The Middle Ages is often referred to as the Age of Faith and it is correct to do so, as during this period religion dominated all aspects of life from architecture, literature, art and music. The dominant religion during this period was Christianity. The middle ages saw "the emergence ... of Christian literary forms... a popular religious culture centred around processions, icons, and relics" (George Holmes 42).

The crusades were wars fought in the name of God or holy wars. The first of the crusades began in 1095 when Pope Urban the second received an appeal for help from Alexius the first, the Byzantine Emperor. Alexius wanted Urbans' help against the Turks, "a race alienated from God". It was seen as ones Christian duty to fight against these infidels. The church offered material advantages to those who chose to join the Crusades, to save Christian shrines and lands from Muslims. It was also preached, by renowned clergymen that men who joined would have more favour with God. St. Bernard said about the crusades "Rejoice...if you live and conquer in the Lord, but exalt and glory even more if you die and join the Lord" (H.G. Koenigsberger 187). The crusade

Koenigsberger, H.G. A History of Europe. Harlow: Logman Group, 1987.

The quest for knowledge was rejuvenated with the growth of cathedral schools. However church schools could only teach so much. Universities grew due to the formation of guilds of teachers and pupils and also because of finance from the church and the wealthy. The University of Paris was the largest of its time specialising in liberal arts. These schools sparked a return to philosophy. Scholastism was the philosophy of the church, where the church and its teachings were the ultimate authority. However philosophical disputes soon arose, this was known as the battle of Universals. One position was called the Realist position. This was the idea that body and soul were separate. The soul goes to its ideal realisation, heaven, there is no need to worry about the material world. The opposing argument was known as the Nominalalist position, "that physical were the only reality" (Robert E. Lamm 212). The middle ground between these two arguments was known as Conceptualism, put forth by Peter Abelard, it suggests that "reality as idea exists only in the sense-apparent object" (Robert E. Lamm 213).

Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.

Some common words found in the essay are:
University Paris, Pope Gregory, HG Koenigsberger, Middle Ages, Age Faith, Alexius Urbans', Ages Dante, St Benedict, Robert Lamm, Roman Empire, middle ages, age faith, thousand ad, holmes george, europe harlow logman, 1988 koenigsberger, name god, history europe, hg history, koenigsberger hg history, press 1988, history europe harlow, europe harlow, logman 1987 lamm, harlow logman 1987,
Approximate Word count = 1148
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)