The Rise of Popular Heresies 6 of 6

Consequences

The orthodox Church managed to meet the challenge of the heresies, anti-clerical, and uncontrolled popular movements of the twelfth century, but lost much of its power of moral suasion by using force in doing so. From this time on, the Church could not count on the automatic support of the mass of believers, and it was forced to adopt ever-greater regimentation. The consequences might have been worse had it not been for the fact that the Church was quite in accord with the rest of medieval society in this approach to things. The twelfth century had been an exuberant and dynamic period characterized by relative toleration of differences and general confidence. This had led to the emergence of several conflicting forces: Nominalism versus Realism, Faith versus Reason, competition versus cooperation, Philosophy versus Theology, State versus Church, monarchs versus nobles, and a host of others. The thirteenth century was a period in which Europe sought to harmonize its internal conflicts and to create a new harmony. In so doing, it became what one scholar has termed "The Oppressive Society."

Even apart from this, however, the Church embraced, almost by accident, a reform movement of remarkable vitality. The Franciscans carried the faith back to the people much as the Waldensians had hoped to do. It was a dangerous movement, and the Church had to work hard throughout the thirteenth and into the fourteenth centuries to keep it under control. They succeeded in doing so, and it is probable that the Franciscan movement prolonged the life of a unified universal Church another three centuries of life.