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GCSE History · key term
The Christian religious institution, including its clergy, communities and organisation; a church can also mean a building used for worship.
Used by Edexcel and OCR
Paper 1
The Christian religious institution, whose clergy, courts and teachings exercised considerable authority in medieval England.
Revise: Case Study: The Influence of the ChurchThe Christian Church had its own courts, protected some accused people and helped conduct trials. Religious belief also shaped how people understood guilt: they believed that God could judge wrongdoing and that the Church could help save their souls.
Paper 1
Revise: ReligionThe Church had a priest in almost every village, although not every community had a permanent church building. In some places, people gathered for worship around large stone crosses.
The clergy, organisation and institutions of Christianity, rather than simply a church building.
Explain significance through consequences: Church protection offered mercy but could also weaken royal authority and make justice unequal.
For an explanation of change, link the steps: the Church's policy of separating clergy from bloodshed → withdrawal of priestly participation → loss of religious authority for ordeals → greater use of jury trials.
Support descriptions with precise examples: Canterbury and York for Church organisation, St Cuthbert for devotion to saints, or Stigand for controversy over Church leadership.
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