Week 120 Review

1) What did the Albigensians believe?

The Albigensian doctrine originated with Manichaeism, which was an early forerunner for it. The basic core belief of the religion was that there were two gods, one of evil and one of good. It was commonly thought by followers of the teaching that spirit is good and matter is evil.The Albigensians harshly rejected anything made of matter, or corresponding to the physical,material world.They had the notion that the human body was only in essence a jail cell for the soul. They constantly strove to release the soul from the wicked cage it was enclosed in. Naturally, as a result of their odd ideology, they condemned the sacramental system. According to their conceptions, God would never impart his grace in the bodily form of baptism, for instance. The Albigensians also regarded animal and human reproduction as immoral and sinful. For example, a pregnant woman would be scorned by them, for she was bringing more matter into the world. The body was an impure thing, so anything that originated with it was also deemed so. Another concept that this strange cult detested was that of incarnation. Based on their theory, it was an impossibility for Christ to take on the detestable form of human flesh. 
The Albigensians generally spurned many of the precious core views at the heart of Christianity. 



2)What was the significance of King Philip IV of France?
King Phillip the fourth was the ruler of France from 1285-1314. He was an especially devout man, particularly in the aftermath of his wife's death,in 1305.He had a rather high and mighty opinion of himself, and the powers he believed to be attributed to his title. Phillip wanted to renew the Roman tradition of law, which would allow him more authority and influence. Therefore, he encompassed himself with lawyers who were knowledgable about Roman law and also the perquisites of the aristocracy. Phillip was insistent that every single French citizen should be entirely allegiant to him, disregarding whatever feudal loyalties they had. In this way, he was somewhat of a tyrant, in his excessive thirst for ultimate control. King Phillip was constantly organizing military campaigns, and coincidentally was always on the hunt for cash to fund them. He imposed high taxes on imports and exports in addition to a war tax, in order to have the money for his endeavors. His methods for obtaining his resources were rather unfair, such as robbing from Jews and bankers.Yet he somehow always managed to get what he wanted.
Phillip the Fair was largely note-worthy, because he overruled the jurisdiction of the papacy(the pope),exerting the dominating rule of the monarchy. His reign was a turning point in medieval times, as it would lead to a decrease in the pope's supremacy. Phillip achieved complete superiority over his kingdom, something many French rulers before him had failed to accomplish.


3)What was the significance of the Magna Carta?
The Magna Carta was important, because it established permanent limits and definite boundaries on the power of the king. It stated that everyone had to be accountable to the law, and had a responsibility to obey it no matter what. Thereby it restrained the British monarch from exercising cruelty and unfairness on his subjects. The Magna Carta also initiated that no free person could be put in jail, ostracized,or killed without a fair court trial. It was enacted on 1215, by King John after being petitioned by his nationals.This infamous document would eventually become a forerunner for the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights.