Medieval Church Influence On Medieval Society

During the Middle Ages, the church heavily influenced medieval society. Many peoples’ lives revolved around and relied on the church. The church assumed duties that were usually associated with government. They owned land, charged taxes, operated courts, and ran schools. Often, high church officials who hoped to find a place in heaven donated large sums of money to the church, making the church the largest landowner in Europe. The church even had its own set of laws called the canon laws. Everyone was expected to obey, even the lords. If anyone were to go against these laws, they were to be excommunicated. Excommunication meant that the person was not aloud to participate in the church and also had some of his or her legal rights taken away