(1) What were the problems besetting the Church in the tenth and eleventh centuries? What was “moderate reform”?
In the tenth and eleventh centuries, the Church was plagued by three primary issues that ruined its spiritual authority. The first problem was simony; the buying and selling of offices, where wealthy families would often purchase bishoprics or abbacies to ensure their children held power. The second problem was lay investiture; the practice where secular rulers (kings, dukes or lords) appointed church officials and bestowed upon them the symbols of their spiritual office (the ring and staff), which made the clergy beholden to secular rulers rather than the Pope.
Moderate reform emerged as the initial, pragmatic approach to these problems. Rather than attempting to strip secular rulers of all authority, “moderate reformers” sought to eliminate the worst abuses—specifically simony—while working in partnership with emperors and kings to enforce stricter moral discipline among the clergy.

(2) Describe the events that took place during the conflict between Pope Gregory VII and Henry IV. What was at stake?
The conflict between Pope Gregory VII and Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV was a watershed moment in European history, fundamentally changing the balance of power between Church and State. Gregory VII was a radical reformer who believed in the freedom of the church. He issued the Dictatus Papae (1075), which claimed the Pope had the authority to depose emperors.

(3) What was Christendom?
Christendom refers to the medieval concept of a unified, transnational community of Christian believers across Europe, governed by both a spiritual head (the Pope) and a secular leader.

(2) Describe feudalism and manorialism.
Feudalism was a decentralized social and political structure based on the exchange of land for military service and loyalty. At the top there was the king, who technically owned all the land. He granted large estates, called fiefs, to high-ranking nobles. Nobles further divided their land among knights, who served as the professional military class.
Manorialism described how the land was actually worked. The system centered on the Manor, a self-sufficient estate owned by a lord. The majority of the population were serfs, peasants who were legally bound to the land. Unlike slaves, they could not be sold away from the land, but they could not leave without the lord’s permission.

(3) What changes did William the Conqueror introduce in England?
William the Conqueror transformed England. His reign marked the end of Anglo-Saxon rule and the beginning of a Norman-influenced state. William claimed all of England by right of conquest. He replaced the Anglo-Saxon nobility with Norman followers, ensuring that every landholder owed their loyalty directly to him. William commissioned a massive survey of the country’s resources. The Doomsday Book recorded who owned what land, how many people lived there, and what it was worth. This allowed William to tax the country efficiently and settle land disputes.

1) What do you learn about Islam from the Koran selections you read?

Islam believed in monotheism, with their god being Allah, who is described as the “Master of Judgement” as well as “gracious”, and “Merciful”, indicating that they believed that their god was merciful, as well as a believer in justice. They also describe a “Straight Path”, in which they present their religion as a guided journey . There is a distinction between those who follow the path, and those who “Have Gone Astray”.

2) What kind of person emerges from the Procopius portrayal of Justinian?

Procopius portrays Justinian as more than just a bad ruler, but as something supernatural and malevolent. He famously claims that Justinian was a demon in human form, alleging witnesses saw his head disappear, or his face transform into a mass of flesh. He describes the Emperor as “easy to deceive but impossible to ignore”, portraying him as someone who delighted in destroying established laws and seizing the property of his subjects. 

1) What was the Carolingian Renaissance, and why was it significant?
The Carolingian Renaissance was a Renaissance under Charlemagne in about 800 A.D.. It was important because Charlemagne wanted to bring back ancient Roman practices, while remaining modern. Charlemagne mainly focused on bringing back Roman education practices, and brought over Alcuin, a scholar from York. Some practices Charlemagne brought back were using Carolingian miniscule, a clear and legible script, as most people were writing without grammar, or spacing so it was very hard for people to understand other people’s writing. He also brought back schools and the production of manuscripts, to help with education. This helped preserve old writings, as well as helping future generations learn.
2) Describe the process by which Christianity was spread in England.
Christianity was spread by the help of Pope Gregory 1st, and Augustine of Canterbury, who actually went to England to help spread Christianity. Missionaries usually tried to convert someone important first, like a king, to help boost the spread of Christianity. Another tactic used by missionaries was to challenge pagan belief. For example, maybe find a tree, then cut it  down, and then the people would see that their god would not strike the missionary down. This showed their god was not real, and therefore maybe they should follow Christianity.

What was the significance of the Papal-Frankish Alliance? What were two factors that helped make the alliance possible?The Papal-Frankish Alliance was an agreement between the Papacy and the Frankish Kingdom. The Pope needed protection, as the Byzantine Empire could no longer effectively protect Rome, which pushed the Papacy to seek protection from the Franks. The Franks wanted religious approval and authority. The Papacy gained military protection from enemies, such as the Lombards, and the Franks gained religious legitimacy and support.

What picture of Charlemagne emerges from Einhard’s biography?In his biography, Einhard presents Charlemagne in a very positive way. Some key traits he described were that Charlemagne was a strong and capable ruler, intelligent and curious, religious, simple and practical, and a charismatic ruler. Overall Einhard portrays Charlemagne as an ideal Christian king, wise, powerful, and devoted to both his people and the church.