why the church was so powerful

Created by: kim414
Created on: 28-12-17 23:11

View mindmap

Why was the English Church so powerful in the 1520s?
- everyday power (its influence on the daily lives of ordinary people)
  - Donations
    - the Church taught that worship of God should be beautiful
    - people hoped that their contribution would ensure their souls did not linger too long in purgery
    - people were encouraged to leave money to the Church in their wills
      - special prayers might be said for those ho had done so
    - some wealthier people left money to found a CHANTRY
      - a priest ould celebrate masses for the soul of its founder
    - INDULGENCES: paying for extra prayers to help speed the soul of a loved one to Heaven
    - 'requiem for the dead'
      - ordinary people who donated personal items to the church so they could be remembered after their deaths
      - every year their name would be read in the ceremony so their friends and family could be reminded of them
  - people attended church because they were afraid of dying
    - people often made the Church a central part of their wills
  - Tithes
    - parishoners had to pay 10% of their earnings to the Church
  - Priests
    - only priests and the most educated people could read the Bible: it was written in Latin
    - ORDINATION (becoming a priest) promoted the idea that priests were elevated above the ordinary villagers
  - Performance
    - mass was theatrical and appealed to the senses
      - ROOD SCREEN in parish churches
        separated the congregation from the chancel
        the vast majority of the population went to weekly or more regular services
  - Certainity
    - religious beliefs brought comfort and helped people understand events
    - priests emphasised how God controlled nature - imporatnt to many people who were poor farmers
    - Heaven and Hell taught to people promising they would go to Heaven if they lived a good life
  - Culture, festivals and saints
    - pilgtimage was important to ordinary people
  - Faith and fear
    - people never questione the church as it would put their family at risk - heresy punished very seriously
    - heretics were burned. also torture and execution
    - people had high expectations of their priests
      - they usually complained when priests did not meet their expectations
- political power (its role in goverment)
  - 1520 the Roman Catholic Church's eanings = £400,000
  - The Church had its on system of Court Laws and privileges
  - Church and monarch
    - Bishops and abbots sat in the House of Lords and helped govern the country.
      - this created strong links between the monarch and the church
    - the church boosted the monarch's authority through concepts such as the 'Great Chain of Being'
      - Sense of Hierarchy - God would punish those who rebelled against their king (treason)
        or anyone who questioned the authority of the church (heresey)
        the Church played a fundamental role in maintaining control throughout the kingdom
    - some of Henry VIII's closest advisers were also churchmen
      - Thomas Wolsey was Henry's chief minister for 15 years
        Wolsey also held many Church titles including Archbishop of York and cardinal
Submission
- For a persons soul to be saved they had ti live a good christin life
  - attend regular services and submit to the authority of the church
- everyday power (its influence on the daily lives of ordinary people)
  - Donations
    - the Church taught that worship of God should be beautiful
    - people hoped that their contribution would ensure their souls did not linger too long in purgery
    - people were encouraged to leave money to the Church in their wills
      - special prayers might be said for those ho had done so
    - some wealthier people left money to found a CHANTRY
      - a priest ould celebrate masses for the soul of its founder
    - INDULGENCES: paying for extra prayers to help speed the soul of a loved one to Heaven
    - 'requiem for the dead'
      - ordinary people who donated personal items to the church so they could be remembered after their deaths
      - every year their name would be read in the ceremony so their friends and family could be reminded of them
  - people attended church because they were afraid of dying
    - people often made the Church a central part of their wills
  - Tithes
    - parishoners had to pay 10% of their earnings to the Church
  - Priests
    - only priests and the most educated people could read the Bible: it was written in Latin
    - ORDINATION (becoming a priest) promoted the idea that priests were elevated above the ordinary villagers
  - Performance
    - mass was theatrical and appealed to the senses
      - ROOD SCREEN in parish churches
        separated the congregation from the chancel
        the vast majority of the population went to weekly or more regular services
  - Certainity
    - religious beliefs brought comfort and helped people understand events
    - priests emphasised how God controlled nature - imporatnt to many people who were poor farmers
    - Heaven and Hell taught to people promising they would go to Heaven if they lived a good life
  - Culture, festivals and saints
    - pilgtimage was important to ordinary people
  - Faith and fear
    - people never questione the church as it would put their family at risk - heresy punished very seriously
    - heretics were burned. also torture and execution
    - people had high expectations of their priests
      - they usually complained when priests did not meet their expectations
- the desire to get to Heaven gave the Church enormous poer over ordinary people
praying to the shrine of St. Walstan
- people expected to go to Heaven

Get Revising

why the church was so powerful

Comments

Similar History resources:

Comments

Related discussions on The Student Room

Similar History resources: