1.1.7

The Church

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The Anglo-Saxon Church

The Church was one of the most important institutions in Anglo-Saxon life. It remained important under the Normans.

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Bishops

  • Bishops held important status in society.
    • Bishops were in charge of church districts.
  • Bishops were represented in the Witan (the king's council) too.
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Administrative role of the church

  • The Church provided clerks (like secretaries) and record-keepers to the king, as most of society could not read or write and many people in the church could.
  • But local priests were not very rich, not very literate and mostly lived as peasants.
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The Church in Europe

  • The Catholic Church was a dominant institution throughout Europe.
  • All villages had a priest (who was Catholic).
  • The Pope lived in Rome (in Vatican City) and was very influential across Europe.
    • The Pope was a political as well as spiritual leader. In the 15th century, the Pope's son, Cesare Borgia would go on military campaigns against cities with his father's blessing as the Catholic ruler on Earth.

Jump to other topics

1Anglo-Saxon England & The Norman Conquest, 1060-66

2William I in Power: Securing the Kingdom, 1066-87

3Norman England, 1066-88

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