Power through Prayer
Religion was part of the fabric of everyday life for medieval people of all stations. Communities of Jews and Muslims existed throughout Europe, but Christianity remained the dominant religion in most regions. The church was a central feature of village life for Christians: a local church was where one prayed, where fairs took place, and where the community would start and end processions on feast days.
There were many types of religious texts that medieval Christians utilized to facilitate their worship. The breviary was one such text: first developed in monastic communities during the eleventh century, it was a cycle of seasonal prayers that included the Divine Office (which was spoken and sung at the canonical hours). A key component of the breviary was the psalter, which contained the psalms and other devotional texts. Additionally, books of hours were developed in the thirteenth century. These were essentially abbreviated breviaries that laypeople used to maintain their connection to God (and various other Christian figures of devotion, such as Mary) throughout the day through prayer.
Confessionals aided priests in determining the type of penance that various sins required. The Church mandated annual confession for all Christians following the Fourth Lateran Council of 1215; its primary purpose was to ensure Christians ask forgiveness for moral transgressions, perform a pious act of remorse through penance, and thereby reconcile with God.