Interaction of Clerical and Secular Authorities in Medieval Western Europe

Abstract

The research objectives are as follows: to reveal specificity of interaction of the Catholic Church and the monarchy in medieval Western Europe, to identify influence of this interaction on the sphere of politics and education. Relying on historical data and conceptions of the Christian thinkers – representatives of patristic and scholastic philosophy, the authors analyse mechanisms of interaction of the clerical and secular authorities. The paper identifies and systematizes interrelations of the Catholic Church and the medieval monarchical state, medieval universities are considered as an instrument of political, not spiritual influence of the Roman Curia on the West European monarchies, and herein lies scientific originality of the study. As a result, the authors reveal mechanisms of the Church state interaction which allow organizing cooperation of the clerical and secular authorities at the highest political level.