Skip to main content

What did the medievals do about welfare?

How many know what an impact the Reformation had on the way the poor were looked after?

It occurred to me while on my retreat that the modern welfare system could learn a lot from the abbeys. Until the Reformation, the monastery offered alms to the poor and somewhere for people fleeing tyranny to hide. Post Reformation, the safety net was undone and people threw themselves on the charity of the local lay community. With the coming of the industrial era, the state started to take up the burden of poor relief.

Related link: The modern welfare state could learn a lot from the Medieval monastery ~ Timothy Stanley, History and Politics

Comments