When Duke William of Aquitaine founded the abbey of Cluny in France (910 AD), he did so for the purpose of fostering a movement towards the highest spiritual ideals of Christianity; to that end, he specified that the abbey was to free, and that the monks of the abbey would be subject, "neither to our (William's) yoke, nor to that of our relatives, nor to the sway of royal might, nor to that of any earthly power."
How did this uniquely protected space provide an opportunity for reform from within the church? What problems existed between political powers and the church, making such a haven for the church a desirable thing? How did William differ from Henry IV of Germany?
No comments:
Post a Comment