Western Civilization
Study Guide 2
Renaissance and Reformation
Part I: Introduction to the Renaissance
1) What does the word “Renaissance” mean, and why is it a fitting description of
this era?
2) What characterizes the Renaissance period in European history?
3) In which three cities did the Renaissance begin, and in what direction did it
spread?
4) Identify and describe three reasons for the origins of the Renaissance.
5) What are the three values of the Renaissance?
a.
b.
Part II: The Renaissance Moves North
1) Where did the Northern Renaissance begin, and what took it so long to get
there?
2) Who is Albrecht Durer?
3) How did Durer become familiar with the Renaissance art forms?
4) Who is Peter Paul Rubens?
5) Who was Erasmus and what did he want to do to the Bible?
6) What did Erasmus write, and why was it controversial?
7) Who was Thomas More?
8) What was the nature of his “utopian” idea?
9) What kind of contribution to language did Shakespeare make?
10)What did Johannes Gutenberg invent?
11)Describe two effects of Gutenberg’s invention.
Part III: The Scientific Revolution
1) What is the name of the sun-centered view of the universe that became
popular in scientific circles during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries?
2) Who made this theory particularly popular?
3) What was the method of observation and inquiry championed by many
philosophers during the Renaissance era?
4) Why did the method you identified above gain such popularity?
5) In what ways did chemistry and medicine evolve to help people discover
more about the natural world?
Part IV: The Protestant Reformation
1) What does it mean to be a “Protestant?”
2) Who was Martin Luther, and why is he considered to be the first
“Protestant?”
3) What was the prevailing subject of Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses?
4) What were Luther’s primary beliefs about religion?
Part V: The Counter Reformation
1) When was the Council of Trent held and what was the purpose?
2) Who/what was the Counter Reformation attempting to address?
3) Identify and describe four positive effects of the Council of Trent:
a.
b.
c.
d.
4) What did the Ursulines and Jesuits do to serve the church?
5) According to the church, what was the purpose of the Roman Inquisition?
6) Beyond what church leaders said to the public, what was the intention of the
Roman Inquisition?
7) What often happened to people who were subject to the Inquisition?
8) Why were people like Galileo, Giordano Bruno, and Paolo Veronese targets of
the Inquisition?
LOOK AT THE NEXT PAGE FOR POTENTIAL ESSAY QUESTIONS!
Potential Essay Questions:
Option A:
Explain how Renaissance art – like the piece above – illustrate the values of the
Renaissance. Be specific and describe where in the artwork we see visual
representations of these values.
Option B:
Explain how the scientific advancements made during the Renaissance – like the one
illustrated on the right-hand side above – challenged the social and political norms
of the time. Be specific and be sure to identify the power dynamics of Europe and
ways that science threatened those existing structures.