Period of Civilized Human History, Essay Example

As within any other given period of civilized human history, religion played a vital role in the lives of people during the 12th, 13th, and 14th centuries. The Roman Catholic Church was the only religion in Europe during this time period and so they had power similar if not identical to those of a ruling government. Bishops and archbishops were active leaders together with the king that implemented laws and regulations as they saw fit. The line of descendants for bishops was often from a wealthy family and they were leaders of a diocese not only religiously but governmentally as well. In the other hand, priests came from humble backgrounds and were more centralized in the teaching of doctrine and healing of the sick.

Religion and the church played a central role in medieval society. As aforementioned, most people were pious although not necessarily church-going or orthodox in the strictest sense and thought in terms of sin and redemption. Bad things happened because of demons and the devil; good things were gifts from God. Such piety was one of the reasons behind pilgrimages, crusades and anti-Jewish pogroms. Pious devotion also inspired many to donate considerable amounts of land to the church, making the church of the late middle ages extremely powerful, a “player” in European power politics. During this time period, the Church often advocated for the poor by providing for them essential necessities and instructing the nobility to treat them better. In the 12th century religious leaders formed the first universities and played a crucial role in the development of both church and state.