
We just finished up looking at Religion in daily life in the middle ages. Students learned about the art of the middle ages, Gothic Cathedrals (see images below), Catholic Rituals, illuminated manuscripts, and music.
I saved these answers I read from one student--No direct instruction on these, just his opinion on the topics. The question they were asked to explore was: 2. What was the role of the Church in people’s lives? Provide as much detail as you can find. The Church was supposed to guide people in their lives so that they could have a good afterlife. But as time went on, the Church grew to be much more powerful than that. The Church literally controlled all the people, including the kings. They took advantage of the people and the fact that they wanted to go to Heaven. The Church had all the money they wanted. For Example, the pope would ride around in real gold armor. The Church even scared the people so that they would obey them.
and:
3. Why were huge cathedrals built? What are some key architecture components of the cathedral? Cathedrals were supposed to be religious sights. They are supposed to have some sort of spiritual connection to God. But cathedrals, during the Middle Ages,were used for much more than just that. Cathedrals were used to show the power and wealth of the Church. Moreover, they were used to force the people to obey the Church. Not only were the people in aw of the Church, but they also feared what would happen to them if they didn’t listen to the Church. The people didn’t just fear what the Church would do to them in this life, but they also feared what would happen to them in the afterlife.