Teaching any class on the medieval period requires some discussion on the medieval church, which cannot be talked about unless the concept of corruption comes up. The three go almost hand in hand for the medieval period; one cannot be taught without the other. Many students coming into a survey course on the Middle Ages might have some idea of this, but possibly not an extensive knowledge of the background. Trying to teach students the complexity of the church from the Middle Ages could prove to be difficult, seeing as how there are so many levels and different time periods that encapsulate the church at that time, with one of the most important parts of the church being the corruption that it faced at many different times. But how does one break down these difficult barriers and make the learning more accessible and understanding to students?
One way of teaching this concept could be through Game of Thrones, either the television series or the novel saga. Depending on personal preference, either could be used, or both together. When using the television series, there are multiple scenes that could be used to demonstrate the corruption within the Faith of the Seven, specifically with the High Septon (scene contains nudity):
This scene shows the High Septon (who had been in power from the second season up to this point in season five) caught in a brothel by Lancel Lannister, who then goes on to become a member of the Faith Militant.
Most parts of the Faith of the Seven from Game of Thrones mirrors some aspects of Christianity from the medieval period, as well as religion today, giving students a good insight to what the religion would have been like. The Faith Militant are similar to some of the religious orders that were in place during the Middle Ages. One potential parallel to the more complex book-version of the Faith Militant are the Templars. Primary documents would be ideal to give students a background on the religious orders that were created within, these can be found on the Internet Medieval Sourcebook, which provides a multitude of resources for free. If the resources are available for a reader, the documents “The Rule of the Templars” and “The Rule of the Teutonic Knights” out of The Crusades: A Reader are also extremely helpful for background knowledge.
This is a good way to tie together Game of Thrones and medieval history. Two good sources for this subject would be H. Shaw-Williams’ article ‘Game of Thrones’: George R. R. Martin Explains Religious Inspiration for the Sparrows, or Jessica Rawden’s article Game of Thrones’ Sparrows Were Inspired By a Real Religion, According to George R. R. Martin. Both of these articles have similar points, seeing as how they use the same source as their basis, but either would provide a good basis for students when learning this subject.
While the corruption of the High Septon in the fifth season seems to be extreme within the television series, it is not so different from what went on in the Middle Ages. Religion and politics are ever so closely related in the medieval period, and Game of Thrones mirrors it perfectly. The moment when Cersei re-establishes the Faith Militant is a way to show the way that the religion is corrupt through and through.
Even though this new High Septon seems to be more morally sound than the previous two that have been shown in the series, his ruling of the Faith Militant will prove to be harsh. Like many medieval rulers, Cersei seems to think that using the faith for her own purposes is the only possible way to keep everything in her son’s kingdom in line, including the religion itself.The corruption of the two High Septons within the television series shows how dangerous the closeness of religion and politics could become if the relationship was abused. This was a common theme within the medieval church, giving another good parallel between Game of Thrones and medieval history.
Even though the closeness of religion and politics can be dangerous and lead to corruption, so can the complete separation, as can be seen with the rise of the Faith Militant. With their independence from Tommen’s rule within the television series, the Faith Militant become ruthless in their ruling. To begin their rule, the Faith Militant arrest Loras Tyrell for homosexuality (see this article for some background).
This was just the beginning of their tyrannical rule. The Faith Militant had no mind for royal blood or status; if there was a crime to be punished they would carry out their sentencing without hesitation. Even after King Tommen requested to see the High Septon to demand that his wife and brother-in-law be released, his request for a meeting was denied. Then, his own mother was arrested.
This lack of concern for secular authority that the Faith Militant shows through their various arrests shows just how corrupt the militant religious sect can become. While it does not seem as so in the beginning, the independence they have mirrors the same independence the Templars had before they were accused of being corrupt by the papacy and condemned (though this is not assuming what Martin or the directors of Game of Thrones is going to do with the Faith Militant).
The topic of corruption in Game of Thrones and in the medieval church does not lend itself exceptionally well to the concept of group work or active learning, but it can be tailored to meet these needs, perhaps by pairing or grouping students to have them create a pros and cons list of having a religious leader too involved in politics (and vice versa). Having the students do this will not only get them engaged with each other but also get them engaged with the material, promoting critical analysis.
Teachers should emphasis that the examples that are used through the television show are rather graphic in nature and could trigger some students with the nudity involved as well as with the sexual abuse used in some scenes with Cersei. Using Game of Thrones to teach the religious corruption of the medieval church has its benefits, seeing as how many students today have knowledge on the television series or the novels, meaning they would be able to be more in depth with the readings and become more engaged.
For more reading on the broader subject of the religion of Game of Thrones see either this blog post, or this blog post.
Note
Personally I have not read the books, so my knowledge on them is minimal. This outline used the television series because I have a better grasp on the series rather than the books, but both are applicable in this scenario.
The Digital Citadel 