The Christian Church was one of the most influential establishments during the medieval periods. With its selection of art, writing, education and the study of Latin, the Christian Church quickly became a cultural influence across Europe. The relationship between the Christian Church and women during this era was one of oppression and inequality. The roles that were available within this community, such as bishops and priests, were restricted to the male population and although there were roles that eventually became available to females within the Church, for example nuns, these positions were heavily controlled by the men of the faith. There are many primary sources available for a researcher wishing to examine the relationship between women and the Church from the years 1100-1500 AD. Some informative primary sources reveal themselves in letters written between women involved in the Church and also within documents that were kept by bishops that were used to document the nunneries and other women's religious organizations and activities and establish control. There are also many biographies and literary works that were written during this era describing this relationship that could be used as primary sources in examining this topic. These sources are widely available and can be views throughout historical books and on websites. However, even though these letters, documents and journals can be highly informative and descriptive of the relationship of women and the Church during this era, it is important to remember that some sources, such as the visitation records of bishops, were written by domineering and imperious men, whose aim was to establish control over women.
At the beginning of this era, Western Europe began to make the transition from having different individual political governments as head of state and power, to having one major governing body, the Christian Church and the Pope, as the main political figures across Europe.
