Religious Response to the Black Death

Black death was one of the most devastating plagues in European history. Consequently, the disease killed almost half of the population in Europe in three years. Therefore, the plague generated a series of overwhelming religious, social, and economic effects, on the course of European history. This essay will focus on religious responses to the black death in the 14th century, on how much Christians were affected, and what they did to prevent the black death.

Religion involves the supernatural, and idea of morality on practice in which people believe they can call upon spiritual being to help them in times of the need this within their worldviews, primarily on a kind of punishment for offending God (Bakan,1966). The practices such as prayer, fasting, obeying the ten commandments and giving alms are the forms of a form of defence mechanism in the human psyche, Therefore, some Christians in the 14th century believed in a sort of an idea of what might have caused the plague spiritually. Hence, they also had a theory of how the plague might be reduced. Therefore, were forced with the saddened devastation effects of the black death causes in Europe tried to order this within their world views primarily as a kind of punishment for offending God.

According to Naphy and Spicer, Christians believed that God decided who would be stricken by the plague, they also believed that God would decide who to spare. In that case, Christians had to adapt to the plague. They thought they were cursed because they were unable to receive the plague with the' equanimity' (pp52), as a blessing from God as what the Islamic societies did.

One important religion response to black death was to blame this outbreak on something or someone as they thought they were cursed. Naphy and Spicer stated that the Christians tended to assume the Jews were part of the reason why the plague occurred, do Christians increased persecution of the Jews. According to Jordan, 'As the plague attacked, whispers immediately started about poisonings of wells and of the air by Jews' (Jordan 63). Jews had different views and beliefs, this made Christians discriminate the Jews, hence they were the minority in Europe, they were isolated from others. However, because of their seclusion and their medical knowledge, Jews were not as affected like the others as much. This made the other people think they were bewitched by the Jews as they already thought they were devil worshippers.

Another religious response of the Black Death and the persecution of the Jews was Anti-Semitism (Cohn Jr). Anti-Semitism in the mid-14th century was quite popular, it was a movement that was used against the Jewish and their community, it was a discrimination against the Jews. Christianity was dominant at that time; however, their responses were important as well, Therefore, black death had a huge impact because there was a great tragedy that caused a massacre. Moreover, Anti-Semitism caused high mortality rate in the 14th century. Consequently, almost the whole population of the Jews were killed as a result in some part of Europe.

Moreover, Jews were scapegoats due to the detestable allegations from those who did not understand Judaism religion, Jews increasingly became more dangerous and intolerant to other religions ( Strack, 594). Thus, Judaism's strictly had their own beliefs, nothing in common with others. The Jews had different beliefs, however, they Christians would see them as Satan's believers. Moreover, Christians would identify Jews as plague bringers. As a result, they would get killed if lucky expelled by the state. (p53). Jews were not the only ones in this state, people who were morally contaminated and the ones who were likely to provoke God's wrath. like prostitutes, homosexuals would be classified the same as the Jews so they would get removed as well. The Black Death wiped out more Europeans than any other widespread or warfare at that time. Consequently, it significantly impacted the church's, social life together with the economy.

Alongside increased persecution of the Jews, there was an overall intensification religious practice among many European communities. This religious response sometimes reached the point of fanaticism. Flagellant movement was part of response towards the black plague in the 15th century. According to Lerner, flagellants were religious fanatics of the middle century in Europe. Therefore, they would establish their religious devoutness by giving themselves essential atonement for their sins they have committed by whipping themselves in public, not just a whip, but the will was done strenuously. It was a way of punishing themselves so that God can have pity on the people who were suffering. Zeigler argued that this movement was very popular during the black death because it was another method of seeking redemption. Moreover, Kieckhefer also argued that whipping was their way of asking for forgiveness from God whom they believed he sent the plague as a punishment.

Another form of intensified rely practice was the adoration of certain saints associated with health. Baker stated that the saints, Roche and Sebastian had an impact on black death, they were known as the saints of the plug. Marshall argued that the saints were recognized as the people who were closer to God and would pass the message to the God, this is what Christians believed in. Therefore, they believed that these saints will help them cure the plague and if not, to help prevent the plague if it hasn't yet arrived. The saints were visited by the Christians at the Sanctuaries, they would get close to their relics by the objects. Vaslev stated that each saint had an iconography. For instance, praying to the image, paintings, statues etc. However, Lerner argued that these saints were allied to the outbreak through their actions in their lives whilst on earth.

However, a response for some European communities, the black death provoked an opposite religion response. Pamuk stated that, instead of intensifying, religious practice, the black death caused them to question the authority of the church and the value of Christianity even the value of Christian value. Therefore, the churches blamed God for the plague because they thought it was the punishment from the angry Gods. The Church had no enlightenment for this horrific event, it made people angry. The people thought of the Church as sagacious, so when the priests and bishops could not give them the answers they wanted, the Church began losing spiritual authority over its people.

The plague itself, as a result, made people abandoned both church and school. According to Ziegler claim that 'The monasteries and the clergy suffered the greatest loss' (pp 215). They were angry at God because they have been praying and begging for a miracle but it seemed like God was deaf. The population of Monks, Friars, nuns and so on was declining, the replacement of those who were getting replaced was declining as well because either the Hierarchy of the church was dying or abandoned the place. This response to the black death had a major impact. Therefore, as the church was getting weakened, the more hopes and dreams would be declined. In other way, people expected that was God's tragic fate. They had to live with it. The church virtually lost its power over its followers. Dahmus stated that as people started to expect their fate, there may have been a growth in scepticism or any alternative traditional religion or even a revival of paganism (Getz, 1991 p.265). Moreover, almost no one was following the church rules, because most turned their back on God.

In conclusion, black death was a devastation event both socially and culturally. However, Religious responses were varied around the countries, the most general was the increase of persecution. In a relation to the church, the black death had widely religious response. In one hand if intensified in other communities. In the long term of sowing the seeds reaffirmation which held to the next generations. In other words, Black death did not just take people's lives, some people's faith and hope were taken away, they had to find another solution of ending the black. On the other hand, the mortality rate of the Jews increased in some parts of Europe as Jews were scapegoats. To summarise black death was one of the most horrific events in the European history and the worst in the 14th century.