Religious Life Religious Life before the before the

RenaissanceRenaissance

LayersLayers

PapacyPapacy UniversityUniversity Religious ordersReligious orders Laity, parish lifeLaity, parish life

PapacyPapacy Reforms of Greg VII, 1070s-1080sReforms of Greg VII, 1070s-1080s

Simony, nepotism, “priests’ wives”, lay investitureSimony, nepotism, “priests’ wives”, lay investiture Huge growth in Vatican centralized officesHuge growth in Vatican centralized offices

Growth in power, 400s to 1300sGrowth in power, 400s to 1300s Apex: Innocent III (r. 1198-1216), Boniface VIII (1302)Apex: Innocent III (r. 1198-1216), Boniface VIII (1302) Mutual fight with political powersMutual fight with political powers

Avignon, 1309-1977Avignon, 1309-1977 Great Schism, 1378-1417Great Schism, 1378-1417 Renaissance popesRenaissance popes

Alexander VIAlexander VI Julius IIJulius II Leo XLeo X

UniversityUniversity

Houses of religious ordersHouses of religious orders Very different education than parish Very different education than parish

priests gotpriests got Scholastic theologyScholastic theology

Located at “schools”Located at “schools” Revolutionized by re-discovery of Aristotle, Revolutionized by re-discovery of Aristotle,

use of philosophyuse of philosophy Focused on debate, questions, speculationFocused on debate, questions, speculation Apex: Thomas Aquinas (1226-1274)Apex: Thomas Aquinas (1226-1274) Late medieval theology: increasingly arcaneLate medieval theology: increasingly arcane

Religious OrdersReligious Orders

Flourished in Middle AgesFlourished in Middle Ages New forms of life: mendicants, third New forms of life: mendicants, third

orders, confraternities, beguinesorders, confraternities, beguines Often revitalized spiritualityOften revitalized spirituality Opportunities for womenOpportunities for women

Monasteries had up to 1/3 of landMonasteries had up to 1/3 of land Rich and poor membersRich and poor members ““surplus” children given early in lifesurplus” children given early in life Also easily corrupted (“get thee to a Also easily corrupted (“get thee to a

nunnery”)nunnery”)

LaityLaity

Mass and the eucharistMass and the eucharist Usually not received (1x/yr)Usually not received (1x/yr) But looked atBut looked at Latin “hocus pocus”: Latin “hocus pocus”: Hoc est corpus Hoc est corpus

meummeum Works of pietyWorks of piety

Rogation days, feasts and fastsRogation days, feasts and fasts PilgrimagePilgrimage RelicsRelics IndulgencesIndulgences

Reformers before 1517Reformers before 1517

Pope Gregory VIIPope Gregory VII Council of Florence (1414-1418)Council of Florence (1414-1418) John Wycliffe (d. 1384)John Wycliffe (d. 1384) Jan Hus (d. 1415)Jan Hus (d. 1415) Girolamo Savanarola (d. 1498)Girolamo Savanarola (d. 1498)