Medieval Era:  Church and Culture

European culture underwent a great deal of change during the Medieval time period.  Due to the constant evolution of the Christian Church and culture during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the church found it more difficult to offer support to everyone. Rather than addressing the diversity of problems faced by the High Middle Ages utilizing spiritual means, the church decided to attract people by using music as entertainment, rather than just as a means to praise God.

The music created, Notre Dame organum, was the tool utilized to attract these lost souls. The music was much more artistic than spiritual. In essence, the music assured the church that people would not turn to other sources for their intellectual and artistic needs.

Tasks and Assignments:

Now its time to check your understanding of the concepts covered in this section. Please return to the classroom and complete all the tasks and assignments listed in the section Tasks and Assignments folder.