1. An Age of Faith

2. Forms of Devotion
Roman Catholicism was the dominant form of Christianity
Religion was so important in the Middle ages that it is sometimes called the Age of Faith
Religious orders
By the 1200s monasteries were centers of agricultural production

3. Medieval Religion and Culture
Religion also had a great influence on the arts during the Middle Ages
Revival of drama
The Church disapproved of drama because of its association with the pre-Christian world (Greece)
The Church allowed played based on stories from the bible
New Architecture
Gothic style emerged
Combined religious symbolism with engineering advances
Higher than any seen before in western Europe
Earlier churches were dark and gloomy
New churches had larger windows, taller ceilings, spacious and airy
Gothic churches first appeared in France

5. The Church shapes chivalry
Medieval Europe was a place of constant conflict
Chivalry helped control the behavior of knights
Bravery and loyalty to the king
The Church tried to shape chivalry to reflect Christian values of generosity, humility, and mercy
Knights were expected to defended the Church and to protect weaker members of society
The values of chivalry left a permanent mark on European manners

6. A Growth of Learning
Growth of education was also influenced by the Church
Medieval universities
Students were trained for the priesthood at schools
Eventually schools were set up to provide further education (universities)
Classes were held in churches
Works of ancient Greece had been preserved in the Byzantine empire that traveled to Europe to be studied in Universities
The Church had preserved Latin as the language of learning

8. Thomas Aquinas One of the best minds in Europe
Impressed by the writings of Aristotle
Argued that both faith and reason came from god