What impact did the church have on education and art in Medieval Europe?

Answer 1

Roman Catholic AnswerMost of the formal education (education outside of the home) was started by the Church. From the parish priest instructing the children in their Catechism up to the Benedictine monks who started the first schools and colleges.

Answer 2

Most, but not all, of the early schools were operated by Church organizations, and monks, nuns, and priests also were tutors to children of the nobility. Some of the early schools founded during the Early Middle Ages are still around, the oldest being the King's School in Canterbury, which was opened in 597.

Part of the result of this was that educated people usually read and wrote Latin, which became the common language of Western Europe, even in areas where it had not been used in ancient times.

Added by DaveScriv:

Because schools were operated by churches, there wasn't much teaching at all about anything apart from religious studies. For a present day equivalent I think the limited education given to children in Amish communities in the US & Canada gives an idea of what society would be like if the medieval system had continued. Sure, it looks picturesque and has a certain charm at first glance, until you really think how it limits the opportunities of those kids, and the consequences for society if everyones' education was still like that.

Answer 3

If by Medieval Europe you are referring to the time between the fall of Rome and the start of the "Renaissance" then the church had a great impact. The Church (and we are taking soley about the Catholic Church) was the center of learning a knowledge during the Medieval period. Learning took place through the use of books and because modern printing had not been invented books were very expensive. Most books were made by monks which copied the texts by hand. This gave the Church access to the material needed to foster knowledge and promote learning. As far as art is concerned the Church had its influence in that it was the single most powerful force in Europe. If the church didn't like your art then you could very literally be killed for producing it. The Church was also a producer of art because it had money and could afford to commission painters, sculptures and other works. Most if not all of these works had religious themes and thus promoted the Church.

Answer 4

Catholic AnswerIn several ways, and all of them were the monasteries, primarily the Benedictine monasteries, along with the Cistercians. The monasteries copied textbooks, including the great classics from antiquity, they kept learning alive by keeping Latin (and to some extent, Greek). They taught school, not just their own, but they taught students from the surrounding countryside.

Answer 5

chickens