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As Christianity was the core of medieval living, the Roman catholic church was the institution that people looked to for faith and as a way of life. Because the priests of the church were the only people that could read in the entire village, the only education they chose to provide was teachings from The Bible about the Lord and how he wanted us to live and behave. They could chose what to read to the people, and nobody would know any different.
They taught the nobles, and created holidays. The medieval world revolved around the church and if you were excommunicated from it your life just about ended. Everyone was a believer in Christ and at some points in the medieval world the church was more powerful than the monarch. There is one famous legend where the pope actually excommunicated a monarch.
The church was the main power in the middle ages. Everyone was Catholic and it not only told the entire society how to think and behave, but also the kings.
When the Catholic Church came to Europe, most of the Europeans were not Catholic. So, when they came, large numbers of people became Catholic.
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LaoMedieval European Culture is Catholic; it is a manifestation of the Church's Dogma's, doctrines and tenets. These qualities were brought to fruition through the monastic system (St. Benedict) after the legalization of the Christendom (edict of Milan ~315 AD). From this point forward, the Church was at liberty to spread the gospel and practice its fruit (faith, hope, charity). From this came the birth of the modern hospital (5th century), refined agricultural and animal husbandry practices, preservation of classical works of antiquity (pagan and secular letters, art, etc.), development of water mills, the Latin alphabet and grammar (Carolingian minuscule), primary, secondary and tertiary education
(the university), modern law (divine, natural, civil), economics (capitalism), music (notation, polyphonic, homophonic), science (the scientific method), culinary arts (cheese making, baking, wine, cordials, beer), perspective (3D qualities) in art, and saved Western Europe from aMuslim conquest (the Crusades)to name a few. She has also given us our Holy Bible (The council of Rome 382 AD). It is a shame that many post reformation (protestant) scholars have ignored these facts and have chosen to focus and/or exaggeratesome ill aspects of the RCC's
history. I believe an unbiased review of her contributions exponentially out-ways her drawbacks.
religion was a unifying institution. It also led to many wars, burnings at the stake, persecutions, ect.
What happened, was that Europe was converted from Pagan (Roman), to Roman Catholic.
After the fall of the political state of Rome, in the West, (the Empire continued in the East), the strongest social, and educational institution remaining was the Catholic Church, under the various Popes.
The Catholic Church had it's schisms, spiltting too, and at one time there were at least two Popes, one of them in France.
But, eventually, because the church had it's central bases, and main power in the larger cities, it grew in power. Merchant classes supported the Church, due to the Church's spending. It built huger cathedrals, and provided hospital care for the ill, and food for the hungry.
Eventually the countryside converted to Catholicism, because they had to deal with the cities, and merchant class. They also required the social services of the central church.
Because most "heathen", pagan peoples believe in multiple Gods, it was not difficult for them to "convert" to accept another God, Jesus, or priesthood, because they were polytheists.
Eventually, the Church was strong enough to persecute and root out those with different dogma. Blasphemy became a capital crime.
But, overall, the Church (not just religion) helped unify Europe into many different strong states.
For a while, the Pope had to "bless" or recognize the Kings, or main leaders too. Without the blessiogs of the Pope, a leader was doomed.
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