HIST 107 Introduction to Medieval History Lecture 10 Church Reform and the Investiture Contest Main Questions 1 What was the medieval Church and what did it mean to reform it 2 What was the Investiture Conflict and what was at stake Key Points Three main issues to address A What should we understand by the idea of Church in the medieval context B What was monastic reform and how does it influence ideas beyond monasticism itself C How did the popes get involved in reform and what was the so called Investiture Conflict A What should we understand by the idea of Church in the medieval context Today Church has a range of meanings e g building institution group of people body of shared belief This multi layered meaning reflects similar range in medieval ecclesia Fundamental idea Church is apostolic i e a programmed historical inevitability not the result of historical chance contrast with gathered churches authority here comes from below apostolic authority from above passed on by series of transmissions no true choice one is born into the Church unless Jewish What does the belief in an apostolic Church mean in practice Tendency to see all parts as facets of one whole What is an apostolic Church for Several functions reflected in various institutions and practices teach bishops have formal monopoly of preaching confer sacraments e g baptize bury grant penance conduct ritual e g formal liturgy as in the Rule of St Benedict other cultic practice e g cult of the saints One consequence of this conception huge attachment to models of early Church vita apostolica apostolic life B What was monastic reform and how does it influence ideas beyond monasticism itself Thanks to Louis the Pious and Benedict of Aniane the Rule of St Benedict is the norm significant that other monarchies mimicking the Carolingians likewise make the Rule of St Benedict standard e g kings of England in 10th century kings of Leon Castile in Spain in 11th century Consequence easier to compare and judge monasteries against a shared standard Several foci of monastic life serving as models but single most influential Cluny in Burgundy founded 910 founder William of Aquitaine descended from Dhuoda s husband unusually William surrenders founder s rights abbey given to St Peter pope at this stage notional trustee of Cluny s status buzzword is libertas freedom from lay control and freedom from bishop libertas as an ideal will spread beyond monastic environment paradox monasticism sees the world as contamination but also impulse to reform the world and the people cf Carolingian correctio monasticism makes a big impact on lay people especially aristocracy so monasticism has an outward looking aspect C How did the popes get involved in reform and what was the so called Investiture Conflict Around 1050 a group of reformers capture the papacy and make it an instrument of reform Why is this significant I most of the reformers are former monks heavy influence of monastics ideals II papacy an interesting choice of vehicle Church hierarchy traditionally suspicious of change but now top down as well as bottom up reform is possible How is the papacy captured Irony that work of German emperor Henry III 1039 56 Henry s choice of pope a relative Bruno of Toul Leo IX is momentous Leo gathers around him a team of reform minded thinkers including Peter Damian and Hildebrand future Pope Gregory VII What are the reformers targets agenda a mixture of moral practical and political aims I no simony buying and selling of positions in the Church Why would this matter Deep rooted social practice II no clerical marriage clergy should be celibate But why a big change Again deeply rooted on the ground III no lay interference in the running of the Church flashpoint investiture formal granting of symbols of office How is this reform articulated Often overlooked aspect of the reform process administrative measures Aim make the papacy seen in the regions popes become more mobile legates take the papal message to the regions regular regional councils spread reform messages But there are those who resist Important to stress opponents NOT just lay people many senior clergy are unhappy about reform Sometimes the struggle is described in terms of Church versus State but this is inaccurate and anachronistic more like a dispute within the Church about its role in the world Reformers tend to get carried away with their own rhetoric Most guilty of this is most famous reformer Gregory VII 1073 85 Ex monk typical profile of reformer politically most aggressive and energetic confrontation with German king emperors a matter of time various flashpoints including election to archbishopric of Milan Crunch moment Gregory excommunicates Henry IV 1056 1106 in 1076 excommunication a standard action but also absolves Henry s subjects of fealty and deposes Henry this is revolutionary This start of what since 19th century has been called the Investiture Conflict What is Gregory VII trying to do Clue in document from 1075 preserved in his letter collection Dictatus Papae Dictates of the pope headings for research into types of authority a pope can exercise one of the claims a pope can depose an emperor But a king is something different from an emperor Henry IV s case kings are ordained by God in traditional theology Henry was quite right Gregory is conflating emperorship and kingship So ultimately what is at stake is idea of political power Investiture Conflict not confined to Italy and Germany Different solutions eventually negotiated For Germany Concordat of Worms 1122 compromise split the persona of a bishop or abbot spiritual powers ritually conferred by other clergy but temporal lay power conferred by royal authority Moral is Church cannot detach itself entirely from the world But it has renegotiated the terms of engagement quite successfully Conclusions In the end the various strands of the Gregorian reform play themselves out in the longer term For example clerical marriage survives until the 13th century in some places Standards of clerical education are fairly slow to rise though the growth of universities in the 13th century begins to make a difference at least in larger towns Kings learn how to continue to use their national churches as instruments of political power albeit in a slightly more hands off manner than before Local landowners continue to exercise patronage over their churches in more indirect ways The popes acquire much more power NOT by trying to replace