Western Culture During the Middle Ages

Chapter 10 (2 of 4)

Role of the Church

Early Middle Ages (Up to 900s)

Church preserved old learningNot much new learning

Emphasis on study of logic

Later Middle Ages (1000s - 1450)

Clergymen focused on philosophyMany tried to rationally prove the

existence of God

To Prove God or Not?

Wanted to use philosophy and reason to prove existence of God

Wrote Yes and No pointing out hypocrisies in the church

Felt belief in God needed to be based on faith alone

Opposed Abelard and even got him kicked out of the universities

Yes = Peter Abelard No = Bernard of Clairvaux

Note: A similar debate was going on in Islam at the

time also

Scholasticism

Medieval philosophy to use logic to solve theological questions

Thomas Aquinas

Italian monk who respected thinker, able to combine reason and faith

– must have faith, but logic can tell us about

natural order of the world

The Thirst For Knowledge

Big desire for knowledge midway through the Middle Ages, which led to the growth of universities

Students could earn law degrees and get jobs in government

bureaucracies

China had similar universities, but their universities to educate men

to be in bureaucracy

In western Europe, it was a desire for knowledge that led many to universities, not getting a job in

bureaucracy

The Rise of Popular Religion

As the Middle Ages went on, religious devotion

spread to ordinary peopleFun rituals began (ceremonies with

dancing), people began worshipping saints, and

there was increased respect for Mary (mother

of Jesus)

Religion Impacts Art

Western Europe excelled at religious art during Middle

Ages (as did Islam in Middle East and Hindus in India)

Later in Middle Ages, Europeans began including scenes of medieval life in backdrop of their artwork

A New Style of Architecture

Gothic

No, not this

gothic

Gothic Architecture

Arose in France IN 1200s

Featured tall arching windows

Most gothic art seen in churches, but used in some

palaces

Medieval LiteratureLatin

Scholarly language, used in law and

church

Vernacular (Spoken Languages)

More and more literature used these spoken languages (such

as English and French) as Middle Ages went on

Similar to what happened in India after the fall of the

Guptas when Sanskrit was the scholarly language, but spoken

languages like Hindi grew

Popular Medieval Literature

To Sum Up Medieval Art and Intellect

• Religion was at the centerpiece• As Middle Ages went on, other interests

emerged (from scientific discoveries to romance novels)

• Medieval art and science served as building blocks for later Western thought and art