Why was religion important back in the medieval ages?

Answer 1

AnswerPilgrimage is to do with faith. People believe that if they visit the holy shrine of a saint or someone like that, they will be absolved of their sins (if they repent them of course). Faith back in the Middle Ages was very important. People had no other explanations for things, so they attributed everything amazing to sorcery or to the work of God. Life then was very hard, so it was very important to them to go to Heaven. People also believed pilgrimage could help sick relatives or friends. AnswerI know this is a lot but I hope its good enough for whoever want this answer:

Many things caused the rise of travel and pilgrimage. During the 12th and 13th century, Europe saw of frenzy of Cathedrals being built. Gothic cathedrals, with their endless details, are still some of the most beautiful human architecture today. In the middle ages, these would have been so awesome. In addition, the religion of the time endorsed a theology of association, causing people to relate saints or heroic actions with places and things. Unfortunately, this made people worship objects instead of God. But it greatly encouraged pilgrimage. People thought that by just visiting a relic, shrine, or famous battlefield, some of the holiness or cleansing would "rub off on them."

Also after sitting in one place for hundreds of years, people may have started to feel that they need to do somthing and the need to explore. This desire for adventure encouraged many to go on pilgrimages. Often, war, and particularly the crusades were forms of pilgrimage that many took part in. Often, the desire to go on the crusades was sparked by promises from the pope or other leaders - promises such as exemption from taxes, forgiveness, or holiness. Others went as an alternative to going to jail. The stories and items that people brought back from the crusades sparked further interest in travel, multiplying the effect. After a few hundred years, travel became as prevalent as it had been scarce before!

Because of the importance of pilgrimage and the theology of association, relics ran rampant. It's been said that if all the "splinters of the true cross" from the Middle Ages were gathered together, there would be enough timber to build Noah's Ark! Every local church would keep some relic or shrine of one of their earlier saints. People would visit these local sites, as well as historical sites, even battlefields. Of course, the ultimate pilgrimage destination was Jerusalem. Regaining Jerusalem was one of the reasons the crusades began. Unfortunately, all this luster of association led to the superficiality and hollowness of Roman Catholicism.

Going on a pilgrimage in the middle ages was not anything like one of our modern-day vacations. The venture took much longer, demanded much more physically, and could be quite dangerous. Roads were not kept up, and might be little more than paths. Because of this, many people used the caravan routes, which came with their own set of dangers - the traders could be pretty rough people! Taxes along the routes (often abused and quite adjustable, depending on the apparent affluence of the traveler) were deterrent to many travelers. Often, marauders and highwaymen would ambush traveling parties along major routes. Other dangers would have included the Muslims and Persians. These dangers led to tendency to travel in larger parties, for increased safety, and to lessen the likelihood of being taken advantage of. Much of the early literature of Europe was travel diaries or traveling stories told during pilgrimages, such as Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, a collection of stories told by pilgrims traveling together.

Pilgrimage led to many changes in Europe. The crusades, a form of pilgrimage, caused an awareness of eastern culture. Pilgrimage spread language, culture, and ideas. Since people usually stayed tied down to one occupation their whole life, guilds were formed, which were mutually beneficial to all members of a trade, but relied greatly on travel. A negative effect of Pilgrimage was the rise of pirates and highwaymen, who deceitfully gained from those going on pilgrimages. Many of the things that caused pilgrimage were also compounded by it, leading to more Cathedrals, and more relics and shrines. Communication became more important and quicker. Travel became important to higher education and knowledge and ideas were spread much more quickly. Without Pilgrimage, the development of the 2nd millennium would have been delayed.

Answerbecause people thought pilgrimage was a way to say sorry to God if they have commited a sin.

And the medicines were not very developed, by going to pilgrimage, they thought they could be cureed/ healed of their illness
A pilgramage would be a good wat to get to heaven in thev middle ages because it was a way giving up something for god and to show your way of getting to heaven

Answer 2

Pilgrims were important to the Church. This meant that the Church had a reason to promote good, safe roads and inns. People moved about and saw a broader world. The crusades made it possible for a larger group of people to go to the Holy Land, and this, in turn, made pilgrimages closer to home more popular for people who could not go abroad. Pilgrims moved documents from place to place, among other things, promoting technology and understanding. And this, in turn promoted trade, mathematics, and science.

Answer 3

Religion was one of the key fundamentals of every day life. The majority of people such as peasants spent their life working, sleeping or in church. Being religious allowed the vast majority of the population in the middle ages to aim for something that they felt would be good. In the afterlife it was said that there were no hierarchies, everyone was equal, thus a lot of peasants and the others lower down the scale felt that if they worked in this life, they would be rewarded in the next.

It kept many peasants from becoming rebellious, until the Peasant's revolts that is, and as an overall it kept everyone from acting out and the country from being put into complete anarchy, as there was fear of what was waiting in the afterlife. Sure, there were many theocratic King's who, in their actions, revealed that they were not religious, yet on their death beds many were moved to repentance, showing that religion did have a great impact on everyone.

Being religious did not just give you guidelines, it also provided a social network for peasants and those others in the lower hierarchies. At church you would hear mass, witness ceremonies etc. However, it also gave people the opportunity to talk to each other, to catch up on gossip, to flirt with that certain guy/girl you'd had your eye on in the fields.

Answer 4

Because people who went against the teachings of the Church were then sent to hell and this made people affraid of the church which made it so important

Answer 5

Most of the people in the Middle Ages were poor and surrounded by death. They needed strong faith to help them through their suffering and powerlessness to the afflictions of the world.