Preview

The Middle Ages Essay Example

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1188 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Middle Ages Essay Example
ddle ages eesayThe Middle Age Essay
The Middle Age has been a great period of change, growth and development for the Catholic tradition. Many events like Monasticism “Edict of Milan”, The Great Schism and reformation impacted Christianity, and that is why Christianity is the way it is today.
Monasticism was one of the main events in the middle ages that changed the Catholic tradition. Monasticism was born when a twenty year old boy called Anthony , a Christian who had been raised in Egypt, entered a church. He gave away all of his possession and lived in solitude and holiness. By the fifth century, this form of "cenobitic" ("living in common") monasticism gained a powerful appeal in the west and spread rapidly and people started to live as monks. Then, it was ST. BENEDICT OF NURSIA who brought uniformity and order into the early medieval monastic movement. St Benedict organized these disciples into communities. Benedict founded a new community at Monte Cassino. Benedict also drew up his rule for this community. The Rule served as a constitution to be applied to many communities. This impacted Christianity as monks became the heroes of medieval Europe. They restored a dignity to human labor that the Romans and the barbarians had denied. This was only the beginning when Christianity attracted many people to join the religion. Because of their asceticism, the monks became the vehicles of economic and cultural change - they helped teach medieval Europe to save and invest for the future, as they inspired people to become a better person by following Jesus’. Monasticism indeed was great movement in the Christian history.
A major turning point in Christian history occurred when the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity. Constantine issued the "Edict of Milan," which commanded official toleration of Christianity and other religions. This meant that the followers were safe from persecution, and Christian leaders were given many gifts by the Emperor.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    * I think Holmes uses the allusion in his poem because he wants to be specific on the term Harpies.…

    • 414 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    One of the major turning points in Christianity’s history comes during the rule of the Roman Emperor Constantine I. To better understand how this came about, we need to look back at how Constantine I, rose to power, converted to Christianity, and established a new government. Constantine I, was recognized for establishing a Christian state and becoming one of the first Christian emperor of Rome.…

    • 1386 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the High Middle Ages of Europe, a particular argument over the appointment of churchmen turned into a general struggle for leadership in Christian society. During this time, Henry IV was emperor of Germany and Gregory VII was the Pope. The controversy between these men brought about many issues. In 1706, these issues are brought up in a long letter written by Henry IV. He addresses this letter to the Pope (Noble 250).…

    • 458 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Rule of St. Benedict makes it very clear as to what virtues make a good monk and even the qualities that would make a good abbot, which differ from that of a monk. Virtues of a good monk would be obedience, humility, servitude, meaningfulness, patience, persistence, and someone who is without pride. A good Abbot has virtues such as leadership skills, being just, merciful, accommodating, concerned for others, and being considerate of others. Some virtues such as kindness, humbleness, faithfulness, servitude, fearfulness, devotion and zeal for God, and loving and caring for others are virtues that both monks and Abbots should have. These virtues are what St. Benedict thinks are perfect virtues for the beginning of a perfect monastic life, and these qualities are representative of qualities that Jesus Christ had during his lifetime.…

    • 1445 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Women: Women began working along with men and they found their places in society. They were no longer just house moms, they had a place.…

    • 380 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    After the collapse of Rome, Western Europe began to experience social, economic, and political decline. From about 500 to 1000, it was politically divided, rural, and essentially cut off from advanced civilizations in the Middle East, China, and India. Many different invaders swept across the region, trade slowed significantly, towns emptied, and classical learning was practically nonexistent. For these reasons, this period in Europe has sometimes been called the Dark Ages. Today, this time period is referred to as the Middle Ages. Something needed to be done to reunite Western Europe. The answer was the Church. The social, economic, and political decline experienced by Western Europe led to the rise of the Church as a religious and secular…

    • 612 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In order to best address the question, it is first necessary to limit the range and scope of the topic under examination. The institution of monasticism in the Christian religion has been in existence for over 1500 years, in many different forms, yet all forms have wrestled with the paradox of community versus solitude. Therefore, perhaps it is best to turn to an examination of the origins of the monastic tradition, both in its solitary and communal traditions. The origins of both traditions can be traced back to fourth-century Egypt under Roman rule, to the two key figures of St. Antony and St. Pachomius.…

    • 4343 Words
    • 18 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    During the Central Middle ages there existed a number of religious movements that challenged the traditional authority of both the church and state. New Christian movements such as the Crusades, the Knights Templar, the Franciscan order and the Dominicans. These movements challenged the traditional authority of the Church by taking the traditional ideals of the Church and moving them in different directions either to more aggressive techniques or to how the ministry should reach out to the common people. Each movement also had it’s own hand in the economic expansion of Europe during the middle ages because of the direction as to which they handled themselves.…

    • 1104 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lens 1 - History of Ideas During much of the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church was the most important aspect in one’s life. Sacraments and worship were essential elements in the lives of peasants. However, religious dominance was threatened as countries began to secularize. The political centralization that occurred in the High Middle Ages was precedent for the change in the relationship between church and state.…

    • 450 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Monasticism was one of the most important institutions of early medieval society. The reason for its appeal was it promised a transformative experience, religious commitment, and communal living. Following Christ did not require a solitary life or a monastic one however it was a response by its believers. The shaping effect it had on medieval notions of piety and devotion between the laity and the church was one of an ability to adapt and change according to situations within the secular community and the Orthodox Church.…

    • 1259 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    The monastic life was a meager and humble existence. Monks were men who originally lived alone as hermits and eventually banded together to form tiny spiritual communities. They were twelve or more pious men who abandoned all of life’s luxuries which were said to bring “evil or impurity” to the hearts of men. Simple, somewhat redundant lives were lived this way because it was believed to be the way to ensure a pure and holy life that would lead to heaven. Communal rules for speech and demeanor governed their daily lives. The monks lived and worked under the care of an Abbot, a person who took the place of the Lord or father in the monastery and handled the concerns and best interests of those under his care.…

    • 1169 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    England was Catholic at the time Henry VIII ascended the throne. Henry VIII had six wives, Katherine of Aragon the mother of Bloody Mary, Anne Boleyn the mother of Elizabeth I, Jane Seymour the mother of Edward VI, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Katherine Parr.…

    • 1646 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    According to dictionary.reference.com education is the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life, but to people in the 16th century education was the practice of learning skills for the future. Education in the 16th century was very different than what education is now in modern times. Many people in England were illiterate and uneducated. Some boys were educated and many girls in the upper class were given private tutors. Education in England in the 16th century can be summed up by saying education varied from person to person because of the difference in education in peasants and the wealthy and boys and girls.…

    • 970 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The social and economic classes were disparaged, or put down. An era of revolutions opened when the governments were overthrown, due to the fact that it often seemed to require elimination of social classes. The American writers also provided a way to satisfy a cultural need for lore, or a mythology suitable to a new nation. The literature presented this in many pieces.…

    • 1978 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    BENEDICTINE QUESTIONS

    • 1133 Words
    • 5 Pages

    St. Benedict was inspired by God to found the Monastic life that is known to the Western world to this day. Many orders of St. Benedict are alive and well today. He was drawn to be a hermit, and focus solely on God, but spent his life serving others by founding monastic life. He knew that he must not follow what “he” wanted to do with his life, but rather follow God – and do what He was asking of…

    • 1133 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays