men in the western Christian military orders. They were the most powerful actors of Christian finance. They had a characteristic of fearlessness in their duties to the church. The origin of this movement was to help Christians in that era visit Jerusalem. The Christian pilgrims had many problems while crossing Muslim territory to visit the holy land. Most of them died in the process. The movement aimed to help the pilgrims reach the holy land safely. They faced some criticism but later the Catholic Church supported them fully. They expanded and became fearless fighters in religious wars. Their story includes the rise and fall of the members of Knight Templar.
Fredrick Barbarossa
Fredrick Barbarossa is one of the famous men of the middle ages. He was Italian by origin and managed to attain several titles during his tenure. These include, duke of Swabia, the German king and holy emperor. He had plans of establishing German dominance in the western part of Europe. He involved himself with long struggles, including fights with Italy. He sent six major expeditions southwards in search for dominance over Western Europe. He died while on the third crusade to the holy land. This man managed to achieve a lot in terms of battles in the middle ages. He remains one of the most powerful men of the middle ages.
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor was one of the most powerful women during the middle ages. She had a lot of influence during this period. She inherited a big estate at the age of fifteen. This made her the most sought after bride in the region at that time. She went ahead to create power for herself by becoming the queen of England. She even led a crusade to the holy land. She has various credits, which includes establishing many rituals of chivalry. She also created a way of ensuring that people preserve these ways. This chapter offers a view to the most powerful woman and the role she played during the middle ages.
Innocent 111
Innocent 111 had vast power during the middle ages. He began his major lifetime activities after King John refused the popes appointee for archbishop. The pope retaliated by declining to offer services to the people. Such services include marriage, baptism, and burials. The church declined to offer these services to any people. The king retaliated by excommunication most bishops after which innocent 111 excommunicated the king and invited France to invade. He was such a powerful man in that people had to grant him the wishes he desired. This chapter looks at a pope considered as the most outrageous in history.
Part 2
Monasticism is a religious way of life in which people seclude themselves and live a different life as indicated by the guidelines of their religion. These people withdraw from normal worldly activities voluntarily. A good example of such people in the society includes the monks and nuns of the middle age. They lived a different kind of life that helped them attain their spiritual goals. Hermits are also examples of such people in the society. In modern monasticism, the people live in simpler conditions than those in the old monasticism. In the new version people live together communally. These people try to identify more with the underprivileged in the society. To do this they try to live simpler lives that are similar to the ones that poor people live in the society. The movement emphasizes on communal lives whereby people help each other through life. They desire to enhance the ability of people to live together following communal terms.
Various factors differentiate new monasticism from the old one. Instead of completely moving away from the society, this group lives on the margins of society. They also share the economic resources that they have among themselves. They ensure that they share with the people around them and especially the needy in the society. The movement relies on hospitality to strangers. They ensure that they are able to help people with problems around them. They try to eradicate cases of division on racial lines. They believe on the equality of people and humble themselves in order to establish a common nurturing lifestyle for everybody in the community.
Part 3
It is a misconception to refer to the middle ages as the dark ages. It is one of the most maligned times in history. Various achievements of this period lead to the conclusion that it was a time of enlightenment. Such achievements include the development of universities. The classic education system created in the middle ages still applies in life today. The universities focused on principles such as arts, law, medicine, and history among others. There were many scientific foundation lay during the middle ages. There was slow progress in the field of science, but the progress was steady and high quality. The foundation set during this period allowed people from the following ages to blossom in terms of science.
There was also a lot of religious unity during the period. The entire Europe had one church, which followed the same doctrine. They all agreed on a well-developed traditional philosophy. This unity allowed the nations to function together. A long period of peace enhanced development in the region. Another major achievement is the introduction of algebra. The Islamic people in the east developed this concept. Art and architecture also developed tremendously during the middle ages. The architecture during this time had diverse qualities to it. People had different ideas, which had fantastic results in terms of architecture. It set the foundation for modern concepts in arts and architecture. The period created the first form of high art. They also created a sense of justice in terms of law. The middle ages had complex laws that did not connect in most cases. The laws were however fair and effective. People followed the law. This created the first sense of justice in the world. The people of the middle ages also improved on agriculture. They had the advantage of excellent weather and proper knowledge on farm life. There was abundant food in the region.
Bibliography
Norman Cantor. The civilization of the middle ages, New York: New York University Press. 1994.
