Medieval Christianity had a profound influence on everyday life. The Church organized people's lives from birth through death, requiring rituals like baptism, Christian marriage, and funeral. It also regulated working hours and holidays. As a result, the Church had immense social power. Christians had religious duties to obtain salvation, such as weekly confession and communion. Politically, bishops advised kings while the Pope governed the Papal States. The Church also wielded significant economic power through tithes and ownership of lands worked by peasants. Overall, Christianity dominated medieval European society.

1. 1. WHAT WAS MEDIEVAL
CHRISTIANITY LIKE?

2. DO YOU THINK THAT NOWADAYS RELIGION
AFFECT THE LIFE OF PEOPLE LIKE IN THE
MIDDLE AGES?
WHY?

3. CHRISTIANITY WAS THE MAIN RELIGION IN EUROPE
However, there were also other religions in Europe:
-ISLAM in the Iberian Peninsula and Turkey
-JEWS in Jewish quarters of many cities
-PAGANISM in remote areas of Europe (especially in the countryside)
Besides, Christianity
was divided into the
Catholic Church and
the Orthodox Church
All Christian
territories were
known as
CHRISTENDOM

4. Christianity organised the people’s life from their birth to their death
Christians had to obey some rites:
BAPTISM It was the moment when a
person became Christian
MARRIAGE
Only a
Christian
wedding
was official
FUNERAL
According to the Christians,
the only way to have a
chance to avoid the hell was
having a Christian funeral

5. CHURCH ALSO ORGANISED THE LIFE OF
COMMON PEOPLE
Church bells
regulated the
peasant’s
working hours
People followed the
Christian calendar
and holidays, which
were linked to the
life of Christ
Medieval calendar
As a result, Church
had a huge social
power

6. WHAT IS MORE, CHRISTIANS HAD SOME DUTIES IN ORDER TO
OBTAIN THE ETERNAL LIFE AS MUSLIMS HAD
1. CHRISTIANS HAD TO GO TO CHURCH EVERY DAY
2. CHRISTIANS HAD TO FAST DURING LENT
3. CHRISTIANS HAD TO ATTEND
CONFESSION. THUS, THEIR SINS
WERE FORGIVEN
4. CHRISTIANS HAD TO RECEIVE
COMMUNION EVERY SUNDAY
5. IF POSSIBLE, CHRISTIANS HAD
TO GO ON A PILGRIMAGE TO HOLY
PLACES LIKE SANTIAGO DE
COMPOSTELA, JERUSALEM, ROME
OR CANTERBURY (ENGLAND)

7. CHURCH ALSO HAD A GREAT ECONOMIC
POWER
The clergy had lands
controlled by
monasteries and
bishops.
That means that they
collected the rent for the
lands that were worked
by peasants who lived
in their fiefs
Besides, they collected the
tithe.
The tithe was a tenth of the
peasant’s harvest
For that reason, many bishops
were very rich and they order to
build great cathedrals

8. FINALLY, THE POLITICAL POWER OF THE
CHURCH WAS VERY IMPORTANT
Bishops gave political advise to the kings. Most of the
people who studied in the universities were religious
people, so they were able to advise the kings and the
nobles
The Church also had its own
state which was known as the
Papal State. Its capital was
Rome and the Pope acted like
a king
Finally, the Church and some European kings fought
against the Muslims for religious and economical reasons
during the Crusades. They wanted to conquer Jerusalem
from the Muslims