The Reform Of The Western Church - 888 Words

Three main basic challenges existed in Europe, leading to the need for reform of the Western church: moral failings of the church – across all levels of leadership, uncertainty toward theology and knowledge as Byzantine influence worked its way westward, and political and economic contentions between the church, secular structures of power, and the people. Along with the need for reform came ripeness for change in the form of the printing press, movement away from Latin to national languages, growing unrest of the peasantry, and the demise of the feudal system. Corruption in the church ranged from the papacy to the local priests. The Great Schism weakened the papacy, and councils fought each other. Monastic discipline and scholastic excellence declined into lax rigor. Local priests were uneducated and positions of leadership bought by nobility for illegitimate children (Gonzà ¡lez, 7-8). Europe’s people were polarized between trusting the church as they had for centur ies and mourning their growing lack of trust as the church’s immorality spread. Byzantine thinkers and scholars had flooded Western Europe after Constantinople’s fall, alerting the Western church to just how far their religious scholarship had strayed from the original texts. The Greek language resurged and questions of theological â€Å"rightness† surfaced; a movement to return to study of scripture emerged (Gonzà ¡lez, 9). Ancient disciplines of science and reason also re-emerged, alongside the development of theShow MoreRelatedPeter I ( The Great ) Became Tsar Of Russia1169 Words   |  5 Pagescomprehensive reforms designed to modernize and develop Russia during his reign. In The Revolution of Peter the Great, James Cracraft’s portrays the Tsar as an ambitious and pivotal leader that sought to create a modern and powerful nation that could compete with other European Powers. 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In The Revolution of Peter the Great, James Cracraft’s portrays the Tsar as an ambitious and pivotal leader who sought to create a modern and powerful nation that rivalled those in Western European. Peter desired to reform Russian government by establishing new bureaucratic, civil, and educational institutions within the state. Peter also promoted change for Russian traditions, society, and the church. Cracraft arguesRead MoreChhi 301 Papacy Paper1697 Words   |  7 PagesRAMIFICATIONS OF THE PAPACY’S POWER IN ROME Church History 301 April 20, 2014    Ramifications of the Papacy’s Power in Rome The papacy – the office held by the pope as head of the Catholic Church - gained great power from the sixth through eighth centuries, and there are several reasons for this surge in influence. Starting around 590, Pope Gregory I sought to convert Teutonic invaders to Christianity. Islam was also in play, as it had taken over most of Asia and Africa. 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