The European Reformation - Report Example

Introduction Renaissance is considered as a cultural movement which started from Italy and gradually spread all over Europe. It started during the late middle Ages and spanned up to 17th century. This is the period which is considered as one of the most important periods during the history of modern Europe. Though the overall benefits of this were not uniformly spread over the whole Europe however it started a period which period brought important changes which shaped the modern history of Europe. During this era, Christian religion also went through significant changes and many new sects and Christian religions emerged during this period. This period is also considered as period of reformations and change and world witness significant changes in the way Christianity evolved during this period. It was also during this era that mass publication of Bible started to took place due to invention of paper machine. As such religion during this era went through drastic changes and the impact of these changes were enormous not only on Europe but on other parts of the world also. The reformation process was considered as so strong that it almost split the Christianity. The overall influence of Church during this era started to decline and the society’s values and needs drastically changed. This era actually initiated a debate to re-evaluate and re-examine some of the old values and revive them in the society to make them more useful. This paper will discuss the effects did Catholic Church have on the world during Renaissance period. Catholic Church and Renaissance Renaissance was a period of transformation and it was also during this period that the overall influence of Catholic started to decline. The reformation which took place during this era was so strong that it shattered the very strong foundations of the Church and many new religions in Christianity started to emerge. The birth of Protestant Church and other issues were so fundamental in nature that they changed the influence and status of Catholic Church within European society. (Armstrong) It is critical to know that during Renaissance period, Catholic Church spread outside Europe and further strengthened itself in countries like Spain. European Missionaries continued to grow the Church in Africa, America, Asia and other parts of the world and also introduced new methods of doing things. They not only introduced the artwork made during the period but also worked for the rights of native people in different people. Since Renaissance stressed upon humanistic and individual philosophies therefore this new thinking has actually resulted into Catholic Church being one of the key supporters of native people in different lands. (Kelehera,290) The era just before Renaissance was also an era during which Catholic Church suffered internal disturbances and was already tackling the issues of internal schism, Black Death and other issues. It was suggested that during this era, most of the Popes actually focused on rebuilding the city of Rome rather than focusing on the solidification of the Catholic Church. This was the beginning of the era when Church actually started to lose its significance and was preparing for the strong period of reformation and further internal break down resulting into lessening of its overall influence on the European society as a whole. The European Renaissance was a period between 1300s to early 1600s and its literal meaning is rebirth in French. During this era, artists, writers and scholars went on to explore and discuss early Greek and Roman ideas and resurrected Europe’s original character through their writings and art work. It was considered as a period of strong cultural movement which resulted into revival of old European values. Reformation It is critically important to understand the way Catholic Church behaved and weekend its influence on the world during this period. It is generally argued that during this period the overall influence of Catholic Church declined to a great extent partly due to the politics which became rampant in the Church. The shifting of the Papal seat to France and its relocation back to Italy clearly suggests the way Popes during those times engaged into politics and subverted the church to Politics and Government Control. During this period, Papal authority generally declined and there was an increase in number of critics of the Church and its practices. Renaissance period is considered as the period of reformation for the Catholic Church as it was during this era that also witnessed one of the most important challenges in its history. The birth of Protestantism and further reformations which took place actually shook the foundations of the Church. The focus on Humanism and the shift towards the more humanistic bases of society ensured that people are viewed with more humanistic outlook. This was also era during which people generally showed their resentment towards Catholic Church and the ills it has acquired over the period of time. The very foundations of Protestant Church and other movements during this era critically outline as to how much people were unhappy with the Church and its ability to perform its basic duties. The outbreak of Plague during this era also shifted the perceptions of people as to how they started to view religion and its role in their lives and at the wider level in their society. (Bokenkotter) Mass Production of Bible The publication of Gutenberg Bible with the help of movable type was the start of mass production of Bible in Europe. Probably the most important and significance influence of Catholic Church on the world during this era was that it was able to mass circulate Bible across the whole Europe and for the first time, due to innovations during this era, Church was for the first time able to use technology to have a wider level of effect on the world. (Flatt,4) Artwork and Religion Church was the biggest purchaser of Renaissance art and it was during this era that religion actually started to be disseminated through art work. The religious art presented during that era is still considered as one of the most valuable contributions made to the religious during the entire history of Church. The contribution of Leonardo Bruni is considered as one of the most important contribution to the world in terms of using art and architecture for art. The redesigning of Churches during this era also created a new influence on the world as it was for the first time, the aesthetic designs ensured that while in Church, people are surrounded by God. The overall advancement of Renaissance art therefore mostly took place by using Catholic Church as one of the basis of producing great arts. The redesigning and reconstruction of the Churches based upon new ideas actually resulted into a new and unique perception about Churches as living embodiments of great art work. (Hersey,13) As such, Catholic Church provided the much needed support to the artists during the renaissance and offered them a platform through which they can propagate their ideas and art work. By purchasing such art work, remodeling the designs and interior of Churches, it has actually created a much wider influence on the way people viewed art. It actually connected art with the religion and provided an implicit support to the artists and scholars to create more innovate and creative art. It was also the Catholic Church which actually sponsored the work of Michelangelo and Da Vinci who went on to create some of the most famous paintings of the world. This therefore suggests that Church was actually instrumental in providing necessary support to the artists and religion started to grow in relatively new ways. Education During Renaissance era, education became one of the primary means of improving one’s life standards and overall approach towards life. Due to increase in literacy rates within European societies, a new class of priests and preachers started to emerge and Church readily offered them a place to actually initiate themselves into the mainstream Church activities. Catholic Church therefore opened the Church for the first time to the people who were earlier not able to rise to any position within Church at the local level. Conclusion Renaissance was a period of change and transformation in Europe and Catholic Church also could not spare itself from this change. The great reformation which took place in Catholic Church during this era is still visible as not only Protestantism emerged during this period but many internal reforms were also initiated which helped Church to move ahead. During this era, Church grew outside Europe and based on new humanistic values actually advocated for the rights of native people in various colonies. Further, Bible was, for the first time, started to be produced in mass quantities due to invention of printing machine. Church therefore capitalized on this opportunity and spread the word by mass distributing Bible especially in various colonies. Church has also remained one of the main supporters of art work during this era and sponsored the great work of Da Vinci and Michelangelo. Due to improvements in education standards, common persons also rose to various positions in Church. Works Cited Armstrong, Alastair. The European Reformation. London: Heinemann, 2002. Bokenkotter, Thomas. A Concise History of the Catholic Church. London: Doubleday, 2004. Flatt, Lizann. Religion in the Renaissance. London: Crabtree Publishing Company, 2009. Hersey, George L. High Renaissance Art in St. Peters and the Vatican:An Interpretive Guide. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993. Kelehera, Serge. "Church in the middle: Greek‐Catholics in Central and Eastern Europe." Religion, State and Society 20.4 (1992): 289-302. Read More