The role of Christianity in Medieval medicine
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can evaluate the impact of Christianity and the Church on medicine in medieval Britain.
Key learning points
- Christianity and the Church had a lot of influence in medieval Britain.
- Christians believed that disease was sent by God.
- Many methods of treatment and prevention were religiously inspired, such as praying.
- University training for physicians was controlled by the Church.
- The Church ran hundreds of hospitals.
Keywords
Institution - a large and important organisation
Common misconception
Hospitals were locations for people to be cured of their illnesses.
Christian influences meant that medieval hospitals did not try to cure people's illnesses as this might appear to challenge God's will. Instead spiritual care was prioritised in hospitals.
Teacher tip
Before completing Task B, get pupils to discuss the following question in pairs: 'was the impact of the Church and Christianity the same in all areas of medicine and how can they tell?'. This may help pupils produce a more nuanced response to the question in Task B.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of mental health issues
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What does prescribing something involve?
Q2.Which type of caregiver was most likely to taste a person's urine?
Q3.Which group of caregivers was most likely to be found in a medieval hospital?
Q4.How did medieval hospitals try to keep their environments clean?
Q5.Who created and sold medicines in the medieval period?
Q6.Identify the most accurate description of wise men and women.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What term refers to a large and important organisation?
Q2.Which of the following was controlled by the Church in the medieval period?
Q3.What type of care was prioritised in medieval hospitals?
Q4.The medieval Church encouraged belief in healing.
Q5.Which statement is most accurate?
Q6.What did the monk Saint Bernard mean when he said “to buy drugs or consult with physicians doesn’t fit with religion”?
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: The role of Christianity in Medieval medicine, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: The role of Christianity in Medieval medicine, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the Britain: Health and the people - c1000 to the present day unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.