Beginning of Essay
Medieval times were shaped greatly by religious and secular motives to form centralized power and control. The religious leaders, in particular, were very influential in this process of centralization. The methods used to attain this power were directed at vario ....

Middle of Essay
.... former. In order for a build up of central authority to occur, religious leaders knew they needed to address a variety of areas. Each of these areas represented a certain power and facet of life that was directly related to the influence of the Christian faith. The universities deep within the Christian sphere of influence were near the heart of the religion. They represented a group of people learned in the ways of the world, more so than almost any other group of people. Having the universities under their control gave them the "scientific" backing they needed in order to be authorized to do with your empire as they saw fit. The religious lead ....