PHT1108 Early and Medieval Church History (4 credits) at United Lutheran Theological Seminary Paulinum

What is Early and Medieval Church?

Medieval churches were ornate and prestigious architectural buildings and had been the focus of Christian devotion in every town or village. These buildings were originally adopted from those with a different purpose.

Overview

The church was not simply a religion and an institution; it was a category of thinking and a way of life. In medieval Europe, the church and the state were closely linked. It was the duty of every political authority — king, queen, prince or city councilman — to support, sustain and nurture the church.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is medieval church history?

The Medieval Church played a far greater role in Medieval England than the Church does today. In Medieval England, the Church dominated everybody’s life. All Medieval people – be they village peasants or towns people – believed that God, Heaven and Hell all existed.

When was the medieval church?

Definition. Religious practice in medieval Europe (c. 476-1500) was dominated and informed by the Catholic Church. The majority of the population was Christian, and “Christian” at this time meant “Catholic” as there was initially no other form of that religion.

Who built medieval churches?

There were three main classes of stonemasons. They were the apprentice, journeymen and the master mason. At a cathedral construction site, the master mason is usually the head and he oversees the work of all skilled and unskilled laborers.

Why was the medieval church built?

In Medieval England it was considered of vital importance to heavily invest in medieval church and cathedral architecture as a means of praising God. This meant that the construction of holy buildings was of very high quality compared to the peasants houses made from mud and manure.

Why was Christianity so important in the Middle Ages?

Medieval Christianity used religion to ensure the feudal society, in which their power could not be taken from them. The church then used that power, as well as its control over their followers to suppress the Jews, making sure that this religion would stay that way.

Why was the medieval church so powerful?

The Catholic Church became very rich and powerful during the Middle Ages. People gave the church 1/10th of their earnings in tithes. They also paid the church for various sacraments such as baptism, marriage, and communion. People also paid penances to the church.

What did a medieval church look like?

The building was rectangular in shape, with the long, central portion of the hall made up of the nave. Here the interior reached its fullest height. The nave was flanked on either side by a colonnade (a row of columns) that delineated the side aisles, which were of a lower height than the nave.

Why do medieval churches have towers?

A tower or spire indicates the location of a church and many of them appear to have been built in the later middle-ages to the glory of God as a result of fundraising by the community or individual donations. The addition of a tower or spire was impressive but also a very costly exercise.

Why is the nave called the nave?

The term nave derives from the Latin navis, meaning “ship,” and it has been suggested that it may have been chosen to designate the main body of the building because the ship had been adopted as a symbol of the church.

What is the role of Christianity in medieval and early modern Europe?

Christianity in the middle ages dominated the lives of both peasants and the nobility. Religious institutors including the Church and the monasteries became wealthy and influential given the fact that the state allocated a significant budget for religious activities.

What was medieval Christianity?

For most medieval Christians, religious experience was focused on a parish church which they attended, at least in theory, on Sundays and religious festivals. The regular church, by contrast, consisted of men and women who had sworn vows of obedience, celibacy and poverty.

How much power did the church have in medieval times?

The Church Had enormous influence over the people of medieval Europe and had the power to make laws and influence monarchs. The church had much wealth and power as it owned much land and had taxes called tithes. It made separate laws and punishments to the monarch’s laws and had the ability to send people to war.

Why does a church have a spire?

Steeples are commonly seen on Christian churches because they enhance the lines of the building and create an aesthetically pleasing effect.

What is the difference between a spire and steeple?

As nouns the difference between spire and steeple is that spire is or spire can be one of the sinuous foldings of a serpent or other reptile; a coil while steeple is a tall tower, often on a church, normally topped with a spire.

What was the religion before Christianity?

Zoroastrianism is the world’s oldest surviving monotheistic religion and, many scholars think, the original source of religious conceptions of heaven, hell, Satan and Judgment Day in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Was the Church corrupt in the Middle Ages?

The Church developed several corrupt practices to pay for these extravagant lifestyles. Christian tradition taught that pilgrimages to sites of relics (objects used by important religious figures) and holy places were acceptable ways of repenting (making up) for one’s sins.