21
Aug

Heaven & Hell in the Late Middle Ages

   Posted by: Xavier de Saint Simon   in Medieval Miscellany

The following was presented as a PowerPoint presentation as a Scrabble talk for the letter – yes, you guessed it! – “H”.

Questions?
•    What did the church have to say about those concepts?
•    How did the laity imagine heaven and hell?
•    How the great schism influenced the system of beliefs?
•    Who went to heaven and who went to hell?
•    How did those concepts influence political decisions?
•    What other concepts were available?
•    Should Richard III have been afraid to where he would end up in the after life?
•    Should Henry the VII have been afraid to where he would end up?
•    Could you choose where you ended up?

What did the church have to say about those concepts?
•    At the core of church doctrine as to where individuals will go in the afterlife.
•    Solemn offering of liturgy more important than personal religion.
•    Coming out of the grand schism, the papacy is reclaiming moral authority in triumphant ways.
•    Recognised the existence of purgatory officially at the Second Council of Lyon (1274) and the Council of Florence (1438–1445).
•    All are accountable to punishment or salvation until the last judgement when all will be saved except the pope whose automatic sanctity should save him de facto?

How did the laity imagine heaven and hell?
•    Those were physical locations in the sky and underground.
•    They were very real!
•    Unquestioned existence
•    Every life decision had to be weighed with this two afterlife options.
•    Indulgences the only respite?
•    Importance of relics and helping the church for redeeming

How the great schism influenced the system of beliefs?
•    Although still very powerful and respected, the church after the great schism has created the germ for dissent.
•    The multiplication of indulgences left the poor and rich question their value.
•    The church doesn’t know it yet, but it has offered the future reformers all the weapons they need to undermine its power.
•    Helped to start heresies (Wycliff’s lollards)

Who went to heaven and who went to hell?

To Heaven:
•    The meek
•    The good kings
•    The monks
•    The pope?

To hell:
•    The rich
•    The bad kings
•    The bad priests
•    The pope?

How did those concepts influence political decisions?
•    Religion was always a part of political intrigue and decision.
•    Any ruler needed tacit church approval to exert its power.

What other concepts were available?
•    Past heresies did not survive.
•    Closest heresy was from John Wycliff who created the Lollard movement.
•    The concepts of heaven and hell are still ever present in their doctrine, just the church’s role and some dogma such as transubstantiation are questioned?

Could you choose where you ended up?
•    The church accommodates the rich with indulgences and reassures the poor by promising heaven.
•    The importance of donations to the church in exchange of salvation if you could not have a perfect Christian life

Points for Discussion
•    Should Richard III have been afraid to where he would end up in the after life?
•    Should Henry the VII have been afraid to where he would end up?

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