Church over Government By Jada Head
We are the church!
Rome Falls
When Constantine divided the Roman Empire, he must not have known the future conflict to come. The Eastern side prospered, but the Western half went into the Dark Ages. Agricultural production declined causing higher food prices and another decline in the economy, fallen trade led to inflation, trade flow negatively effected by Germanic tribe attacks, and so much more. Visigoths, Vandals, Franks, Saxons, and other barbarians invaded the Roman Empire causing destruction, starvation, and a miserable life for the common Roman people. Plague eventually entered and killed most of the population- Rome had fallen.
The Church takes over
As Roman secular authority declined, church authority grew. Churches were responsible for many services such as caring for the sick & poor, solving disputes, and road/building care. Bishops and parish priests, similar to modern- day preachers, had lots of authority over the church and more.
Education spreads
Monasteries, monk communities, started to educate those that cared to be educated. Monks eventually started meeting outside of the monastery or in taverns. Soon after they started to build buildings. Those buildings later became colleges and universities.
Monks and Nuns
Clergy effected most of Rome. It was because of monks that the church came to have so much power. The monks provided all services, but all monks have different lifestyles. Middle aged society was made up of "men of prayer, men of war, and men of work." Those "men of prayer," were the monks. Women were not considered a part of "Clergy," therefore they were nuns or Abbey directors. Nuns did charitable work and never married, for they were the "Brides of Christ." Nuns were similar to monks, but they lived in walled communities called convents, led by nuns called, Abbesses.