Everyday Faith in the Middle Ages: Christian History Timeline
January 1, 1996
CHURCH & STATE 1000 1000 Society composed of three orders: those who pray, those who fight, those who work 1073–1085 Pope Gregory VII presses to end simony (sale of church offices), enforce clerical celibacy, and establish papal supremacy 1095 Pope Urban II calls for a crusade to aid Eastern Christians threatened by Muslims 1100 c. 1150 Universities of Paris and Bologna founded; they take the lead in scholastic theology and canon law 1198–1216 Innocent III, greatest lawyer pope, raises papacy’s power to its height 1200 1215 Fourth Lateran Council declares transubstantiation, obliges Christians to confess sins and receive Communion once a year, and proclaims a crusade against heretical Cathars 1294 In reaction to church legalism and bureaucracy, pious hermit Peter Morone is elected pope (Celestine V); after five disastrous months, he resigns 1300 1300 Pope Boniface VIII proclaims first jubilee year; offers plenary indulgence to pilgrims who come to Rome; thousands come 1305–1377 The “Babylonian Captivity”—the pope resides at Avignon, France 1377 Pope returns to Rome; the next year Great Papal Schism opens—Christendom divided between two (and after 1409, three) rival popes 1400 1414–1418 The Council of Constance restores church unity; burns Jan Hus for heresy. EVERYDAY FAITH 1000 c. 1000 Christian laity seek a more active religious role c. 1050 Growing popularity of pilgrimages to Rome, Santiago de Compostela (in Spain), and the Holy Land 1096 Peter the Hermit leads the “People’s Crusade” to disaster 1100 Mid–1100s Cathar and Waldensian movements spread
Bernard of Clairvaux inspires reform in the Cistercian order 1200 c. 1200 The doctrine of purgatory takes shape Early 1200s Francis of Assisi and Dominic of Calaruega found religious orders dedicated to apostolic poverty and preaching
Growing devotion to Communion leads to creation of Feast of Corpus Christi Mid–1200s Flagellant processions spread and inspire lay religious societies (confraternities) Late 1200s Thousands of masses endowed for the dead in purgatory 1300 1347–1350 Black Death kills one-third of Europe, sparking flagellant processions and attacks on Jews Late 1300s The Lollard movement, inspired by John Wycliffe, spreads
Female visionaries flourish: Catherine of Siena, Bridget of Sweden, and Julian of Norwich 1400 Early 1400s Reform movements sweep through religious orders ART & LITERATURE 1000 1098 Anselm writes Why Did God Become Man? 1100 c. 1100 Romanesque art represents Christ in majesty and the Virgin enthroned 1121 Abelard publishes Yes and No 1141 Hildegard of Bingen first writes of her visions Late 1100s Gothic architecture celebrates God’s glory in soaring vaults and stained glass 1200 1260 Chartres Cathedral finished 1273 Thomas Aquinas leaves Summa Theologica unfinished Late 1200s Artists depict Jesus as one who suffers 1300 1305 Dante begins Divine Comedy 1386 Chaucer begins Canterbury Tales 1400 1418 First appearance of Thomas Kempis’s The Imitation of Christ 1455 First printed Bible by Gutenberg Copyright © 1996 by the author or Christianity Today International/Christian History magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Christian History.
 |
|  |
 | | | | Subscribe to Christianity Today and
get 3 free trial issues. No credit card required.
|
 |
|
No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. Click here for International orders.
If you decide you want to keep Christianity Today coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive 9 more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The three trial issues are yours to keep, regardless.
Give a gift subscription | Buy past issues |
| | | | |
 |
|  |
Easily find high-quality, well-researched materials that provide a Christian perspective on topics ranging from headlines to history.
Start using this invaluable tool TODAY for preparing your Bible studies, presentations, class lectures, sermons, meetings, and more.
|
It's easy and quick to join:
Brought to You by Christianity Today Int'l |  |
|
| 
Find similar articles
Print this article
E-mail this page
Bookmark this article
