1. Western Culture During the Middle Ages Chapter 10 (2 of 4)

2. Role of the Church Early Middle Ages (Up to 900s) Church preserved old learning Not much new learning Emphasis on study of logic Later Middle Ages (1000s - 1450) Clergymen focused on philosophy Many tried to rationally prove the existence of God

3. 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 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 Felt belief in God needed to be based on faith alone Opposed Abelard and even got him kicked out of the universities Yes = Peter AbelardNo = Bernard of Clairvaux Note: A similar debate was going on in Islam at the time also

4. 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

5. 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

6. The Rise of Popular Religion As the Middle Ages went on, religious devotion spread to ordinary people Fun rituals began (ceremonies with dancing), people began worshipping saints, and there was increased respect for Mary (mother of Jesus)

7. 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

8. A New Style of Architecture Gothic No, not this gothic

9. Gothic Architecture Arose in France IN 1200s Featured tall arching windows Most gothic art seen in churches, but used in some palaces

10. Medieval Literature Latin 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

11. Popular Medieval Literature

12. 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