Renaissance Writer Critical Intro.
William Shakespeare – Which is your favorite and why? Also how
does the quote reflect Renaissance thinking?
William Shakespeare: English Renaissance writer
“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a
fool.”
― William Shakespeare, As You Like It
“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.”
― William Shakespeare, All's Well That Ends Well
“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.”
― William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream
“Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve
greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.”
― William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night
Critical Introduction

Explain the relationship between the
Scientific Revolution and the Renaissance
and Protestant Reformation.
Protestant Reformation 1517
Renaissance's effect

People began to question their lives and
authority
Protestant Reformation 1517
Catholic Church had been
biggest authority of the
Middle Ages.
I. Conflicts that challenged the
authority of the Church in Rome
A. Merchants challenged the Church’s
opposition to usury (charging interest)
B. German & Eng. nobility disliked Italian
domination of the Church
C. Church’s great political power & wealth
caused conflict
D. Corruption & sale of indulgences
II. Church Dissenters
prior to Martin Luther
A. John Wycliffe – English philosopher



1320 -1384
Led movement of opposition to medieval
Church
Forerunner of the Reformation
B. Jan Huss – Czech priest



1369-1415
Church reformer
Tried & burned for heresy
Martin Luther
nails
“95 Theses” to
church door in
Wittenberg,
Germany - 1517
III. Martin Luther- 1517


German monk
Questioned Churches
practices such as:

Sale of indulgences by
Johann Tetzel building
a church

“ selling forgiveness for
sins”

Automatic trip to heaven
"As soon as a coin in the coffer
rings / the soul from purgatory
springs."
The Lutheran Tradition

Luther writes down
his “95 Theses”
(95 things church
is doing wrong)
and nails them to
the church in
Wittenberg
(Germany)
Martin Luther






“Faith Alone” will save you
All should read the Bible in their own
vernacular (language)
Priests do not have special powers
Simplify the sacraments to baptism and
communion
Religious Education for all.
All equal before God.
How will people react?

How will the church react?
Church’s Reaction

Want Martin
Luther to recant
(take back) what
he said @ Diet of
Worms


Diet –
group/assembly
Worms is a
place in
Germany
Luther says NO!!!!!!!!!!
Hier stehe ich. Ich kann nicht anders. Gott
helfe mir. Amen." ("Here I stand. I can do
nothing else. God help me. Amen.")
He is excommunicated from church and
forced into hiding for the rest of his life
Results of Luther’s actions?
- Opened people’s eyes to corruption of the
church
-new churches created based on own beliefs– ex
John Calvin-- Calvinism
-Ex. Protestant, Lutheran, Baptists, Puritans,
Methodists, Calvinists, and so on.
IV. John Calvin – Calvinism
A. French lawyer - moved to religious
community in Geneva, Switzerland
B. Main Concept = PREDESTINATION
- God has already decided who is
saved/condemned.


“Faith Alone” saves you
Faith revealed by living a righteous life.

Strong work ethic
The Calvinist tradition

Actions:



Expansion of the
Protestant movement
Spreads to France,
Germany, Netherlands,
Scandinavia, Scotland
Scottish Presbyterians,
American Baptists,
Puritans, from this branch.
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V. Henry VIII of England
A. Break From Church
Wished to divorce Catherine
of Aragon
 Pope refused to grant
divorce
 Henry dismissed the
authority of the Pope

Henry VIII of England
B. Act of Supremacy - 1534

The King is head of the national
church in England (Anglican
Church), not the Pope!!
C. Actions:



Divorced
Broke w/Rome
Took lands & wealth of Roman
Catholic Church in England
VI. Queen Elizabeth I
A. Anglican Church


Creates formality &
separateness of Anglican
Church
Book of Common Prayer for Anglican services
Queen Elizabeth I
B. Impacts on Reformation

Tolerance for dissenters
(Catholics & Protestants)
 Reduced

religious tension
Expansion & colonialism
 Spread
Protestantism
Queen Elizabeth I – Exploration =
Spread of Protestantism
Queen Elizabeth I
C. Victory over Spanish
Armada (Navy) (1588)


Catholic Spain attacking
Protestant England
Protestantism wins over
Catholicism.
VII. Reformation in Germany
A. Religious & State
Rivalries Emerge – Thirty
Years War

Northern Germany princes –
convert to Protestantism


End authority of Pope in their
states
Austrian Habsburg family &
Holy Roman Empire continue
to support RCC

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Fighting ensues.
Ends with Treaty of Westphalia –
Religious choice
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VIII. Reformation in France
A. Edict of Nantes 1598
Catholic monarchy
grants Huguenots
(French Protestants)
religious freedom
 Later revoked

Reformation in France
B. Increased centralized power
1. Cardinal Richelieu


French Prime Minister
Changed focus of 30 Years
War from religious to
political.
Reformation in France
Increased centralized power
2. Actions
Oppose Habsburg/Spanish
aggression/influence
 Returned restrictions on
Huguenots
 Reduced taxation on nobility
 Advanced concept of
“Absolutism”
 Make France most powerful.

IX. Role of Printing Press
A. Growth of literacy
stimulated by Gutenberg
printing press
B. Bible printed in Eng.,
Fr., & Ger.
C. Spread ideas of Ref.
and Ren.
X. The COUNTER-Reformation
Or,
The Catholic
Church
Strikes Back!!
A. 1545 Council of Trent



Determined what was heresy (against
church teachings)
Reaffirmed most church doctrine &
practices
Launched the Inquisition, and the Jesuits
B. The Society of Jesus - Jesuits


Founded to spread Catholic doctrine
around the world
Stop spread of Protestantism
C. The Inquisition

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Catholic Church’s prosecution of “heretics”
Thousands killed/imprisoned
Galileo – heliocentric theory doesn’t
work for Catholic Church
The
Inquisition
XI. Changing Ideas
A. Growth of:
 Secularism
 Individualism
 Religious
tolerance
B. THE REFORMATION
ENDED CHURCH UNITY IN WESTERN
EUROPE