1.1: A changing Society
tithe - giving a portion of crops or earnings to pay the priest
The church shaped the daily lives of the people in Western Europe. Because of all the famine, sicknesses and war, many people were afraid of death and what would happen to them in their afterlife. As a result, people followed the church. If people were reminded of God's judgement, they would then follow the churches principles.
The Church Community
Hierarchy of the Church
The Pope
People in the hierarchy were subject to be obedient to the group above them and provide services for the groups below them.
Parishioners were to pay a tithe to the priest.
Building a Cathedral
competition between towns the tallest church
builders had to do confession
work in silence with humility
People devoted their lives to the church. Their tasks were to:
study religion, pray and work for the church
grow/tend to gardens
cared for the sick
help the poor
feed the hungry
cared for children
these people gave up worldly goods to be part of the church
Learning and the Church
Only those in the church were educated and learned to read.
they read manuscripts
translated manuscripts
learned many languages
began to build universities
priests taught
training religion, law, medicine, grammar, astronomy, etc.
Changing Attitudes Toward Religion
Situation
The Black Death had claimed many lives and people felt God was not listening to them. They began to doubt God and questioned religion.
The Church
The church was using the money for self pleasure and were abusing the use of the money. The church was wealthy, as it owned a lot of land in Europe, charged high rent on these lands, and collected money for tithes.
Pandemics Through Their Eyes: Comparing the Black Death and COVID-19
After discussing both the Black Death and COVID-19, which pandemic do you believe had a more profound impact on society and religion, from the perspective of a specific group (e.g., a religious leader, a peasant, a healthcare worker, a government official, etc.)? Why? Use examples from both pandemics and insights from the class discussion to support your answer, considering how your chosen group may have experienced these events differently.