Church in the Middle Ages

• Dominant Form of Christianity
  • Catholic
• Head of the Church
  • Pope
• With whom do the Popes compete (politically)?
  • Kings & Princes
• How does a person get to heaven?
  • ???
  • Order
    • God
      • Grace is a substitution piece that shows that people can indulge in their sins and their flaws to go to heaven
        • Getting baptized
        • Going to church
        • Begging forgiveness for your sins
        • Getting married
        • Getting blessed before dying
    • Pope
      • Automatic card into heaven ay lmao
      • The reason why his crest is two keys in a cross is because he has the key to heaven
    • Human
    • Dog
    • Satan kek
  • Purgatory
    • A path you have to take to go to heaven after you die as a path to cleanse yourself of your sins
    • Takes "thousands" of years to get to heaven
    • You can skip through or get on the "speed walk" through purgatory by being a better person (the more grace you stack up)
• What groups control 95% of all education?
  • Church
• 90% of all art and literature is related to religion
  • Religion

Cracks in the Facade: Precursors to the Reformation

• Great Schism (1378-1415)
  • Two competing popes are elcted!
  • Mutual excommunication!
• Financial Concerns
  • How did the Church raise money?
    • Tithes (basic church taxes)
      • You're supposed to pay 10% of your income to the church
  • Fee for Church Services
    • Married; confessions; blessings
    • Gotta pay the church
  • Indulgences
    • The "Grace" tickets
    • Sold by the church
  • Benefices
• Leadership Challenges
  • Popes = Best paying job in Europe
  • His holiness, Pope Innocent VIII (1484-1492)
    • Would pardon (forgive) rapists/murderers
    • Allowed his son to roam the streets and molest nuns
  • His holiness, Alexander VI (1484-1492)
    • Bought the job
    • Assassinated rivals
      • Enjoyed watching his son kill unarmed criminals
    • Held bullfights
      • In the Catholic church wth
  • Leo X
    • "God made me Pope - why not enjoy it?"
    • Gluttonous banquets
      • Waitstaff - "Professional Girlfriends" kek
  • Who is actually meeting the spiritual needs of regular people?
    • Elite church officials are ignoring their mission
    • Brotherhood of the Common Life
      • Lay people (not officially priests or monks)
      • Live a life of simplicity
      • Live communally
    • Popular Mysticism
      • Intense prayer overtakes ceremonies
    • Urban Preaching
      • Challenges authorities of elites

Reformation

• Martin Luther
  • Catholic Monk
  • Theology Professor
  • Indulgences are corrupt!
    • Church hierarchy does NOT control grace!
    • Free gift from God
  • Entire basis of Church Authority comes into question