Name: _____________________

The Church in the Dark Ages Worksheet
chapter five, pp. 268-285

Fill in the blank

1. Many bishops in the Dark Ages came from _____________.
2. St. Benedict rolled in _______ to humble his flesh when he was tempted.
3. The monastic community of St. Benedict grew up around his __________.
4. St. Benedict founded a monestary on the top of a hill where men had once worshipped the god __________.
5. Monasticism shows that we are to be in the world, but not ___ the world.
6. St. Benedict demanded three vows from his monks: ___________, ____________, and ____________.
7. The Rule of St. Benedict emphasized prayer over ____________.
8. St. Benedict’s Rule encouraged monks to also become __________ so that they could say Mass.
9. The monestaries attracted the Christian _________.
10. _______ and _______ vied with one another to found monestaries.
11. The largest monestaries would contain ________ monks.
12. In addition to monestaries for men, there were also _______ for women.
13. Monestaries were centers of __________ above all else, but they were also havens of __________ life.
14. Monks also cleared __________, drained __________, and felled __________ to make room for the spiritual communities. These communities formed the heart of many new ___________.
15. The Church during the Dark Ages encouraged and safeguarded the principle of ____________, where Christians would travel around the former Roman Empire, instructing others in the faith.
16. The ___________ was the living symbol of the Church’s universality and unity.
17. After 532 A.D., the new Pope would always change his _________.

Short answer

1. Discuss the various parts of the Rule of St. Benedict.