Least of the laity: the minimum requirements for a medieval Christian

Abstract

This article investigates the minimum level of religious observance expected of lay Christians by church authorities, and the degree to which legislation and procedures attempted to enforce these standards. 1 Once baptized, a person entered the community of the faithful; and the medieval church was as much accountable for the health and salvation of the ignorant, the ambivalent, the disobedient or distracted as they were of the devout. From the twelfth century, theologians, clerical authorities and the laity turned with concerted enthusiasm to the question of lay observance, advancing high ideals for lay commitment and expanding opportunities for lay participation. Yet while acting to elucidate and advance these qualities, the church was nevertheless mindful of the number of Christians who might fail to reach even basic standards. The resulting balance of the ideal and the possible, and the degree to which it reached and was enforced upon the less-enthusiastic laity is explored here through expectations for knowledge, observance of sacraments, and participation in regular duties such as church attendance, tithe-paying and fasting. The result was a complex ideal of lay observance that was balanced by a tolerance of laxity and even failure, and a system which increasingly exhorted specific expectations but was hesitant to define contumacy or disobedience in many but the most obdurate or scandalous cases.

Reconstructing the diets of Greek Byzantine populations (6th-15th centuries AD) using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios

“…A considerable motivation for marine food consumption existed as the Roman Catholic Church, like the Eastern Orthodox Church, regularly imposed dietary restrictions on its faithful. Fasting regulations varied over time and by social class, but the basic point was a prohibition on the consumption of meat at many times during the year including Fridays and Lent (Henisch, 1976;Bazell, 1997;Tanner and Watson, 2006).…”

Lay religion and pastoral care in thirteenth century England: the evidence of a group of short confession manuals

“…For example Norman Tanner and Sethina Watson have argued that although medieval churchmen had high aspirations for the laity, they were also willing to tolerate ignorance, in a pragmatic attempt to keep as many people within the church as possible. 1 This and some other surveys of medieval religion have also suggested that for many medieval Christians, as long as they accepted some core beliefs, religion was more about participating in the rituals than about having a high level of doctrinal knowledge. 2 While broad surveys like these have often (although not always 3 ) emphasised low expectations of knowledge and the importance of ritual, more narrowly focused studies offer a different picture, especially for the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.…”

“…1 This and some other surveys of medieval religion have also suggested that for many medieval Christians, as long as they accepted some core beliefs, religion was more about participating in the rituals than about having a high level of doctrinal knowledge. 2 While broad surveys like these have often (although not always 3 ) emphasised low expectations of knowledge and the importance of ritual, more narrowly focused studies offer a different picture, especially for the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Numerous studies of English parishes in this period have shown that at least some laypeople had a good understanding of Christianity as well as participating enthusiastically in parish rituals.…”

The Use of Devotional Objects in Catalan Homes during the Late Middle Ages

“…The highest form of Christian prayer is contemplative prayer, which consists in deep intimacy of the devotee with God, a personal relationship 8 (Vauchez 1993, pp. 104-105;Webb 2005, p. 28;Tanner and Watson 2006). The prescriptions of the fourth Lateran Council involve strengthening the role of parishes in the Middle Ages.…”