Monasticism and the Code of Chivalry
In the Middle Ages, there were many factors contributing to the building of monasticism.
One of the most important components of the fourth century came when the Christians
believed that Jesus would return very soon. So they did not care what the world did to
itself. Instead they waited for Jesus to fix things, but it did not happen. This caused
the world to become a violent place to live. Christians were persecuted for their
beliefs by the Roman Government. The Christians had enough and were ready to leave.
Some Christians went to a place where they could have communion in peace without the fear
of the Roman government, this place was Egypt. They were called hermit monks. But
others, Christians, had their ideas of the way that a Christian life should be lived.
They wanted to live in a community, so they could worship together as a group instead of
being alone.
Benedict of Nursia established a rule that was used by most of the monks as a way of
life. In this there were three specific vows, they are used to make it easier for monks
to be closer to God. They are poverty, chastity, and obedience.
Poverty meant that the need for money and material possessions were not needed as a
means of worship. The monasteries gave the monks the things that they needed, and this
was only the bare essentials. The monasteries made their own money by owning land and
selling surplus products. Thus, they became very wealthy.
Chastity meant that the men and women would not have sex or get married. This was said
to have saved the monks from the "devilish acts" that happen when sexual desires were
exploited for selfish reasons. Obedience was essential, each monk had to be absolutely
obedient to their abbot. The purpose of this obedience was to develop personal humility,
and to become more holy by becoming humiliated or less proud of one's self. Only making
them worship and become closer to God. The monasteries were a place to get away from evil
and anything to deter them from God.
The Code of Chivalry means, if you own a horse than you can have wealth or power in the
Middle Ages. As there are more people with horses, the tension gets tighter and tempers
are flared, this is how elite soldiers and knights are established. These knights are
faithful to their local lord as well as to the Church. And thus moral order is imposed
with the bonding of the local lord's and the Church.
In conclusion, Francis' followers were moral. They trusted God to be the one they can
pray and depend on. This is why the local lords were so depended on and the monks were
so devoted and abundant as the world started to move in the direction of God as the
Christians moved away from the Roman government.
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