The Investiture Controversy: A Comparative Analysis

Throughout the middle ages, and more specifically for the sake of this essay the 5th to the 15th century, religion was a cause for great collaboration and, by contrast, great conflict between secular and ecclesiastical rulers. The Council of Nicea discussed Constantine’s desire for a Christianity to be the official religion of Rome. The Carolingians and Pippinids proved that there are benefits from working together with the church. Their dynasty was to be the first rule by divine leadership. Furthermore, the Christianisation of Europe (which in this case concerns Clovis and King Arthur) explores how secular authorities were converting and joining the church. By contrast, the iconoclasm shows a great conflict between two opposing ideas (between Gregory II and Leo III). Next, the Sunni and the Shia Muslims show a great conflict between one another to succeed as ecclesiastical rulers. Theodosius’ and Gelasius’ primary texts both show specific conflicts between religion and secular powers. The Great Schism is an …show more content…
The idea was that the clergy should be named by the church to essentially keep the church within the church, in favour of being named by the secular. The conflict itself reaches its peak between Pope Gregory VII and Henry IV (who was merely a youth). Henry, with the support of bishops appointed ecclesiastic positions in his realm, in order to gain maximum control of his realm. Pope Gregory VII (adversely) claimed he had a mission to purify the church and in order to do so, he needed to have total control over ecclesiastical appointments (to put an end to royal control under Henry IV, etc). This conflict lasts beyond the death of both Gregory and Henry. Eventually, the papacy emerges from this lengthy conflict between the emperor and the church. They are acknowledged as supreme ruler of Christendom. These are the Gregorian Reforms (r,