Religion In The Middle Ages

One of the most important subjects in today’s society and in the Middle Ages is religion. For monotheistic religions, the belief that there is a singular higher power that has authority over us, is everything. The primary religion in England during the Middle Ages is Christianity. It is evident in the works of many Old English authors, such as Bede, that Christianity plays a key role in trying to reach an audience. Religion is a major part of everyone’s life in the Middle Ages because it teaches people how to go about their daily business and how to treat others. In order to find out how to live their life according to God, Christians look in the Bible. Jewish people may look to the Tanakh, and Catholics may look to the Bible with less emphasis
on the Old Testament, and more on the deuterocanonical books. Judith is a poem written in Old English that is similar to The Book of Judith, which can be found in the Anglo-Saxon Latin Bible. The Book of Judith and is also a deuterocanonical book that is studied in the Catholic Church as opposed to the Old Testament. Although the poem Judith presents a dispute between Christianity, Catholicism, and Judaism, it still embodies the theme of God. God’s chosen people, the Israelites, have been persecuted throughout history. In Judith, the Israelites are being controlled by an Assyrian General named Holofernes. Judith is an Israelite and manages to sneak into General Holofernes’ camp and seduce him while he is drunk. Judith is a virgin, and instead kills General Holofernes in order to save her people from more heartache and pain. Judith returns to her people with General Holofernes’ head and they believe in her. Judith leads the Israelites to take back their land against the Assyrians. The Assyrians, without their leader, are helpless, and this allows Judith to take back the promised land. The Catholic Church, Christianity, and Judaism also believe the God is the singular higher power, yet they disagree when it comes to other significant figures in their religion.
This poem is filled with several references to Christianity and the Bible. To start, the setting of Judith takes place in the Middle East. The Assyrians, although in this poem are under General Holofernes, are led by King Nebuchadnezzar. “Both Sisera and Holofernes are the head commanders of foreign armies and act on behalf of the kings they represent (King Jabin and King Nebuchadnezzar)” (Wilson). ¬¬¬¬¬ King Nebuchadnezzar can be found in several places throughout the Bible, but primarily in the Old Testament. The main point that this poem gets across is salvation. The overall message in the Bible is salvation. In Christianity, God is the singular higher power, and Jesus is at his side. Catholics and Jews disagree when discussing who exactly Jesus is. The main message in Christianity and the Bible is that Jesus sacrifices himself for the sins of everyone. Judith risks her life for the good of her people when she goes into the enemy camp and kills General Holofernes. Judith is also compared to Moses because she is instructed by God to lead her people back to the promised land. Moses leads the Israelites out of slavery and out of Egypt into the promised land. “Judith draws attention to this term and its application to the heroine—the fact that she is emphatically “blessed” resounds throughout this
particular section of the narrative… Judith is also remembered as a woman warrior who kills a man on behalf of the nation of Israel and, as a result, is proclaimed blessed” (Wilson). In the eyes of the people, Judith becomes a savior, very much like Moses and Jesus. “the Old English Judith retells the Biblical story in the traditional language of Anglo-Saxon poetry” (Momma). This Old English poem really shows its Christianity due to the fact that the main religion of people in England before the Norman Conquest is Christianity. Catholicism and Christianity are very similar, yet they have many differences. Christians focus more on the Bible and Jesus. Catholics focus more on Jesus’s mother, Mary. Catholics also focus more on the New Testament rather than the Old Testament. In place of the latter, Catholics have deuterocanonical books. The Book of Judith is a deuterocanonical book in the Catholic Church. After the Norman Conquest, Latin and influences of Roman culture begin to influence England. This then leads to the foundation of the Catholic Church in Britain. During this time period is where the line blur between Christianity and Catholicism. However, the poem Judith contains values that can also be found in Catholicism. In the poem Judith, Judith is a virgin that is set out to save her people. In the Bible, Jesus’ mother, Mary, becomes pregnant, although she is a virgin. Virgins are universally depicted as pure. Judith is sometimes compared to Mary due to their similar qualities. “Indeed, Luke 1:42 has played a significant role in causing the church to consider Jael and Judith as types of Mary” (Wilson). Catholics will pray to Mary rather than Jesus sometimes, which is much different than Christianity. When it comes to studying the Bible, Catholics sometimes ignore the Old Testament and focus more on their own deuterocanonical books. Within these books is The Book of Judith, which is what the poem, Judith, describes. Catholics study The Book of Judith, and this may be because of the Norman Conquest. Once the religions mixed, someone may think Judith is easier to believe than the Bible, thus leading to the deuterocanonical books. Completely opposite of Catholicism, Judaism teaches more about the Old Testament than the New Testament.
Jewish people know that Jesus was real, but they believe that he is just a prophet. Although it contains Christianity and Catholicism, Judith is based on Judaism. Judith takes place somewhere in the Middle East. The Assyrians mentioned in this poem are native to the Middle East. Judith and her people are Jewish. “the word "Judith" itself identifies the heroine as a Jew…Judith's speeches and the lively depiction of the Hebrews' speed and Godspeed in battle” (Chickering). Jewish people may believe more in Judith rather than Jesus because Judith is Jewish. Although the poem Judith is Old English and in England, The Book of Judith is written in Palestine. Unlike the other religions that influence Judith, Judaism uses its own books rather than using the Bible. Because of this, Jews do not really recognize The Book of Judith as a main part of their studies. Jewish people may choose to not recognize any part of Judith, but the poem still contains elements of the Jewish
culture. Judith, although written in Old English, encompasses different religions and cultures. Christianity, Catholicism, and Judaism all can be found within the poem Judith. Due to the poem being written in Old English during the Middle Ages in England and having the central theme of salvation, Judith is filled with Christian elements. The Book of Judith, which is what this poem is based on, is studied in Catholicism. The poem also gives a comparison between Judith and Mary, who is very important to Catholics. The setting and origin of Judith give the poem its Jewish features. Judith and her people are Hebrew and come from the Middle East. Although these religions disagree when it comes to certain parts, they all believe in a singular high power: God. This poem goes to show that God and religion are essential to the past, and are essential to today’s society.