Role Of The Church In Medieval Society

Submitted By rebeccaayoub
Words: 483
Pages: 2

EVALUATE THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN MEDIEVAL SOCIETY:
The Medieval Church played a far greater role in Medieval Society than the Church does today. In Medieval Society, the church dominated everyone’s life. All Medieval people whether they were village peasants or townspeople – they believed that God, Heaven and Hell all existed. From the very earliest of ages, the people were taught that he only way they could get to heaven was if the Roman Catholic Church let them. Everybody would have been terrified of Hell and the people would have been told of the sheer horrors awaiting them in Hell in the weekly services they attended.

MONASTIC LIFE:
Some men and women became monks and nuns, leaving the worldly society and devoting their lives to God. This shows how strong the church was in medieval time by influencing people to give up their normal lives and devote it to God, someone they can only become in contact with by prayer.
Monks and nuns helped the medieval church by setting up housing, hospitals, and schools for the sick and poor. Some of them became missionaries, risking their lives to spread the word of Christianity and some preserved learning. This demonstrates how much individuals were influenced by the Church to be part of the Catholic Church.

PILGRIMAGE
In the Middle Ages the Church encouraged people to create pilgrimages to special holy places called shrines. The church convinced people that if you prayed at these shrines you might be forgiven for your sins and has more chance of going to heaven. Others went to shrines hoping to be cured from an illness they were suffering from.
The church led many people to perform astonishing acts of devotion. Pilgrims went on these journeys to show their devotion to God, as an act of penance for their sins, or in hopes of being cured of an illness.