medieval Europe terms

Christianity

A religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

Mary

Jesus's mother.

Joseph

Jesus's earthly father.

Jesus

Son of God in Christianity.

John the Baptist

Jesus’s cousin who performed a baptism on him.

Old Testament

All of the older Jewish texts.

New Testament

The new Christian texts that include Jesus's teachings and experiences.

Gospels

The first 4 books of the New Testament.

Seven Sacraments

Seven sacred rituals in Christianity.

Pontius Pilate

Roman authority figure who ordered Jesus’s execution.

Peter

Jesus’s #1 apostle, originally called Simon, who denied knowing Jesus three times.

Judas

Jesus’s apostle who betrayed him for a few silver coins.

Mary Magdalene

A woman in the Bible, often misunderstood as a prostitute.

Paul

An apostle who wrote letters urging conversions to Christianity.

Constantine

The first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity.

Heresy

A crime used to justify actions against perceived incorrect beliefs.

Monasticism

Practice of living religiously in isolated settings, such as monasteries.

Asceticism

Severe self-discipline and avoidance of indulgence for religious reasons.

Pope

Head of the Catholic Church.

Crusades

Holy wars in Christianity

Monasteries

Places during the Middle Ages for religious retreat and strict discipline.

Caesaropapism

The practice where the head of the church is also the head of the state.

Hegemony

Cultural influence so pervasive that it becomes normalized.

Lay Investiture

When rulers appoint bishops to gain religious power.

Excommunication

When the church cuts contact with an individual, denying them sacraments.

Interdict

When an entire region is excommunicated.

Scholasticism

Movement to revive Greek thinking and philosophy.

Saint Thomas Aquinas

A key figure in Scholasticism, author of the Summa Theologica.

Pope Innocent III

Pope who interdicted all of England, showcasing papal power.

Abraham

The patriarch of Judaism who entered a covenant with God.

Canaan

The promised land given to the Jews by God.

Moses

The leader who brought the Jews out of Egypt and received the Ten Commandments.

Exodus

The departure of the Israelites from Egypt.

Ten Commandments

Rules given to Moses on Mount Sinai by God.

Mount Sinai

The mountain where Moses received the Ten Commandments.

Torah

The primary holy text of Judaism, containing the original scriptures.

Talmud

The interpretation of the Torah.

Philistines

The group the Jews fought to reclaim Canaan.

David

The biblical figure chosen to fight Goliath.

Goliath

The Philistine warrior defeated by David.

Messiah

A savior or liberator in religious contexts.

Solomon

David's son, known for building the Temple of Solomon.

Rabbi

A Jewish scholar or teacher.

Babylonians

The group that conquered Canaan from the Israelites.

Monotheism

The belief in a single, all-powerful God.

Kosher

Food laws that observant Jews must follow.

Sabbath

The holy day of rest for Jewish people.

Prophets

Individuals chosen to communicate God's messages to people.

Feudalism

The political and military system of hierarchical land ownership.

Manorialism

The economic and social system prevalent during feudalism.

Serfs

Peasants bound to the manor under the feudal system.

Freeman

Individuals with some rights and skills, slightly above serfs.

Lords

Noblemen who granted fiefs to vassals in exchange for loyalty.

Vassals

Individuals who received land from lords in exchange for service.

Fief

A piece of land granted by a lord to a vassal.

The Franks

A Germanic tribe that dominated much of Europe.

Charlemagne

King crowned as Emperor of the Romans on Christmas Day in 800.

Clovis

The first king of the Franks to convert to Christianity.

Charles Martel

A leader who fought against the Muslim Moors at Tours.

Axial Age

A historical period (800 BC-200 AD) noted for significant philosophical developments.

Three Field System

Agricultural practice where ⅔ of land was cultivated at a time.

Primogeniture

The right of the firstborn child to inherit the entire estate.

Chivalry

The medieval knightly system with religious, moral, and social codes.

Law Merchants

Merchants responsible for maintaining order and justice within the trade.

Parliaments

Councils or assemblies of representatives who advise the monarch.