History glossary
excommunication
formal exclusion from church communion, often carrying spiritual and political consequences.
- Category
- Religious sanction
- Region
- Global
- Date range
- Varies
What it means
Formal exclusion from church communion, often carrying spiritual and political consequences.
Stories using this term
The Byzantine Empire
From Constantine's new capital to the fall of Constantinople, Byzantium preserved Roman law, Orthodox Christianity, imperial government and classical learning through more than a thousand years of adaptation.
The Elizabethan Age
Elizabeth I’s reign brought stability, cultural flourishing, exploration, and victory over the Spanish Armada.
The English Reformation
Henry VIII’s break with Rome reshaped religion, politics, and identity through decades of upheaval.
The Tudor Dynasty
The Tudors strengthened royal power, drove religious change, and shaped early modern England.
The Rise of the Medieval Church
From the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the Avignon papacy, this story traces how the Christian Church built its authority through bishops, monasteries, missions, reform, and direct confrontation with Europe's rulers.
The Crusades
From Pope Urban II's call at Clermont to the fall of Acre, the Crusades reshaped the medieval world through religious war, cross-cultural encounter, and lasting consequences for Europe and the Middle East.
The Holy Roman Empire
From Otto I’s coronation to Napoleon’s upheaval, emperors, princes, bishops and cities built a political order sustained by contested and shared authority.
