HST114   Pagans, Christians and Heretics in Medieval Europe   (20 credits)

Description

One of the recurring themes in European history between the 4th and 13th centuries is the relationship between power and religion. In the period 300 - 1000, the dominant issue was the conversion of societies from paganism a term which covers a whole range of beliefs from the elaborate cults of the Roman Empire to the sacred trees of the German forests to Christianity, with its exclusive belief in one God and no other. The first part of this module aims to examine from a comparative perspective how and why this fundamental transformation occurred, considering both missionary activity and responses to it and attempting to assess the impact of Christianity upon the societies to which it spread. The second part of this course will examine the changing relationship between power and religion between 1000 and 1400, as the Roman Church became the most powerful institution in Europe and exerted an ever stronger influence over the lives of ordinary people, and new religious orders and ways of life emerged. The period witnessed the persecution of heresy as well as greater hostility to Latin Christianity's neighbours, most dramatically in the Crusades and other holy wars waged not only against Muslims but also against Greek Christians, pagans, heretics and even the Church's political enemies.

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