Because of this, people would believe anything the church told them. He has taught history, writing, literature, and philosophy at the college level. The process of Christianization was a slow one and, even toward the end of the Middle Ages, many people still practiced 'folk magic' and held to the beliefs of their ancestors even while observing Christian rites and rituals. The church was the center of attention and beliefs were strictly based off of superstitions. monks and priests were among the few who could read and write. The Decline of the Medieval Church at the End of the Middle Ages. We care about our planet! Thank you for your help! In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period (also spelled medival or mediaeval) lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history.It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and transitioned into the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery.The Middle Ages is the middle period of the three traditional . Some scholars (most notably Denis de Rougemont) have therefore suggested that courtly love poetry was a kind of code of the Cathars, who were regularly threatened and persecuted by the Church, by which they disseminated their teachings. Scholars still debate Gregory's reasons for characterizing Mary Magdalene in this way, conflating her with the Woman Taken in Adultery (John 8:1-11), even though there is no biblical support for his claim. The ordeal was used for serious crimes in a community as well as charges of heresy, which included the continued practice of pre-Christian rites. The Middle Ages, from the 5th century to the 15th century, was a time period that was very successful, but came to an abrupt end. Pluralism attracted the most negative attention to the Church of the 1400-1500s because when Church-appointed officials did not show up to their benefices, leading to the lack of responsibilty of the Church officials. Timeline for the Crusades and Christian Holy War to c.1350: United States Naval Academy. Church is the center of activity for all Christians. The ans 1 Why did the church lose power in the Middle Ages? The pre-Christian people now commonly referenced as pagans had no such label for themselves.