Christianity in the Middle Ages
Christianity played a major role throughout the Middle Ages in society and politics. The Middle Ages, classified from 600 AD to 1350 AD, was significantly effected by Christianity because of the impact it had on the daily lives of people of the time. The beginning of the Early Middle Ages, after the Fall of Rome in 476 AD and the period known as the Dark Ages, the reorganization of the empire brought a desire for faith and religion, primarily Christianity. This trend of Christian importance was apparent until 1350, when the Black Death caused the end of a systematized era. The church is often viewed, during this period of time, as a center of corruption, greed, and evil, with materialistic popes and unholy acts. Even though there were immoral times, the presence of Christianity brought hope and stability to the empire politically and socially. In the Late Age of Antiquity, Christianity had started its rapid spread becoming the state religion in the fourth century, and emerging as a "cultural trend" (212). It became further defined, and was the bases of the Western World's proceedings. Christianity's popularity influenced the church by people's newfound ability to concentrate on faith and a better life. With this foundation,
the Middle Ages expanded religious importance by employing it in day to day life. The political realm of the Middle Ages was closely knitted with Christianity. Emperors used religion as an aid in controlling the empire. Emperors were often viewed as Godlike figures and the papacy was generally the supporting force of this view. The pope often crowned the king, signifying the papal support of the emperor. The power fluctuated between the Church and the Empire. Before the eleventh century, the papacy was generally weak. The Roman nobility had full control over the papacy until 1050 AD, when papal power was weak by an ineffectual period. With the reign of Pope Gregory VII and the new religious vitality, papal power was more substantial than monarchical power. Christianity was consistently present in the social arena of the Middle Ages. There were many controversies over Christian beliefs. The engrossment in Christianity in the eighth century had a non peaceful turn because of the Iconoclastic Controversy. It divided the Western and the Byzantine Empires additionally with the dispute over the use of icons in religious worship. This quarrel resulted in religious vigor through exploration of religious traditions and mysticism. The division between the empire was a constantly present with the arousal of disputes . Christianity influenced art, literature, and education. Art and architecture were ways to demonstrate Christian belief through divine cathedrals, paintings of biblical scenes, and portraits of popes. Charlemagne initiated the increase of literacy importance by instituting schooling in monastic communities. Changes in education during this time peri
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Approximate Word count = 1127
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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