Medievalists.net

Where the Middle Ages Begin

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Features
  • News
  • Online Courses
  • Podcast
  • Patreon Login
  • About Us & More
    • About Us
    • Books
    • Videos
    • Films & TV
    • Medieval Studies Programs
    • Places To See
    • Teaching Resources
    • Articles

Medievalists.net

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Features
  • News
  • Online Courses
  • Podcast
  • Patreon Login
  • About Us & More
    • About Us
    • Books
    • Videos
    • Films & TV
    • Medieval Studies Programs
    • Places To See
    • Teaching Resources
    • Articles
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Articles

Monastic Medicine: A Unique Dualism Between Natural Science and Spiritual Healing

by Sandra Alvarez
March 13, 2011

Monastic Medicine: A Unique Dualism Between Natural Science and Spiritual Healing

Silverman, Benjamin C.

Hopkins Undergraduate Research Journal, No.1 (2002)

Abstract

In the early Middle Ages, the excessive prevalence of illness and disease guided the practice and development of medical care. As a result of poor living conditions and the technical inadequacies of medieval medicine, disease was a constant menace in Europe and often controlled people’s daily lives. In response to illness in general and to large-scale epidemics of dreaded diseases such as plague, leprosy, and influenza in particular, individuals and societies began searching for new, more effective means of medical practice. In this context, medicine expanded into a large and important occupation and encompassed a variety of professional and folk practices, ranging from natural, physical-based medicine to religious medicine, magical medicine, and herbalism.

One of the most important medical developments of this time was the introduction of medieval monastic hospitals, which arose as a source of medical care in the early Middle Ages. Monastic health care was a result of the work of well-educated monks with access to historical documents containing medical information and with a calling to serve God by helping people. Between 500 and 1050, monastic hospitals served as centers of hospitality in medieval society, offering treatment to monks, pilgrims, paupers, and even nobility. Although the monks, being primary care givers, often focused on natural, physical-based medical practices, including well-respected techniques such as general cleanliness in providing care for the sick, bloodletting, and herbalism, their physical treatments appear to have been of mixed and nonessential value. As demonstrated in monastery design and historical church records, a unique feature of the monastic medical system was its use of these physical treatments as a manifestation or extension of spiritual or religious rather than natural knowledge-based medicine.

Click here to read this article from Hopkins Undergraduate Research Journal


Subscribe to Medievalverse




Related Posts

  • Sickness and Sin: Medicine, Epidemics and Heresy in the Middle Ages
  • An Analysis of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Understanding of Medicine and its Influence on His Work
  • The transition from monastic to secular medicine in medieval England
  • Medicine and Health Care in Later Medieval Europe: Hospitals, Public Health, and Minority Medical Practitioners in English and…
  • Monasticism and medicine: Gendered activities in healing practices, 500-1100
TagsCarolingians • Disease • Early Middle Ages • Folklore • Folklore in the Middle Ages • Magic in the Middle Ages • Medieval Medicine • Medieval Monasticism • Medieval Religious Life • Medieval Social History • Science in the Middle Ages

Post navigation

Previous Post Previous Post
Next Post Next Post

Medievalists Membership

Become a member to get ad-free access to our website and our articles. Thank you for supporting our website!

Sign Up Member Login

More from Medievalists.net

Become a Patron

We've created a Patreon for Medievalists.net as we want to transition to a more community-funded model.

 

We aim to be the leading content provider about all things medieval. Our website, podcast and Youtube page offers news and resources about the Middle Ages. We hope that are our audience wants to support us so that we can further develop our podcast, hire more writers, build more content, and remove the advertising on our platforms. This will also allow our fans to get more involved in what content we do produce.

Become a Patron Member Login

Medievalists.net

Footer Menu

  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Copyright © 2025 Medievalists.net
  • Powered by WordPress
  • Theme: Uku by Elmastudio
Follow us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter