Medieval Times Dbq

Using 2-3 points, explain why the Church in Medieval times was so powerful
The Church in Medieval times was so powerful because they were a big influence on everyone during that time. Firstly, everyone was made to believe that they would go to hell if they disobeyed Church rules. Secondly, all the taxes (tithe) were paid to the Church. Finally, the Church was the only source of education.
First of all, the Church would scare the people, making them believe that they would go to hell if they did not follow Church rules. Even the King could be overthrown if he didn’t follow Church rules because of the Church’s power and influence. Obeying the Church’s rules would be like attending the Mass on Sundays and not sinning. We can prove this when it is stated, “The Church made sure that the fear of hell, with its fires and devils, was instilled in everyone.” (History Alive 8). This shows that the Church could make sure that everyone was afraid of the consequences since they had a lot of power over the villagers. The Church was so powerful that they could make sure that everyone was in shape and would pay their taxes on time. …show more content…
Ten percent of the crops or income that the peasants made was given to the Church and the Church would build other churches. A history textbook states, “The tithe required ten percent of a person’s income, or of what they produced, such as grain, eggs or livestock, should be paid to the Church.” (History Alive 8). This shows that the Church was so powerful that the people believed that they would only go to heaven if they paid the tax. The influence was major on the peasants. The taxes were then used to build churches to provide education as