Biographical Information Bernard of Clairvaux was the founding abbot of Clairvaux Abbey in Burgundy, France. He was one of the most commanding Church leaders in the twelfth century, one of the greatest spiritual masters of all times and the most powerful propagator of the Cistercian reform. Born to the highest and very religious nobility in Burgundy, France, Bernard had a naturally strong intellect as well as a genuinely religious nature from a young age which showed when he was sent away to study in a college of secular canons (members of a cathedral chapter or of a collegiate church). This later led to Bernard becoming one of the most eloquent and influential man in his age. The Impact of Faith and Religion on the Person’s Lives Faith and religion had an enormous impact on Bernard’s life, namely that it governed how he went about daily and how he became an extremely prominent figure in Paris later in life, which was one of the most influential people in his age, and also canonized and declared a Doctor of the Church. Early in Bernard’s life he was confused about where he was heading and so one day he knelt in prayer to ask for God’s guidance in regards to his future. When he rose all previous self-doubt in his mind had vanished and he was resolved to follow the strict Cistercian way of life. This guidance led to Bernard joining the Benedictine monastery at Citeaux at 22, then later being appointed abbot in the Valley of Wormwood and becoming one of the most recognised people of his age with princes, popes and bishops repeatedly seeking his counsel to resolve disputes and give opinions on how to overcome problems involving churches. Bernard’s religion impacted him greatly as it allowed him to devote his life to the Cistercian wa... ... middle of paper ... ...r religion also allowed them to cling to a purpose in their life which was to go to Heaven once they died. The Church provided fear of the devil and Hell which motivated them to be better people and workers. The religion of peasants impacted their lives very much, with full time servants only getting a break from work to attend mass on Sundays, and it was their console when times were punishing. Their religion not only helped peasants spiritually but the Church itself offered tangible assistance in the form of food and other necessities. The Church also provided a source of education, baptisms, marriages, and the last rites before a person died. But the most prominent way in which religion and faith impacted peasants was how they guided the moral decisions that peasants made on a daily basis, and what they strived toward for their whole life; admittance into Heaven.
Capuchin monk, who played a decisive role as the “eminence rise” (gray eminence), Richelieu’s confidant and envoy in the cardinal’s efforts to increase royal power in France and aboard.
In the book, Matteo Ricci, a pious Christian, tried to impress the Chinese by using his memory skills. He also hoped that they can be interested in his culture and thus interested in God (p. 140). Under that time fierce political and financial situation and religious fermentation, it was really tough for Ricci and other preachers to preach in China. In order to reach goal which make the people in China believe in god, they went through a lot of difficulties. But also because of these difficulties, they shattered Ricci’s original dream which was easy to preaching in a different country into pieces. Ricci and others thus tried to find another accessible and more realistic way to achieve their goals.
When Jesus walked the earth his twelve disciples put aside all of their worldly possessions and worldly pursuits to fully and faithfully follow him. After the fall of Rome, Europe slipped into what has been referred to as the “dark ages.” However, even in these dark ages men and women put aside their secular desires and devoted themselves to a life of celibacy and simplicity. This similar desire between many people drew them together and this pursuit became know as monasticism. No one had a bigger influence on this way of life and on these people who chose this calling than Saint Benedict of Nursia. His teachings and life would have an impact on monasticism all throughout Europe helping to form its spirituality and culture.
Armand was extremely intelligent and at the age of nine was sent to College de Navarre in Paris. Originally, Armand was to have had a military career and his older brother Alphonse was to have a religious life, but Alphonse suffered mental problems so, at the age of seventeen, Armand began to study theology seriously, in order to keep the Bishopric in the family. Armand's mother had fought hard for this title and would not let it go easily. He took to his religious studies easily and because of his health problems was ideally suited to this life. In 1606 then Abbe Armand de Richelieu was appointed Bishop of Lucon and in 1622, Pope Gregory appointed him a Cardinal.
IT WASN’T EASY LIVING IN THE MIDDLE AGES. In the middle ages 400 AD thru 1300 AD, there was a system call the hierarchy. The hierarchy was the feudalism system that was based on mutual obligations.The highest person in the royalty system would be the king, the king has all power and control over everyone. The next in the hierarchy would be the clergy, the clergy is filled with Popes, bishops, archdeacons, abbot, priors, deans, priests, and monk. You wouldn’t think their would be any other people under the monks, but they were. After the monks there were friars, clerics, vicars, barber surgeons, chaplains, confessors, scribes, and culdees. The people on the bottom of the hierarchy were the system of peasantry. Some peasants had more rights than others such as, the vallien was the wealthy class of peasants. Serfs and commoner lived in small communities, they couldn't leave or marry without their lord's permission. Next in line came the smallholder, they were the middle class peasants who farmed more than a cottager, but less land than a vallien. Some people owned the farms and worked on it. In the middle ages there were women and men who practiced being trappist. People chose to give their life to the churches because they found it a more appealing way to get closer to God. For the women, they gave up everything to become a nun because they weren’t able to be educated. Once the women became nuns they were able to learn how to read and write. As for men, they became monks because they were being offered a peaceful quiet place to escape from the violence in the world and get more close to their god. Women and men in the middle ages preferred to devote their lives to churches, because they found it a better lifestyle.
“Religious exclusiveness was the foremost principle of their society. The spiritual beliefs that they held were strong. This strength held over to include community laws and customs. Since God was at the forefront of their minds, He was to motivate all of their actions. This premise worked both for them and against them” (Kizer).
of religious life. This led to a religion to being a choice instead of being forced to
Religion used to be the separation of the sacred from the profane. The sacred refers to that which is set apart from society, and mundane life. The profane, on the other hand, is everything else, all those mundane things like jobs, bills, and chores. Through religion, the practice of maintaining the distance between the two realms of the sacred and profane world is in tact. By attending church,
Bernard. Thomas Merton was asked to write the book. Thomas Merton based a lot of his life off of the things St. Bernard did. Thomas Merton did quite a bit of studying on St. Bernard and it is evident in the The Last of the Fathers. The Last of the Fathers is close to serving a biography of St. Bernard. The book talks about certain years in St. Bernard’s life. There are three main years that Thomas Merton focuses on. The years are: 1115, 1124 and 1145.These three years are Thomas Merton’s attempt to provide an outline of St. Bernard’s travels in the service of God, to describe his monastic reforms, his new foundations, and his interventions in the affairs of kings, bishops and such. In 1115 St Bernard is young and takes over as abbot at the age of twenty-five. St. Bernard practically saved the life of a new monastery at the time, Clairvoux. In 1124 St. Bernard nears the end of a providential reform that will prepare him for his works later in life. This is where we get his “religion”. Based on Thomas Merton’s dedication to learning about St. Bernard I believe that Thomas Merton also has a pretty strong belief in the same thing. St. Bernard says that he has to learn that man is not an angel, that monks still have bodies, and that man is supposed to be divinized by grace and not destroyed by it. St. Bernard talks about how one Saint who is pure and spiritual does not feel temptation is different than
Many bishops and abbots (especially in countries where they were also territorial princes) bore themselves as secular rulers rather than as servants of the Church. Many members of cathedral chapters and other beneficed ecclesiastics were chiefly concerned with their income and how to increase it, especially by uniting several prebends (even episcopal sees) in the hands of one person, who thus enjoyed a larger income and greater power. Luxury prevailed widely among the higher clergy, while the lower clergy were often oppressed. The scientific and ascetic training of the clergy left much to be desired, the moral standard of many being very low, and the practice of celibacy not everywhere observed. Not less serious was the condition of many monasteries of men, and even of women (which were often homes for the unmarried daughte...
In the midst of the many events of the sixteenth century, a schism of the Catholic Church was due to the political, social, and economic aspects of life. Religion was ultimately the cause of the schism and was also greatly affected by the aftermath. To see this, one can observe the opposition to the Church at the time, the lack of a secular state, and the Church’s “need” for funds obtained via indulgences. Around this time, life was forever impacted by the many ideas differing from the Catholic Church.
The Roman Catholic Church had complete influence over the lives of everyone in medieval society including their beliefs and values. The Church’s fame in power and wealth had provided them with the ability to make their own laws and follow their own social hierarchy. With strong political strength in hand, the Church could even determine holidays and festivals. It gained significant force in the arts, education, religion, politics as well as their capability to alter the feudal structure through their wealth and power.
Religion can answer questions about some of the most important issues in a person’s life which is seen as a satisfactory response to the individual (23). Historically, this conversion toward morality means that the impact of god(s) or of religion has altered toward the interaction between the individual and society (23-24). In result of this conversion: the rules concerning communication within society were revealed as undisputable, and the difficulties of civilization were used by religionists in order to advertise their god(s) as an answer that offers a complete religious world-view (23-25). When someone is learning something whether it be in school or just a lesson in life, there is usually a presentation of reasoning as to why a person should believe it. A source of knowledge is also a way of regulating a
Religion helps establish mankind’s place in the order of the universe. As civilization began to be established through the domestication of animals, the irrigation and cultivation of agricultural crops, and life became more complex (moving from mainly a hunter/gather existence to one that could settle down and have more time to consider advanced ideas) people began to consider questions such as, where life comes from, is there a creator or creators who helped make the world, and what happens after we die. Religion helped answer some of these questions. It gave people purpose, meaning, and perspective. Religion helped establish nations in the case of religious theocratic governments. In many of the ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptians, the Mayans, and even Mesopotamia, the priests and other religious leaders played prominent roles in help shaping the laws and government of these civilizations. As his...
...hic Catholic religion. The mobility of a new mercantile class and the growth of nation-states challenged the rigidity of the feudal system, while at the same time, growing secularism (like Machiavelli's) separated daily worldly activity from the religious domain. What was previously divinely ordained and unchanging grew subject to human control and manipulation.