Topic 1: Late Middle Ages and the Late Medieval Church

Question 1

Difficulties and Themes

Answer 1

• Difficulties: Bleiefs and Values are different; Religion deeply embeded; varied political reception; varying reception
• Themes: Sympathetic representation of three traditions; Ecclesiastical and political authorities; spectrum of religious committment

Question 2

Landscape of Medieval life

Answer 2

• Demographically: thinly populated; agricultural; high infant mortality; susceptible to disease and famine
• Socailly: hierarchy; rural divide; population growth post-plague; towns stratified (merchants, urban professionals, guild members, domestic servants; waged labourers, indigent poor)
• Politically: Structure varied - local (independence) <> central (control). Monarchies, (Turod England, Valois France, Hapsburg Spain) + territorial conglomerates (Switzerland, Italy). International Rivalry (Holy Roman Empire vs France)

Question 3

Christendom Beliefs, practices and Institutions

Answer 3

• Beliefs - Institutionalised world view (singular but not monolithic), Salvation history, Human life transitory, Faith and practice essential, Providence and Sacramentality
• Practices - sacraments, Mass, devotions, pilgrimages, tithe, participation in confraternities, fasting
• Institutions - hierarchical, conflict with secular, geographic (secular clergy), religious orders (regular - contemplative and mendicant). Lay confraternities.

Question 4

Vigorous or Corrupt

Answer 4

• Difficulties: anti-clericalism (resentment, greed, pluralism, poor formation); structural (acccretion, conflict within, and with secular, trained clergy in high demand, constitutional crisis popes v councils)
• Vitality: Massive investment by laity, printing = lay piety, calls for reform sign = they cared.

Question 5

Humanism

Answer 5

• Intellectual movement - reclaiming original Greek, Latin - rhetoric, moral philosophy, poetry, literature, oratory and history
• Christianity - back to the sources - ad fontes - Hebrew and Greek texts - critical and constructive
• Erasmus “ Philosophy of Christ” gradual moral improvement = reform