The European Middle Ages and the Catholic Church.

The European Middle Ages and the Catholic Church. How did the Catholic Church control life in the middle ages?

We will watch and discuss three videos from various YouTube channels that examine the European Middle Age (500 Ce to 1500 CE) and the role of the Catholic Church.

6 myths about the Middle Ages that everyone believes - Stephanie Honchell Smith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9-l34TcV_U (4:48)
Medieval Europe. Where unbathed, sword-wielding knights ate rotten meat, thought the Earth was flat, defended chastity-belt wearing maidens, and tortured their foes with grisly gadgets. Except… this is more fiction than fact. So, where do all the myths about the Middle Ages come from? And what were they actually like? Stephanie Honchell Smith debunks common misconceptions about the time period.
How Much Power Did the Catholic Church Have in the Middle Ages? ((26:20)
One of the most unifying elements of the Medieval Period was the Roman Catholic Church. All classes and ranks of people, whether that be nobles, peasants or tradesmen, were profoundly affected by the rulings of the church.
A hierarchy existed within the clergy. Following the pope, in order of rank, there were bishops, priests, monks and nuns. In the latter part of the Middle Ages, the pope, as head of the church, had a huge influence over the monarchy and total control of the clergy.
In this video, medieval historian Dr Eleanor Janega explores the lives of those who made up the single largest unifying organization in medieval Europe.
How the Medieval Church Frightened People Into Obedience (11:31)
The medieval Catholic church was a mixed bag of corruption, persuasion, and fear-mongering. There are a number of scary historical facts about the Catholic church, many involving the use of intimidation and coercion against the faithful in an effort to - oddly enough - keep them faithful. Plus, this was a time when the majority of people were illiterate and highly superstitious, making it that much easier for the church to manipulate the population and make them ever dependent upon the church.

We meet at The Quest Community Hall at 2032 Central.