High and Late Middle Ages Christianity

pope urban ii @ council of clermont, preached first crusade

in west, 11th century onward, older cathedral schools developed universities (see university of oxford, university of paris , university of bologna.) traditional medieval universities—evolved catholic , protestant church schools—then established specialized academic structures educating greater numbers of students professionals. prof. walter rüegg, editor of history of university in europe, reports universities trained students become clerics, lawyers, civil servants , physicians.

originally teaching theology, universities steadily added subjects including medicine, philosophy , law, becoming direct ancestors of modern institutions of learning. university regarded institution has origin in medieval christian setting. prior establishment of universities, european higher education took place hundreds of years in christian cathedral schools or monastic schools (scholae monasticae), in monks , nuns taught classes; evidence of these immediate forerunners of later university @ many places dates 6th century ad.

accompanying rise of new towns throughout europe, mendicant orders founded, bringing consecrated religious life out of monastery , new urban setting. 2 principal mendicant movements franciscans , dominicans founded st. francis , st. dominic respectively. both orders made significant contributions development of great universities of europe. new order cistercians, large isolated monasteries spearheaded settlement of former wilderness areas. in period church building , ecclesiastical architecture reached new heights, culminating in orders of romanesque , gothic architecture , building of great european cathedrals.

from 1095 under pontificate of urban ii, crusades launched. these series of military campaigns in holy land , elsewhere, initiated in response pleas byzantine emperor alexios aid against turkish expansion. crusades failed stifle islamic aggression , contributed christian enmity sacking of constantinople during fourth crusade.

over period stretching 7th 13th century, christian church underwent gradual alienation, resulting in schism dividing so-called latin or western christian branch, roman catholic church, , eastern, largely greek, branch, orthodox church. these 2 churches disagree on number of administrative, liturgical , doctrinal issues, notably papal primacy of jurisdiction. second council of lyon (1274) , council of florence (1439) attempted reunite churches, in both cases eastern orthodox refused implement decisions , 2 principal churches remain in schism present day. however, roman catholic church has achieved union various smaller eastern churches.

beginning around 1184, following crusade against cathar heresy, various institutions, broadly referred inquisition, established aim of suppressing heresy , securing religious , doctrinal unity within christianity through conversion , prosecution.