List three (3) ways religious orders lived their lives differently from the rest of society. Here is the text .

As the Catholic church’s officials gained wealth and got involved in

politics, other people grew concerned that the church wasn’t

maintaining its Christian morals and values, or properly teaching those they

were supposed to be. They created the first known religious order, living as

monks in a monastery, where they could commit their lives to religious

matters and simple rules to live by. These rules included not owning land or

getting married, so they could dedicate their lives to God.

Monks became an example for other people across Europe who sought to

devote their lives to Christian worship. Many monks rewrote religious texts,

hundreds of which have been found preserved in monasteries in modern

times. Soon, other religious orders arose, some with even stricter schedules of prayer and religious study.

Religious orders of women, called nunneries or convents, became common throughout Europe. Monasteries

and convents offered help to nearby towns in terms of food and healthcare, as well as sanctuary from trouble.

Many of the religious orders became self-reliant, with gardens and animals for food.

Additionally, some religious order members longed to NOT hide away in a monastery, but rather take God and

His word to the world. The friars walked Europe in simple robes and barefoot, offering comfort and aid to the

people of towns they traveled to in exchange for food and a place to sleep when they could find it. Two specific

groups of friars are well known, the Dominicans founded by Dominac

de Guzman and the Franciscans founded by Francis of Assisi.

Religious Study Deepens in the Form of Universities

While monks hid away for simpler lives, other Europeans embraced

the chance to learn religious texts and funded the creation of

universities. The Catholic Church even commissioned some of them.

Other universities were created so that students could study the

world around them; subjects such as law, astronomy, and medicine

were taught. Human reason was also a major topic. Eventually,

people began to question if religion and human reason contradicted

each other, and also whether a feudal system truly treated all men

fairly. This eventually lead to the start of the Renaissance.