Chapter 6 Medieval British Society, 1066–1485 - Lyceum Books

128 Part II Norman Britain
Durham Cathedral. This view of the nave shows the round arches and massive columns
characteristic of the Norman style.
Reproduced by permission of the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of
England.
The Church
Christianity was a more powerful force in medieval society than it is today.
Throughout western Europe, until the Reformation of the sixteenth century, there
was a single church, acknowledging the headship of the pope but managing many of
its affairs on a national basis. Earlier chapters have described the quarrels between
kings and popes that were such a common feature of the Middle Ages in England.
Medieval men and women were born members of the church, just as they were
born subjects of the monarchy. They had no choice of denominations, and they were
not free to decide where to attend services, since parishes were geographical units
and men and women were expected to worship regularly in their own parish church
unless they were traveling. As we have seen, they were required to pay tithes for
the support of their parish priest—these were legally established payments rather
than voluntary contributions. They often made bequests to the church in their