The Role of the Church in Medieval Europe

The Mass of Saint Giles, painted around 1500

The Christian religion is one of the most important legacies of ancient Rome.  Christians are followers of Jesus Christ, who was put to death on a Roman cross in the first century C.E.  Christians believe he was the son of God, that God sent him to Earth to save people from their sins, and that he rose form the dead after his crucifixion.

• Initially, the Romans persecuted Christians for their beliefs.
• By the start of the Middle Ages, all Christians in western Europe belonged to a single church, which became known as the Roman catholic Church.
• The church provided leadership and over time developed an organization that was modeled on the structure of the Roman government.
• Monasteries, or communities of monks, copied and preserved old texts, and in this way helped keep learning alive. 
• During the Middle Ages, the church acquired great economic and political power that at times rivaled that of the monarchs.