Introduction to Medieval Europe

Chapter 2 and 3 of the book, Introduction to Medieval Europe 300-1500 by Wim Blockmans and Peter Hoppenbrouwers, were found during the scavenger hunt.

A Discussion of How the Source Relates to the Materials

The Medieval period in Europe was a very significant period in Europe’s History. The period entailed a vast transformation of Europe within 1000 years. Consequently, the material used in this paper has highlighted the relevant parts of the millennium breakup of the Western Roman Empire and the Reformation that was hugely transformative, just as the materials used in the lecture class. The two chapters in the book discuss the establishment of Christianity and Islam, two important religions in medieval Europe, and the relationship between the powerful and the poor in the society.

Discussion

The complete understanding of European History is incomplete without the debate on religion and ways it contributed to the transformation of Europe. The 11th century was a period that saw Christianity become a medieval matrix of life (Grant 21). Christianity was pivotal to the point that it was the medium for the necessary instructions for a healthy lifestyle. According to Davis (285), the rules of Christianity governed life literally, to the point at which it dictated the basics of life such as giving birth, marriage, the laws of medicine, philosophy, and academic life. Therefore, social life was shaped into a feudal system where the majority of the populations were serfs or slaves (Blockmans, Wim, and Hoppenbrouwers 86). At the middle were the property owners, and at the top were the noble who included the priests and the rulers (Blockmans, Wim, and Hoppenbrouwers 87). Feudal monarchies ruled in most countries and exercised authority over the slaves who were not only the majority but also the bulk of production for the top nobles (Davis 284). Consequently, the pope could influence leaders to send soldiers to fight in the crusade wars.

Towards the start of the 12th Century, many ordinary people had been isolated. The religious movements had not fully accommodated all the children of Christianity as the monks were recruited from the middle class. The church clergy promoted its quest for wealth and the only acts of holiness that the monks, bishops, and other clergy members were pure heresy. The confusion in the society was the foundation of the reforms that emerged in the following centuries.

Works Cited

Blockmans, Wim, and Peter Hoppenbrouwers. Introduction to Medieval Europe 300-1500. Routledge, 2017.

Davis, Ralph Henry Carless. A History of Medieval Europe: From Constantine to Saint Louis. Routledge, 2013.

Grant, Edward. God and Reason in the Middle Ages. Cambridge University Press, 2001.