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Church History: Unity and Conflict in Medieval Times

The chapter discusses the relationship between the Church and the wider world during the Middle Ages. It covers Charlemagne's efforts to unite Europe under Christianity and establish a stable political order. It also describes problems that plagued the medieval Church such as lay investiture, simony, and disregard for clerical celibacy. Pope Gregory VII initiated reforms to address these issues and assert papal authority. The chapter also discusses the East-West Schism of 1054 and theological controversies over icons and the filioque clause that contributed to the split between Western Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.

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146 views3 pages

Church History: Unity and Conflict in Medieval Times

The chapter discusses the relationship between the Church and the wider world during the Middle Ages. It covers Charlemagne's efforts to unite Europe under Christianity and establish a stable political order. It also describes problems that plagued the medieval Church such as lay investiture, simony, and disregard for clerical celibacy. Pope Gregory VII initiated reforms to address these issues and assert papal authority. The chapter also discusses the East-West Schism of 1054 and theological controversies over icons and the filioque clause that contributed to the split between Western Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.

Uploaded by

scaruso7216472
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Church History Chapter 5

The Church and World Unite

Chapter 5 Vocabulary
• Medieval
o Pertaining to the middle ages
• Christendom
o The Christian world as dominated by Christianity; used
during the middle ages to denote W. Europe
• Feudalism
o A social form of interlocking relationships based on the use
of land in payment for military services.
• Lay Investiture
o The practice of lay persons, such as kings, appointing
bishops, priests, abbots, and abbesses.
• Simony
o The payment of money to be appointed to a church office.
• Truce of God
o A rule enacted by the medieval church forbidding warfare
during certain holy days of the year
• Conclave
o A meeting of cardinals to elect a pope.
• Filioque
o Latin term meaning “and the son.”
• Iconoclast Controversy
o Disagreement caused by the Eastern emperor’s decision to
condemn the use of icons in worship

Charlemagne & the Holy Roman Empire


 Crowned by Pope Leo III:
– It was an attempt to bring back peace and stability of
earlier days of glory
– Emperor in the east was furious, adding to the rift between
E & W.
 Often called the 2nd Constantine:
– Formed all of Europe into one family of faith.

Charlemagne the Christian Emperor


 Decreed that every monastery have a school where boys could
be educated:
– Brought Alcuin, most learned monk of the time, to teach at
the finest school.
– Arranged for manuscripts to be brought and copied.
 Believed he ruled the empire in God’s name:
– Arranged for a uniform manner of worship throughout the
empire.
– Attempted to establish a procedure for choosing bishops
and leaders of abbeys and monasteries to ensure worthy
people held positions of power in the church.
– Instituted rules for clergy
– Enacted laws against heresy

Three Problems that Plagued the Medieval Church


 Lay Investiture
– Lay rulers expected favors in return
– This is one of the main causes of Church related problems
in the Middle Ages
 Simony
– Wealthy lords paid for positions of power in the Church
– Person might not carry out their duties responsibly
 Disregard for Celibacy
– A large number of priests and bishops lived with women
without being married.

Hildebrand – The Reforming Pope


 Pope Nicholas II reformed the process of selecting a new Pope:
– When a Pope dies, all cardinals who could be in Rome
within 9 days would go into a secret meeting (Conclave)
and vote on the new pope.
– This practice continues to this day.
 Hildebrand = Pope Gregory VII
– Initiated measures to eliminate corruption known as
Gregorian Reforms.
– Among these:
• Election of Pope by Conclave
• Celibacy for Priests
• Papal power to choose bishops and abbots.

East – West Schism


 As the Eastern and Western sections of the Empire grew apart,
so did the E and W Churches.
 In the East:
– Viewed Patriarch of Constantinople as head
– Little had changed
 In the West:
– Saw the Pope as the head
– Faced challenges that required change
 Schism happened in 1054:
– Breaking of a relationship between 2 groups who still hold
essential beliefs in common

Controversies
 Filioque Contraversy:
– West changed the wording of the Nicene Creed to say that
the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.
– East was angry: they disagreed with the change and were
not consulted about it.
 Iconoclast Controversy:
– Eastern Emperor forbade the use of Icons, Patriarch of
Constantinople agreed.
– Pope in the West, supported the use of icons in liturgy.
– 2nd Council of Nicea upheld the use of Icons

Eastern Orthodox vs. Eastern Rite Catholics


 Eastern Orthodox:
– No longer in union with Rome
 Eastern Rite Catholics:
– Accept the Pope as head of the Church, but follow the
practices and worship of Eastern churches.
– They are Fully Catholic.

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