Monasticism and Intellectual Life

Religious and intellectual institutions underwent significant changes throughout the middle ages. In some cases, advances were made, and in others, there was a major decline. Through all of these times, the people of the middle ages learned what didn’t work, what did, and how to progress once they found what did work. The true form of monasticism in the western Christian church was founded by Saint Benedict of Nursia. He wrote the famous "Benedict’…

…and used ribbed vaulting with flying buttresses for support. Many of these structural masterpieces are still standing today. Religious life in the middle ages was relatively unstable most of the time. Only when certain reform efforts were made did any unity and progress exist. Schools seemed to make slow but steady progress, at least for men. Throughout all of the changes and reform, Christianity and intellectual life survived and spread to most people in Europe.