The Roman Catholic Church During The Middle Ages

Is it possible for a religious order to control almost a whole continent and be the ruling power over many nations for many centuries? Imagine a world divided in factions and totally devoured by a lawless society. Who would gain the most control over this world? Mercenaries? A king? Or maybe even a religious order? During the Middle Ages, The Roman Catholic Church was one of the most widespread groups that assumed dominant power throughout most of Eastern and Western Europe. Citizens of many European nations were open to accepting very similar beliefs and values of the Roman Catholic Church as they expanded their territory. Many of the Church’s ideas and beliefs became integrated into these societies as a whole due to the positive embrace of

During the Middle Ages, one might see Europe as a place without laws or order. One solution that the Church thought of as a way to educate society on morals and values, such as teachings of how to live a righteousness and moral life, was through the use of artistic depictions. With the growing popularity of story through image among Europeans, Roman Catholics were able to advertise their beliefs, of acting righteous and honorable before God, and subsequently, influence the people of Europe using these beliefs in art depictions to influence society’s thoughts. The Church’s art depictions, in the Middle Ages, reflected the values and beliefs that the Church wanted to uphold and advertise (Sorabella). The Roman Catholic Church’s goal to influence society throughout their many works becomes clear when you take a look at certain art pieces like Collection of Moral Tracts and the Use of Sarum. Writers from The British Library, when speaking about the Use of Sarum, said, “Here God and his angels can be seen at the top of the image in Heaven, while the fallen angels, becoming devils are seen in Hell below. Images like these emphasised the need to live a good Christian life” (Book). The Church had a clear-intended message with the creation of this art piece, wanted the viewer to imagine heaven and hell, and scared people into accepting their truth. Similarly, in the Collection of Moral Tracts, The British Library says that, as the art depicts, the nuns would gather in the Church and practice similar rituals to the monks and their practices (Collection). The Church began to use art as a new medium to not only express but also advertise their