Lesson 2: Christianity Spreads

Key Idea

After the Roman Empire fell, Christianity was mostly contained within its old borders. Dedicated individuals called missionaries traveled to new lands like Ireland and Britain to spread their faith.

These religious figures worked to convert pagan populations, who followed polytheistic religions. Missionaries like St. Patrick established churches and taught Christian beliefs. Through their efforts, Christianity slowly expanded across northern Europe, creating a foundation for a larger Christian community.

Key Idea

Some Christians chose to live apart from society to dedicate their lives fully to God. They formed religious communities called monasteries for men, known as monks, and convents for women, known as nuns.

Many of these communities followed the Benedictine Rule, a set of instructions that organized daily life. This rule created a balance between prayer, work, and study.

Key Idea

The Catholic Church taught that people needed its sacred rites, called sacraments, to achieve salvation. This belief gave the Church great spiritual authority over everyone, from peasants to kings.

This spiritual influence helped the Church gain worldly, or secular, power. Rulers and nobles often gave land and money to the Church. As a major landowner, the Church also gained political power, advising kings and shaping laws. This combination of spiritual and secular authority made the Church a central force in medieval life.

Key Idea

As Christianity spread across Europe, it began to unite different groups of people. From Ireland to Italy, people who once only identified with their local tribe or kingdom now shared the same religious beliefs and practices.

This created the idea of Christendom, a single community of all Christians. This belief gave Europeans a common identity that went beyond political borders. People saw themselves as part of a large, unified Christian world, guided by the Church.