Herlihy's The Family and Religious Ideologies in Medieval Europe

Herlihy’s article, much like the title suggests, looks at the link between the family and religion during the medieval era of Europe. The goal of his article is to show how the role of religion interacted with the family, specifically concerning marriage and domestic organization. He looks at the changes that occurred in families and marriage as religion took center stage in the lives of medieval citizens.

First, Herlihy looks at the attitudes and ethics of the church during the medieval time. The church during this time did not see marriage as the highest priority for members. Celibacy was the highest form of worship to God and for that reason, many of the values ascribed during this period reflect that. This can be seen in the affirmation that sexual morality had to be equal for both sexes. The Church changed many marriage laws that were prominent in the medieval time, such as the law on incest. This change directly changed the laws that governed inheritance for families and the basic make up of families. Herlihy then looks at the effects religion had on the family. The church made it possible for families and marriage to occur more easily. Marriage was no longer something for the elites, but was extended to the serf class by changing the requirements for marriage. Now marriage only required consent of the two parties and did not require permission from families. Lineage was traced differently with the rise of the church. Families began to trace their linage through patriarchy and lineage became more ancestor focused. Herlihy’s article brought up a lot of good points concerning the laws that governed marriage and family and how that changed with the church. However, he seems to avoid the issue of the lower, unreligious or pagan class. Through not looking at the whole of society we are unable to see the real changes that occurred in marriage and the family. If we are unable to see the whole of society, then we cannot make a fair assessment of the changes that occurred during this time period. While the church was dominate, we cannot assume that every member of the European continent was Christian and followed the rules of the Christian church.