8.1.4

What was the Role of the Church in Everyday Life?

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What was the Role of the Church in Everyday Life?

The Church shaped what you could do each day of the week; organised all important events in your life and even had the final say in what would happen after your death.

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Everyday life

  • The Church shaped what you could do on each day of the week.
  • Monday-Saturday was for work, and Sunday was for prayer and contemplation.
  • The Church also decided which days you could have off for "holy days", which became our modern "holiday".
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Important events

  • The Church organised all the important events in your life.
  • When a baby was born, it would be baptised and welcomed into the Church community.
  • Big events like marriages and funerals would also be run through the Church.
  • It was also the focus and meeting place for village life, and the church was at the centre of every settlement.
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Death

  • The Church also had the final say in what would happen to you after death.
  • According to older teachings, to reach Heaven, you needed to attend Church services every week, behave as a good Christian and give your tithe money to the Church.
  • Therefore, it was extremely important to do as the Church said.
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The Tithe

  • The Tithe was a tax everybody had to pay to the Church.
  • In England, it was around 10% of your income; you could pay it with money or with goods produced on the farm, as the majority of the population were farmers.

Jump to other topics

1Empires East & West: 1000 AD

1.1The Rise & Fall of Ancient China’s Empire

1.2The Medieval Greatness of the Byzantine Empire

1.3The Golden Age of the Islamic Empire

1.4The Politics & Power of the Holy Roman Empire

1.5Medieval Religion

1.6The Influence of the Church in Medieval Times

1.7How Religion Tested the Power of Kings

1.8Dynastic Challenges to Medieval Monarchs

1.9Challenges to Medieval Monarchs

1.10Revolts, Rebellions & Rights

1.11Medieval England & Her Neighbours

1.12European Renaissance

1.13Norman Conquest & Control

1.14Historical Skills

2The Medieval World: 450-1450 AD

2.1Anglo-Saxon England

2.2The Contest for the English Throne

2.3Conquering the Holy Land, 10-96-1396 AD

2.4King John

2.5The Magna Carta & Parliament

2.6The Black Death

3Worldviews

4The Empire of Mali: 1076-1670 AD

5The Renaissance & Reformations: 1500-1598 AD

6The British Empire: 1583-1960 AD

7The Peasants' Revolt: 1381 AD

8Religion in the Middle Ages

9Slavery: 1619-1833 AD

10The English Civil War: 1642-1660 AD

11The Industrial Revolution: 1750-1840 AD

12US Independence: 1775-1783 AD

13The French Revolution: 1789-1815 AD

14The British Empire: 1857–1930 AD

15Suffrage: 1840-1928 AD

16World War 1: 1914-1918 AD

17The Inter-War Years: 1919-1939 AD

18World War 2: 1939-1945 AD

19The Cold War: 1947-1962 AD

20Civil Rights in the USA: 1954-1975 AD

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