The Church Expands and Enforces Its Power
Learn how medieval friars, the Franciscans and Dominicans, spread Christian teachings while the Church established the Inquisition to combat heresy and rising anti-Semitism in Grade 7 history.
Key Concepts
As the Church’s influence grew, new religious orders of friars , like the Franciscans and Dominicans, worked to spread Christian teachings among ordinary people in towns and cities.
To maintain its power and unity, the Church also sought to eliminate dissent. It established the Inquisition , a court designed to investigate and punish heresy—beliefs that contradicted official Church doctrine.
Common Questions
What were the Franciscans and Dominicans?
The Franciscans and Dominicans were orders of friars — religious men who lived and worked among ordinary people in towns and cities. Unlike monks who stayed in monasteries, friars traveled widely to spread Christian teachings to common people during the medieval period.
What was the Inquisition?
The Inquisition was a court established by the Catholic Church to investigate and punish heresy — beliefs that contradicted official Church doctrine. It was used to maintain religious unity and enforce the Church's authority over Christian communities in medieval Europe.
What was anti-Semitism in medieval Europe?
Anti-Semitism refers to hostility and prejudice directed at Jewish people. In medieval Europe, Christians frequently blamed Jews for societal problems, which led to persecution, violence, forced segregation in ghettos, and expulsions from various kingdoms.