Chapter 5
You will define what the Renaissance period was and what led to it. You will explain what life was like for nobles and peasants in the Renaissance You will describe the new forms of art and education in the Renaissance You will explain how the Protestant reformation started You will identify the new Protestant religions and reformations that emerged during the Renaissance
The renaissance (which means rebirth ) was a period of European history, centered in Rome Three characteristics of the Renaissance 1) An urban, secular worldly viewpoint, where material things were treasured Churches, homes, public buildings were immaculately decorated 2) An age of recovery from previous disasters (crusades, plague, decline of church power, political instabilities) Old ideas led to trouble; New ideas were encouraged 3) Every individual has skill and ability Painters, inventors, sculptors, politicians can come from anywhere
Italy never developed a single monarchy like England or France The Renaissance developed in three specific citystates, each with a separate governor and politics Milan Venice Florence While Italy remained separate city-states, European kingdoms flourished One king, Charles VIII of France decided to take advantage of the Italian wealth The Italians, fearful of Charles, formed an alliance with Spain
For the next 30 years, Italy/Spain and France waged war using mercenaries (soldiers hired for pay) On May 5 th, 1527 the mercenaries revolted After not being paid for months, they entered the city of Rome killing the citizens, raiding their homes, and destroying their buildings The war ended unfinished, and a period of recovery ensued called the Renaissance One result of this war though was this Renaissance would have influences from Italian (Roman), Spanish and French cultures
Nobles were still nobles in the Renaissance, but 85-90% of people were peasants During the Renaissance, peasants were released from the life of a serf. They were free to earn a living on their own. Now, peasants could pursue a career of their choosing. But were also beholden to their own success. Artisans, shopkeepers, masons, etc The newfound economic freedom expanded to the homes of the peasants as well. A father had legal authority over children until he decided to go to a judge and release them Children would be required by law to obey parents sometimes until the age of 30 under this system
The mother s main role was to supervise the home and children From the age of 2-3, children s spouses were set up for them when they would come of age The father of the daughter would provide the male s family with an agreed upon dowry, or price for accepting the daughter into their family When she was married, the daughter was legally no longer a member of her birth family The dowry was to help the paternal family take care of her for the rest of her life
New forms of education arose in the Renaissance Humanism was a combination of grammar, rhetoric, poetry, philosophy and history A well-rounded human was believed to be someone who could effectively communicate and debate Stories and novels were written in vernacular (in a person s native language) and included a variety of styles Prose, poetry, narration, story-telling all developed Women also began writing and arguing about women s roles and rights, and were not silenced
Another form of education that arose was the art of liberal studies Humanities subjects, plus mathematics, astronomy, physical education and music Liberal studies gave students a small portion of knowledge in all perceived fields of importance Wealthy aristocrats sent their children to these schools to prepare them for leadership roles
Freedom to explore new ideas led to new innovations in the arts Frescos were paintings done on fresh, wet plaster, that gave paintings a 3-dimensional experience Art was realistically portrayed. Landscapes were painted 1in 2 at a time; humans were painted nude to highlight the living body Sculptures of marble, pewter, bronze and limestone were created
The Creation of Adam, by Michelangelo
The Divine Comedy, By Dante
Bare walls were covered in paintings, emphasizing the power of nature, life, and knowledge Religious paintings attempted to connect the physical world with the spiritual worlds God is in the wind. In cathedrals where stained glass prevented the construction of paintings, wooden carvings and illustrated bibles reflected the renaissance way of thinking
Although they had lost their political strongholds, the Catholic church was still a powerful social structure They may not control Earth as much, but they control the path to heaven. The Pope had little power or esteem among peasants, but local bishops were greatly revered. From 1450-1520, corruption had infiltrated the church Bishops were ignorant of basic catholic customs Popes personally led their constituents in battle The institution of the highly controversial indulgences
Indulgences were money, objects of wealth, or acts of penitence that, if given to the church, could be used to release someone from purgatory Purgatory was a waiting room where a soul was kept before entering heaven or hell What began as a method to encourage sacrifice amongst parishioners became a corrupt system of taking money from peasants through fear Go hungry and give up what little wealth you have or you and your loved ones will be condemned to hell. Actions like these sparked the need for reform among the lower Catholic authorities Desiderius Erasmus was one of the first and bestknown reformers He believed the Catholic church should do away with outward expressions of religious devotion and focus on matters of personal faith
Those who believed that the church needed to change became known as the protestants, or protestors of the Roman Catholic Church Erasmus was a protestant who wanted to change the church but still remain a part of it. Others wanted to break from it. Martin Luther, a monk from Germany, believed that humans were powerless compared to an almighty God Therefore, humans could never play a role in determining who entered heaven. He believed in justification, or that only through faith in God could a person enter heaven Works get you nowhere because they are human-based At first Luther simply discussed his concerns to his fellow priests, who took his protests as part of a normal process of growing in understanding.
Luther was eventually pushed toward actual action after another local monk, Johann Tetzel, initiated an immensely successful campaign to win converts through the purchase of indulgences As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs. On October 31, 1517, Luther wrote a series of arguments called the Ninety-Five Theses and nailed his points to the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany Lower priests and members of the church sympathetic to his argument took his papers and printed thousands of copies The copies had spread across Europe within 60 days carried only by hand and word of mouth. Pope Leo X thought Luther to be harmless (heretics and complainers were nothing new). Meanwhile, support for Luther exploded among peasants and townspeople
Luther s fervent and seemingly successful attack on indulgences forced him to attend several Diets (church court assemblies). Luther never recanted his position, and as his case continuously moved higher up the church ranks, Luther s arguments also grew By 1519 Luther was even challenging the authority of the Pope himself. In June 1520 the Pope wrote a papal bull giving Luther a final ultimatum: recant your words, or be excommunicated. Luther literally burned the bull in the public square and mailed the Pope another copy of his message. In January, 1521, he was excommunicated
The excommunication needed support from a secular court to actually punish Luther. Emperor Charles V of Spain and Italy presided over Luther s trial in Worms, Germany. The trial was simple. Luther s enemy, Johann Eck (who had him reported to the Pope in the first place) presented the court with Luther s writings. The gravest sins presented were Luther s denouncement of five of the seven sacraments: Confirmation, Penance, Anointing of sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony He kept Baptism and Communion Eck asked Luther 2 questions: 1) did you write these words, and 2) do you stand by them? Luther s response the next day is considered one of the most famous courtroom speeches in history:
Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Amen
After 5 days of deliberation, Luther was declared an outlaw and sentenced to prison. Luther s friends kidnapped him and hid him in a room in Wartburg castle During his exile he translated scripture into vernacular (common speech) and continued writing reforms for the church. Within the year he would sneak back to Wittenburg, protected by his parishioners. In 1525 he further incensed the church by marrying Katerina von Bora and breaking the priestly convenant of celebacy. By this time, the protestant movement had officially begun.
The Protestant reformation wasn t only about Luther John Calvin also believed in the concept of justification, but claimed even the ability to understand faith was beyond human control Calvin emphasized predestination, which says that God determines who will enter heaven and who won t. Calvinism became the second major religion to emerge from Protestantism Modern day Episcopals, Evangelicals
In May 1533 King Henry VIII wanted a divorce from his wife Catherine of Aragon, who never birthed a son for Henry The Pope was unwilling to annul (declare invalid) the marriage for Henry Divorce may have meant an eternity in Hell for Henry Instead, he asked the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, to null the marriage. In June, Henry married Anne Boleyn, and 3 months later she gave birth to a girl The baby would later become Queen Elizabeth I
These actions led the way for Henry and parliament to officially break with the Church of England and give all powers to the King Henry then began selling monasteries and church-held lands to wealthy landowners, who became devoted to Henry Henry s first daughter to Catherine, Mary, was not a fan of her father s decisions When Henry died in 1547, she fought her way to the throne. In an effort to restore Catholicism to Europe, Bloody Mary burned 300 protestants as Heretics. Once again, violence made the martyrs stronger. By the end of her reign, England was more Protestant than Catholic.
So far, the reformations still left the church somehow tied with matters of the state Some reformers wanted church and state to be completely separate from each other The state should have no bearing on the church If the opposite happened, though, no big deal The Anabaptists believed anyone could receive salvation through faith If they were worthy of salvation, they were also worthy of church service. Anyone in the community was eligible to be a minister
Anabaptists also had a radical new idea which gave them their name: adult baptism. Baptism had previously been given to infants to seal them as a child of God Anabaptists believed adults should be baptized or re-baptized as an outward symbol of their salvation. This would eventually lead to the Baptists, Foursquare, and other similar denominations
Losing so many churches and members to the Protestant reformation, the Catholic church was forced to accept changes This showed itself in three different forms The Jesuits The Return of the Papacy The Council of Trent
The Jesuits were founded by Ignatius of Loyola and affirmed by Pope Paul III in 1540 Jesuits focused on devotion to the Pope and improving education among members Jesuits also set up missions throughout the world and sent missionaries to convert heathens and lost souls to the Catholic church
Popes needed to be trusted again. The office of the Pope had become a disgrace. The Catholic archdioceses paid special attention to the need to appoint moral, educated, devoted men to the role of Pope Pope Paul III worked toward this goal by organizing the Council of Trent
Beginning in 1545, hundreds of cardinals, archbishops, bishops, abbots, and theologians met in Trent, on the border of Germany and Italy Over 18 years, they worked to solidify the tenets and beliefs of Catholicism Both faith and good works are necessary for salvation The seven sacraments were upheld Clerics were expected to be celibate Purgatory was reaffirmed Indulgences were forbidden Now, with a unified doctrine and clear leadership, the Catholic church once again became a religious player in the Western World.