Purchase Solution

Changing Nature of Church in the Late Middle Ages

Not what you're looking for?

Ask Custom Question

Discuss the changing nature of the church in the late middle ages. Why did the tradition of religious dissent including John Wycliffe, Jan Huss and ultimately Martin Luther culminate in a formal split in the Roman Church?

Purchase this Solution
Solution Summary

This solution discusses the changing nature of the church in the Late Middle Ages.

Solution Preview

The Catholic Church during this time in history was very powerful and very corrupt. The church dominated every aspect of life and it had everyone (from royalty to pheasants) convinced that the only way they could get to Heaven was if the Roman Catholic Church let them. Then they terrified everyone about the horrors of an eternal damnation in Hell. This was in effort to keep them all under control. With this in mind, they had everyone at their disposal, and they used this power to gain wealth and more power.

The biggest scandal that was bestowed by the Catholic Church was the selling of indulgences. Indulgences were prayers offered up to the souls of a deceased family member or for someone who was still alive. If a person purchased enough indulgences from the Catholic Church, then they would be admitted to Heaven. Of course, the wealthy had quite an advantage over the poor with this as they could afford to buy as many indulgences as they needed and were assured safe passage to Heaven. The pheasants, as much as they tried to skimp and save, just could not afford as many indulgences, and many of them left this world terrified of their fate. In essence, the Church made it perfectly clear that God favored the rich over the poor and there was no place in Heaven for the lower class. Of course, this could not be farther from the truth.

The church also forced tithes, or a tax of ...

Purchase this Solution
Free BrainMass Quizzes
Social Studies European Review

A knowledge base of history is important to understanding our world today. Take a few moments on this quick review of Europe.

Imperialism in China

The quiz is about the competition of the imperial powers in the Far East to control the territories of China and Korea. It also reflects the factors which led to World War I

The Transatlantic Slave Trade

Basic quiz about the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

The French Revolution

This quiz covers the first French Revolution of 1789-94.

The Slavery Question in the American Territories

This quiz will test your knowledge about various laws and policies on slavery in the U.S. during the 19th century.

View More Free Quizzes
Related BrainMass Solutions

  • Humanities, Nature & the Individual in the Middle Ages

    254640 How humanities reflect changing concepts of nature and the individual in different historical periods - the Early, High, and Late Middle Ages ?

  • The Middle Ages: Humanities Reflecting Social Trends

    I need to write a 1,750- to 2,100-word paper that explores the ways in which the humanities reflect changing concepts of nature and the individual in different historical periods. Focusing on the Early, High, and Late Middle Ages.

  • Late Middle Ages

    602977 Late Middle Ages What are some important developments in the humanities that characterized the Late Middle Ages period? What are two works of art or architecture from the Late Middle Ages that summarized that specific period?

  • Middle Ages to the Renaissance

    656038 Middle Ages to the Renaissance 1. In 1-2 sentences, briefly compare the role of the Church in Europe during feudalism in the Middle Ages to its role politically, socially, and economically during the Renaissance. 2.

  • The Change of Europe between Middle ages and Roman Empire

    339394 The Change of Europe between Middle ages and Roman Empire How do you perceive the historical transformation from the collapse of Rome to the dawn of the Middle Ages?

  • Christianity - Late Roman & Early Medieval Periods of Europe

    The Middle Ages is the period in European history between antiquity and the Renaissance, often dated from A.D. 476 to 1453 http://www.answers.com/topic/middle-ages.

  • The Western Church During the High Middle Ages

    In fact, a map of Europe dominated by nation-states with secular monarchies didn't really take shape until well after the Middle Ages. C) The Church did, in some ways, become a monarcy in power and behavior.

  • Cognitive Psychology: Scholastic and Associationism

    The Roman Catholic Church held great political power in Europe during the Middle Ages, and most scholarship occurred within the confines of the church.

  • Renaissance or Gothic

    The purpose of life, the duality of spirit and matter, church and state, and the ascent to the spiritual life are all synthesized in these structures that will forever make a mockery of the Enlightenment prejudice that the middle ages were "backward."

View More Related Solutions