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Objective: Study the development of Christianity
in Western Europe and its influence on the
Crusades and Medieval thought.
1. Introduction:
A. Revival:
Problems of Decline
Reform
B. Church and Society:
Papal Power
New Ideals
C. The Crusades:
Background
Early Crusades
Later Crusades
Effects of Crusades
D. Medieval Theology:
The Universe
Religious Philosophers
2. Revival:
A. Problems of Decline:
Papal power dominated for centuries, but limited
later due to:
political fragmentation in Italy
Byzantine possessions
Muslim threat
German emperor’s attempts to control Italy
monastic ideals also suffered due to:
invasions - Viking, Magyar & Muslim
decline in discipline
reputation as center of learning & holiness weakened
monasteries fell under control of local lords
examples of decline:
clerical marriages rather than celibacy
simony - sold church offices (secular position &
source of revenue)
B. Reform:
papal reform began under Pope Gregory VII (1073-85),
who wanted:
church free from influence of lords in appointment
of church officials
as Pope, Gregory saw self as God’s ‘vicar on earth’
power extended over all Christendom
wanted to end lay investiture to gain church independence
Investiture Controversy (1075+) between Gregory VII
& Henry IV:
German kings often chose high clerics
Henry ignored papal decree forbidding lay investiture
due to need for cleric choice to gain
personal support in Germany
Concordat of Worms (1122) ended Controversy
division between church & state in West
3. Church and Society:
A. Papal Power:
papal centralization of power due to efficient curia
(court):
divided into special divisions
formed canon law
final court of appeals for all ecclesiastic matters
clear hierarchy developed within papacy:
pope & papal curia at center of administration
then came all bishops divided into dioceses
pope used his spiritual powers to become more influential
in secular matters:
forced King Philip Augustus (France) to take back
wife
established own candidate as German emperor
forced King John (England) to accept papal Archbishop
of Canterbury choice
B. New Ideals:
wave of religious enthusiasm spread through Europe:
growth of monastic orders
many joined Crusades
Cistercians most influential order:
strict lifestyle
simple diet
one robe
all decorations taken from church & monastic
buildings
they wanted to escape from worldly life:
religious services reduced in length
more time for personal prayer & manual labor
establish monasteries in wastelands or virgin forests
Cistercians developed an activist spiritualism:
encouraged support for Crusades
‘Arise, soldier of Christ, arise! Get up off the
ground and return to the battle from
which you have fled! Fight more boldly after your
flight, and triumph in glory!’
(St. Bernard of Clairvaux, 1090-1153)
sacred figures pictured as living human beings so
people could relate to them
women active within spiritualism:
participation increased
secondary role continued as church viewed women as
subordinate to men
most nuns were aristocrats who did not marry
nuns were most learned women of time
Franciscan order created by St. Francis of Assisi:
love for others
vow of poverty
simple rules
need to preach
Dominican order created by Spanish priest, Dominic
de Guzman:
desire to defend church from heresy
order focused on priests learning but living in poverty
need to preach effectively
4. The Crusades:
A. Background:
developments in Islamic & Byzantine worlds prompted
Western European involvement in Holy Lands:
Muslim empire spread under Seljuk Turks
weak Byzantine leaders requested Western help against
Muslim Turks
crusades based on idea of holy war against infidel
or unbeliever:
focus on Muslims
broadened to include other groups, especially Jews
B. Early Crusades:
early crusades involved Western knights:
motivated by religion
looked for fight - trained in warfare
rid Europe of troublesome young nobles
possible personal gains for knights included:
land
riches
status
title
salvation
1st crusade victory provided Palestinian lands for
Westerners
2nd a total failure:
local lords worked with Muslims
Western emperor & king did not work together
3rd, against Saladin, gave free pilgrimage to Jerusalem
C. Later Crusades:
death of Saladin & Muslim internal weakness gave
new Crusaders hope of regaining Palestine:
great support in France & Netherlands
Venice to transport troops
troops used to win Christian city of Zara for Venice
army diverted to Constantinople & sacked city
Byzantine power gone for good
other crusades lost support once in Palestine, ended
in failure
D. Effects of Crusades:
effect of crusades debatable:
little long-term impact on East
some cultural interaction & exchange
economic growth of Italian city-states
Europe’s wealth & population were crusade causes
rather than consequences
attacks of Jews more widespread
5. Medieval Theology:
A. The Universe:
Christian view of world took hold in Europe:
influence of human reason reduced
god determined rules of life
two sets of laws - heaven & earth
geocentric (earth-centered) theory accepted since
universe created by god
& man created in god’s image
hierarchy from lifeless stones to humans, angles
& god
Christian knowledge above all other forms of knowledge
B. Religious Philosophers:
St. Anselm (1033-1109) used rational argument to
serve interest of faith:
faith required for understanding knowledge
used logical argument to show how god could be known
via faith & reason
Peter Abelard (1079-1142) suggested that pursuit
of learning was always good:
all knowledge derived from god
did not intend to refute traditional church doctrines
reason strengthened authority of faith
condemned for using dialectics to attack faith
St. Thoma Aquinas (1225-1274) upheld value of human
reason & natural knowledge:
Summa Theologica - truth proved via reason or via
faith
reason should not be feared
6. Conclusion:
A. Revival:
Papal reforms reversed various internal and external
issues
B. Church and Society:
Papal power grew and incorporated several new ideas
C. The Crusades:
Although the first crusade was a success, many others
were failures, and eventually all
gains were lost to the West
the effects of the crusades were not long-term
D. Medieval Theology:
the Christian view of the universe enabled an earth
centered world to exist
7. Questions:
Why had church power declined prior to the time of Pope
Gregory VII?
What effect did Pope Gregory VII have upon the role of
religion in Western European society?
Why was the Investiture Controversy so problematic an
issue?
Describe some of the power and influence the Papacy had
at this time.
How and why did new monastic orders become popular?
What were some reasons to fight in the Crusades?
What was the effect of the Crusades upon Western Europe,
Byzantium & Islam?
How did medieval theology challenge or support traditional
religious belief?
