In medieval Europe during the 12th and 13th centuries, Latin Christendom underwent a charitable revolution.J. W. Brodman, Charity and Religion in Medieval Europe (2009) Rich patrons founded many leprosaria and hospitals for the sick and poor. New confraternities and religious orders emerged with the primary mission of engaging in intensive charitable work. Historians debate the causes. Some argue that this movement was spurred by economic and material forces, as well as a burgeoning urban culture. Other scholars argue that developments in spirituality and devotional culture were central. For still other scholars, medieval charity was primarily a way to elevate one's social status and affirm existing hierarchies of power.Adam J. Davis, "The Social and Religious Meanings of Charity in Medieval Europe" History Compass (2014) 12#12 pp 935–950
