During the Middle Ages from the 5th century to the 11th century, Christendom, specifically the Roman Catholic Church, reigned supreme and wielded almost unrivaled influence over the hearts and minds men. It was, in fact, a period in earth’s history where the Christian Church was at the apex of her power. Her power, however, started to wain during the Renaissance. At that time, there were important developments that, while not stripping the Catholic Church of her power, challenged her hold on power.
What is clear is that events that transpired during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance periods had a profound impact in Europe. This can be seen when looking at the importance of religion during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and considering how Christianity influenced the development of the political, economic and social spheres during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
Importance of Religion During Middle Ages
Newman rightly states that Christianity was the dominant faith during the Middle Ages ("Religion in the Middle Ages"). In fact, the Catholic Church was Europe's only church, which only helped to solidify her hold on power. The Catholic Church's influence and power were formidable, says Newman, who adds that "the laws of the land and leading roles in government were all in the hands of the leading church leaders like bishops and archbishops" ("Religion in the Middle Ages"). What this means is that there was a classic case a church-state union that was only possible due to the wide-reaching influence of the Catholic Church during the Middle Ages. That time period was one of papal supremacy. In fact, the Pope had such authority that he had all right to "even excommunicate a king for a misdeed" ("Religion in the Middle Ages"). Newman also points out that the Catholic Church's authority over the people was such that it dominated the lives of the populace "from birth to death" (Religion in the Middle Ages").
How Christianity Shaped Medieval Europe
According to Newman, the Catholic Church wielded a great deal of power as it concerns the political, economic and social development of Medieval Europe (“Religion in the Middle Ages”). The reason for this was that the leadership from the Catholic Church occupied important government positions. Newman adds that “an entire jurisdiction was exercised by the church which protected the widows, orphans and helpless and also dealt with offenses” (“Religion in the Middle Ages”). The aforementioned quote shows how the Catholic Church’s involvement played a role in the social development of Medieval Europe. Clark, meanwhile, mentions that the Catholic Church during the Middle Ages had a positive impact as per the economic development in Europe. An example stems from Pope Urban II’s request in 1095 for Europeans to wage “war on the Middle East and recapture Jerusalem from the Muslims” (“Positive Effects”). While the ensuring crusades did not achieve the desired outcome, they did have a substantial positive impact on the economic situation in Europe. Because the Crusades were costly, “churches and noblemen sold property and took loans. They also paid the lower classes for services. These actions resulted in a major redistribution of European wealth” (“Positive Effects”).
Importance of Religion During Renaissance
When the Renaissance period came around, there was change on the religion landscape. While papal authority was at its apex during the Middle Ages, a disgruntled monk by the name of Martin Luther triggered a chain of events that “changed Christianity” forever (“Spiritual Matters”). Questioning specific doctrines that he believed were contrary to the Bible, Luther on October 31, 1517 “went to his church in the town of Wittenburg, Germany, and posted a list of things that worried him about the church” (“Spiritual Matters”). While religion was still important during this period, Luther and his protest against the Catholic Church represented a sign of things to come.
How Christianity Shaped Europe During Renaissance
Christianity had an influence on political, economic and social developments in n Europe during the Renaissance just like it did during the Middle Ages.
In terms of political changes, Luther’s move to challenge the Catholic Church was an important development during the Protestant Reformation, which challenged the supremacy of the Catholic Church. In fact, after he posted his 95 theses on the church door, a series of events occurred that ultimately led to the rise of the Protestant Church, which served to lessen the Catholic Church’s hold on power in the religious and in the political sphere. This served to break the Catholic Church’s hold on absolute power over everyone from ordinary citizens to government officials.
There were also changes on the economic and social fronts. For example, one of Luther’s grievances with the Catholic Church was the “practice of selling indulgences, a means by which people could pay the church to reduce the amount of time their souls must spend in purgatory instead of atoning for their sins via contrition” (“More Changes in Religion”). Before the Protestant Reformation, this period in history was one “of great prosperity for the Catholic Church, and many of its religious leaders began to get rich and lived extravagantly. The Church collected tithes, adding to the financial burden of citizens who also paid several other forms of taxes” (“More Changes in Religion”). The invention of the printing press, which made the mass production of printed works possible, also brought about social and economic changes since for the first time ever people were able to read the Bible in their own language and at a cost cheaper than it would have been during the pre-printing press period.
While the Catholic Church was at the height of her power during the Middle Ages, however, the Renaissance challenged this hold on power and helped to take away the Catholic Church’s hold on absolute power. What is certain is that Christianity had a major impact on Europe during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance eras.
Works Cited
Newman, Simon. "Religion in the Middle Ages." The Finer Times, n.d. Web. 4 December 2014.
Clark, Agatha. "Positive Effects of the Church in the Middle Ages." Synonym. Demand Media, n.d. Web. 4 December 2014.
"Spiritual Matters." Annenberg Learner. n.p., n.d. Web. 3 December 2014.
"Major Changes in Religion." n.p, n.d. Web. 3 December 2014.
