Medieval Christianity Research Paper

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The Development of Medieval Christianity
Over the course of the middle ages, singular modes of identity were pushed on all people, as many only defined themselves as Catholic. They had a dogmatic view of religion; not applying critical thought and accepting the beliefs of the Catholic Church without question. While exquisite medieval cathedrals were built, the architects’ identities were unknown and their talents were deemed to belong to God. Their constant will to please God under the influence of the Catholic Church created a lack of selfhood, defining a life apart from God as meaningless. The Catholic Church suppressed intellect, as knowledge challenged Catholic teachings, but discovery, exploration, and the development of secular thought …show more content…
By refusing to follow the Church, people risked their eternal souls, as they were thought to be condemned to perpetual torment with Satan. Using the threat of salvation, the Catholic Church inspired people to put spiritual power above secular. The doctrine of the Catholic Church at the time scorned intellect and reason, declaring that “the pursuit of knowledge, unless sanctified by a holy mission, was a pagan act and therefore vile” (William Manchester. “A World Lit Only By Fire”). With a longing for salvation, the people mutely accepted the Church’s affirmations. The medieval people were so devoted to this extreme form of Christianity that the Church imposed on them, they saw God and the Vatican as an image of perfection, and its teachings were considered unquestionable. With their reliance and absolute trust in the Church, people lost their sense of self, and their identities were overshadowed by their everlasting love for God and their desire for an eternal …show more content…
Popular scientists of medieval Europe (i.e. Galileo and Copernicus) believed that blind adherence to sacred text shouldn’t be used to reject the scientific truth, and also believed that refusing reason and evidence only amounted to intellectual laziness. Because conforming to Christian belief is popular and easy, Galileo accuses those who abide strictly by sacred texts to be uninformed, denying education on the scientific laws that form the foundation for the natural world. Medieval Europe was so lost in Christianity, their brains trained to adhere to Church beliefs. Exploration discredited Christian leaders. The Catholic Church claimed the divinity of Christ to be universal, giving the medieval people of Europe no reason to question it. That claim, however, was proven false by the exploration of new cultures with varying beliefs. Similarities between different religions became present, as it was pointed out that “Moslems were heathen, yet passages in their Koran had a familiar ring [to that of the Bible]” (William Manchester. “A World Lit Only By
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