Renaissance and
Reformation
Renaissance:1350-1500
Reformation:1500-1600
Black Death
•Renaissance began at end
of Black Death
– Plague in which 1/3 of Europe’s
population died
Section 1: Renaissance
• Renaissance means “rebirth”
• It was an age of recovery from the
disasters of the Middle Ages such as
the plague, political instability, and a
decline of Church power.
• Also, there was a high regard for
human worth and a realization of
what individuals could achieve.
Italian City-states
• The Renaissance began in Italy.
– The major cities of influence were
Rome, Milan, Venice, and Florence.
– Each of these cities played crucial role
in politics.
– Niccolo Machiavelli’s book The Prince
became one of the most influential
works on political power.
• He believed that a ruler should keep his
power by whatever means necessary.
• Renaissance Society
– During the Middle Ages, society was
divided into 3 categories. These
categories continued with the
Renaissance
• Nobility: 2 – 3% of the population; held
important political posts and were advisers
to the king
• Clergy: church officials
• Peasants and Townspeople: most of the
population were in this classification; urban
poverty increased throughout Europe
• Family and Marriage
– Parents carefully arranged marriages to
strengthen business or family ties
– A father’s authority over his children
was absolute until he died or formally
freed them. Therefore, the age of
adulthood varied from early teens to
the late twenties.
Section 2: The Intellectual and Artistic
Renaissance
• Italian Renaissance Humanism
– Emphasis on the individual
– Studied things like grammar, poetry,
philosophy, and history
• Vernacular Literature
– Writers began to write in the language
spoken in their own regions
(vernacular)
– Dante and Geoffrey Chaucer helped
make vernacular literature more
popular
• Education
– The humanist movement had a huge
effect on education.
– Humanists wrote books on education
and opened schools.
• They stressed in importance of history,
poetry, mathematics, astronomy, music,
and physical education.
• Humanist education was a preparation for
life as well as creating great scholars and
complete citizens.
Printing Press
• Johnannes Gutenberg
• Movable metal type
• Printed BIBLE first in 1455
• The Arts
– Perspective allowed painters to create
the illusion of three dimensions
– Masters of the High Renaissance
• Leonardo da Vinci
• Raphael
• Michelangelo
• Donatello
Section 3: The Protestant Reformation
• Religious reform
movement that
divided the
western Church
into Catholic and
Protestant groups
• Desiderius Erasmus
criticized the
abuses in the
Church in his
work, The Praise
of Folly.
• Prior to the Reformation, clergy
were:
– more concerned with politics and
worldly interests
– concerned with money and advanced
their personal careers and wealth
– failing to meet the needs of their
followers
– sold indulgences
Martin Luther
• On October 31,
1517, Luther
nailed a list of
Ninety-five Theses
to the church door
in Wittenberg,
Germany.
• Thousands of
copies were
printed and spread
to all parts of
Germany.
• In January of
1521, the Church
excommunicated
him.
• The Edict of
Worms made him
an outlaw within
the empire.
Peace of Augsburg
• formally accepted division of
Christianity in Germany
• German states could choose
between Catholicism &
Lutheranism
• No choice for individuals,
but German ruler could
choose for his people
Spread of Lutheranism
• While in hiding, Luther gained the
support of German rulers who
established state churches that
followed Luther’s teachings.
• Lutheranism was the first Protestant
faith.
Section 4: The Spread of Protestantism and
the Catholic Response
• Division among the
Protestants
appeared
throughout
Europe.
• In Switzerland,
Ulrich Zwingli
pushed for
religious reform:
– Removal of relics
and paintings
– New sermons that
replaced Catholic
mass
• After Zwingli died
in battle, John
Calvin took
leadership of the
reformation in
Switzerland.
• The thought of
predestination
became one of the
major differences
among the
protestant faiths.
• In England, King
Henry VIII sought a
divorce from his
wife.
• At his request,
Parliament broke
from the Catholic
Church and
established the
Anglican Church.
The Anabaptists
• Viewed as radical
• Believed in
– Adult baptism
– Equality/freedom
– Complete separation of church & state
*Many came as Pilgrims to United States
Catholic Reformation
• The Catholic Church went through a period of
reform that gave it new strength and allowed it to
regain what it lost.
– The Jesuits (Society of Jesus) took a vow of
obedience to the Pope and helped spread the
Catholic teachings.
– The Papacy rededicated itself to the people
– The Council of Trent reaffirmed the Catholic
teachings
•
•
•
•
Faith and good works needed for salvation
Seven sacraments upheld
Clerical celibacy affirmed
Use of indulgences strengthened