Chapter 17

European Renaissance and Reformation, 1300-1600

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Section 1:  Italy: Birthplace of the Renaissance

Italy’s advantages:

Period from 1300-1600 called the Renaissance, which means rebirth. Italy had three things that fostered the Renaissance.

ü     Thriving cities

ü     A wealthy merchant class

ü     Classical heritage of Greece and Rome

The plague killed so many, as many as 60% in some towns. This cut back the number of laborers and thus increased the wages of those that remained.  Art was pursued by many of the wealthy.

Members of the wealthy class turned to controlling government, by loaning money to the different leaders of the government. One family Medici controlled Florence not themselves but by giving money to the ruling council. These ruling merchants supported the arts, which allowed a rebirth of the classics.

The artists supported by the wealthy men, drew on the classic remains of the ancient Greek and Roman influences that surrounded the cities of Italy.

Classical and Worldly Values

Study of the classics turned to Humanism, which focused on human potential and achievements. Humanists encouraged and supported the study of classical educations such as history, literature, philosophy; known as the humanities.

Religious people before the Renaissance believed all foods should be bland and plane. The humanist in Italy enjoyed material luxuries, fine music, and tasty foods. Anything to do with the church was called Secular, worldly and concerned with the here and now. The church leaders got more worldly living in beautiful mansions, had lavish banquets, and wore expensive clothes. Popes of the Roman church became patrons of the arts, by buying a great deal of art to beautify the churches. 

A renaissance man was one who strove to master all areas of study. The Renaissance woman would be one that knew the classics and be charming and would not seek fame of their abilities. Most women had no power, however one lady of a ruling family married the ruler of another city-state. Isabella d’Este brought many different artists into her court thus promoting the spread of and acceptance of the art collection she acquire.

Renaissance Revolutionizes Art

Medieval artists used religious items to paint whereas the artists of the renaissance started painting individuals (portraits) Michelangelo glorified the human body. The technique of perspective has three dimensions.

A well-known renaissance man was Leonardo da Vinci. He painted the Mona Lisa and the Last supper.

Although most women were discouraged from becoming painters Sofonisba Anguissola was the first woman artist to gin an international reputation.

Renaissance Writers Change Literature

Renaissance writers did not write in the classical Latin, however eh or she wrote in the writer’s own language or vernacular. They wrote for self-expression or to portray the individuality of their subjects.

Machiavelli advises rulers, this Renaissance man wrote a political guidebook, The Prince.  He tells how a ruler can gain power and then maintain that power, stated that most people are selfish, fickle, and corrupt. To keep power a leader must be strong like lion an d shrewd like fox. He wasn’t concerned with what is morally right, but what is politically effective.

Women writers were also around but like painters not encouraged to seek fame. 

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Section 2: the Northern Renaissance

The northern renaissance begins

Population growth was rebounding form the years of the plague. The 100 years war between France and England ended. The rulers of England and France bought paintings of the artists to place in their palaces. The ideas and methods of the renaissance blended with the culture of the northern Europeans and humanists looked at social reform based on Christian values.

Artistic Ideas Spread

Italy had a civil war and many of the writers and artists of Italy ended north to get out of harm’s way. Thus spreading the classics to northern Europe.

The German painters took to painting in a style known as realism. Painting scenes or events as they truly were. He painted the monarchs of England.

Flemish painters used oil to display their individuality and worldly pleasures.

Northern Writers Try to Reform Society

Christian humanists looked at the religious slant of humanism. Thomas More wrote a book entitled Utopia looking for a perfect world full of peace loving people in a land where greed, corruption, war and crime had been weeded out.

William Shakespeare wrote during this time period. A great deal of his writings display human flaws.

The Elizabethan Age, as queen of England she wrote poetry and she patronized artists, authors, and playwrights.

Printing Spreads Renaissance Ideas

Block printing greatly speeds up the printing of new books and plays and ideas. The printing press of the renaissance was the Internet of the time period. John Gutenberg invented the printing press and satisfied the thirst for knowledge of the renaissance period.

Printing press spreads learning

With the printing press books could be printed cheaper, which meant more people had access to the books and more people were learning to read. News and ideas spread faster and this information was printed in the vernacular of the regions. The growth of renaissance gave dignity to the individual, which in turn gave rise to the idea of democratic ideas.

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Section 3:  Luther Starts the Reformation

Causes of the Reformation

Many rulers and resented the pope’s attempts to control them and in Germany it was difficult for the church to control the area with a central power, along with the idea that the people were getting tired of paying taxes to the church.

Problems in the Catholic Church

The church was thought to have spent too much on art for the cathedrals as well as the priest following the worldly pleasures of the flesh. Some of the lower priest could read so they couldn’t teach their congregations.

Early Calls for Reform

John Wycliffe and others stated that the Bible had more power than the church leaders. Some of these reformers preached fiery sermons and got the people to follow their example and in one case burned all the gambling items in Florence, only to one year later execute the same man for heresy.

Luther Challenges the Church

He was a monk in Germany who spoke out against friar Tetzel who was selling indulgences or pardon.   If a wealthy person would pay the indulgences instead of the penalty given him or her by the priest, he could buy his way into heaven. And Luther totally disagreed with this.

The 95 Theses

Luther posted his disagreement on the door of the church and challenged someone to debate him on the issues. Someone copied the statements down and using the printing press spread the ideas throughout Germany. Luther son went to calling for full reform of the church.

ü     People could only win salvation only by faith in God’s gift of forgiveness. The church taught that faith and “good works” were needed for salvation.

ü     All church teachings should be clearly based on the words of the Bible. The pope and church traditions were false authorities.

ü     All people with faith were equal. Therefore, people did not need priests to interpret the Bible for them.

The Response to Luther

The pope did not take kindly to Luther’s attacks on the church. Luther was excommunicated by the Pope’s decree, followers of Luther cheer around a bonfire as Luther threw the decree on the huge fire.

The Edict of Worms declared Luther an outcast and a heretic. No one was to give him food or shelter, and all his books were to be destroyed. Luther and his followers became a separate religious group known as the Lutherans.

The peasants of Germany wanted to reform their lives, so they revolted. Luther was against this revolt and told the princes of Germany to show the peasants no mercy. Princes that remain loyal to the pope protested against those that supported Luther, were called Protestants. This term applies to Christians who belong to non-catholic churches.

The Peace of Augsburg is the end to the fighting in Germany, with the settlement stating that each German state ruler could decide the religion of his state.

England Becomes Protestant

Henry the VIII wanted a male heir and his wife could not give him one. Although catholic, he needed to have his marriage annulled in order to find a new wife capable of providing him with an heir. When the pope was asked to annul the marriage he refused to in order to please Catherine’s nephew.

Henry the VIII called parliament into session and asked it to pass a set of laws that ended the pope’s power in England and to make the King the head of the Church of England.

Henry closed all the monasteries and seized their wealth and lands.

Queen Elizabeth wanted a church that was moderate to both Catholics and Protestants. The church allowed the priests to marry and the sermons would be conducted in the vernacular of England, this pleased the Protestants, and she kept the pomp and circumstance for the Catholics.

The defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 changed the outlook of the world. England became the world leader and thought of building new colonies in the new world. 

Section 4:  The Reformation Continues

Calvin begins another Protestant Church

Calvin taught that men and women were sinful by nature. He believed that God has known since the beginning those that will be saved. This is called predestination. The teaching following this doctrine is Calvinism.

Calvinism was popular in Geneva, where he pushed for the government to be ruled by religious leaders.  This is known as theocracy. One would have to go to religion class, any that broke the rules, were excommunicated or banished and if you taught other religious doctrines you were burned at the stake.

John Knox wanted to have the community church governed by a small group of laymen, these followers were known as Presbyterians.  

Anabaptists believed that if you have been baptized as a child you should be rebaptized as an adult. These people became the Amish and Mennonites of today. 

The Jesuits led the Reformation of the  Catholic Church. The followers of a well laid out plan of day-to-day actions and meditations were known as Jesuits. 

Jesuits plans and activities included the following three things.

Popes also led in the reformation of the Catholic Church. Pope Paul III had four major reforms.

  1. investigated the indulgence selling and other abuses within the Church      

  2. he supported the Jesuit order of the Catholic Church

  3. used the Inquisition to seek out and punish heresy in Papal territory

  4. called for a grand council of the Church leaders and to meet at Trent      

Council of Trent doctrines

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