Renaissance and Reformation

Renaissance and Reformation

1. What are the characteristics of the Renaissance? Why did it start in Italy?

   • Secularism
     • Focused on the world as experienced vs. teachings of the church
   • Individualism
     • Focus on the importance of the individual
   • Classisism
     • Revival of classical art forms and ideas that focused on natural humans
   • Humanism
     • The study of the classics (Greece and Rome) to learn about human nature
   • Commercial Developments
     • Italy was a center of trade-- Italians took control of the trade and became rich. After becoming rich, they had the ability to spend their money on things like art and palaces
   • Rome
     • Rome was a primary location in Italy because it resided where two trade routes crossed.
     • Did not do through the middle ages and avoided feudalism so it had a better foundation and reliable economy than surrounding countries and city-states.

2. What was the Protestant Reformation? What was Martin Luther's role in the Protestant Reformation? What changes did Martin Luther make to humanity?

   • It was the protesting and reforming of the Catholic church
   • John Tetzel, a Catholic preist, claimed that anyone who paid money to the Church would be offered indulgences for people and their family members, which was lessening your time in Purgatory after death.
     • This was the last straw for Martin Luther, who did not believe that any human had the power to release souls from purgatory.
       • Luther posted 95 Theses on the door of The All Saints Church in Wittenberg. Among these 95 arguments were claims that stated how indulgences had no bases in the Bible, the pope had no authority to release souls from purgatory, and that Christians could only be saved through faith.
         • Copies were distributed all over Europe overnight and soon Luther's words stirred debate in Europe. Luther was called to give up his views and recant his 95 Theses-- when they called him to a meeting to announce that he must give up his views, Luther said no and his new diciples hid him for over a year.
           • Overall, the Protestant Reformation led to the fragmentation of the Catholic church and the separation of much of Europe. The Church fragmented into "Lutheran" churches and some "Protestant" churches who all modified Catholicism in a way that made sense to them.
             • The Kind was looking to divorce his wife, but the Catholic Church would not allow it, so he converted his religion to be Protestant.