church in Middle ages

Alexandra Artieda December Essay #4 Bertsch Church During the middle ages, the faith in god was an accepted fact of everyday life. The church was more than a place of worship, but rather became a powerful institution. It had it own government, laws, courts, and systems of taxation. The church’s teachings influenced everyone in feudal society, from king to peasant. The greatest influence on Medieval society was the Christian Church. It shaped the culture and …

…into conflict with the papacy. Using their power of excommunication and interdiction (cutting off an individual or community of Christians from participation in the Church sacraments, which was believed to be essential for salvation) as a means of enforcing their authority, the popes struggled with the German emperors for influence over Medieval Europe. The height of papal power was reached in the thirteenth century, but began to decline in the late Middle Ages. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**