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Dog Whippers and Sluggard Wakers — The Violent Jobs In Renaissance Churches
Keeping God’s temple peaceful and holy was neither peaceful nor holy
In the early 16th century, the Catholic Church entered the Reformation Period. The Reformation thrust Europe and the Catholic Church into chaos. The monolith of the Catholic Church would quickly split into dozens of competing denominations and factions, leaving thousands of people dead and thousands more suffering from persecution. While the face of Christendom was being reshaped on the continent, another problem was plaguing local church yards. Dogs.
Wild dogs, stray dogs, and rabid dogs were common sights around local church yards. They were drawn by the people and by the food. People frequently shared meals at the church, and the sacrament of communion often featured fresh bread, juice, and wine.
Unfortunately, the dogs were a nuisance in the best of cases and dangerous in the worst of cases. Aggressive or rabid dogs posed a danger to the congregation, while curious dogs often disrupted services with their presence. Instead of having the majesty of God content with the manginess of dogs, the churches came up with a solution. They hired dog whippers.
