stablishment of the University of Paris. This led to a greater desire for knowledge, and the beginning of Scholasticism, which was the theory of conforming classical philosophy and Christian faith. Peter Abelard was a forerunner of conceptual discovery by studying and organizing philosophies that would answer the questions of Scholasticism. In addition to Abelard, St. Thomas Aquinas created the Summa Theologica where he confirmed the foundations of faith. People embraced these theories because they allowed people to investigate their faith questions. The political realm of the Middle Ages was closely knitted with Christianity. Emperors used religion as an aid in controlling the empire. Emperors were often viewed as Godlike figures and the papacy was generally the supporting force of this view. The pope often crowned the king, signifying the papal support of the emperor. The power fluctuated between the Church and the Empire. Before the eleventh century, the papacy was generally weak. The Roman nobility had full control over the papacy until 1050 AD, when papal power was weak by an ineffectual period. With the reign of Pope Gregory VII and the new religious vitality, papal power was more substantial than monarchical power. Religion was seen in military conquests and territorial expansion. Emperor's used Christianity as justification for wars, and they gained the support of the people by utilizing Christian beliefs. During the Carolingian Renaissance, Charlemagne expanded the empire "in the name of Christianity" (266). He had full support of the papacy, as he advised monks and priests to encourage the expansion of the empire. Charlemagne would label the enemies as "descendants of the devil", and this resulted in military vivacity. He gained order amongst the empire by having Christian ideas present in his set of laws in The General Capitulary of the Missi in 802. The Crusades had an important root that lead to the rise, and the eventual d...
