History of European Civilization from the Holy Crusade to the Renaissance Era - Term Paper Example

Western Civilization Introduction Western civilization refers to the development of human organization that originated from the Middle East around 3000 BC. European history of civilization concentrates on the classical developments that originated in the Mediterranean region. These developments are strongly linked with the Roman Empire that gave rise to the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church. Through the church, the Pope influenced or controlled Europe for many centuries. The Holy Crusades that were meant to liberate the Byzantine Empire illustrate Pope’s control on European affairs. The Roman Catholic lost its influence on Europe following the start of the reformation. The reformation period forced people to think beyond the ordinary, sparking the scientific revolution. The renaissance era mark a period in which Europeans thought that they had achieved everything in terms of knowledge and discoveries. This era was characterized by development of performing art and literature. Trade and wars were the main factors through which new skills and knowledge spread across the continent. This paper explores the history of European civilization from the holy crusade to the renaissance era through the scientific revolution and Reformation Holy Crusade This essay can talk about some of the major historical events partaking in the primary reasons why the Pope called for a Holy Crusade against the Muslim empire were to drive the Turks from Anatolia, Obligate the Byzantines, provide occasion for healing the Great Schism on Rome’s terms, and to capture the Holy land. The Christians were partially successful in their attempt to capture the Holy land. This consideration corresponds with the number of successful and unsuccessful expedition that Christians conducted. In particular, only three out of the ten main crusades resulted in victory. Christian society continued to dominate the medieval world. The crusade had significant political social and economic impact on Western Europe. Firstly, the pilgrimage resulted in the weakening of Byzantine Empire due to reprisal attacks from the Muslims and external influence from Western Europe. In addition, the crusades spread invasions against Muslims living in Spain and Carthage. Liberation of the holy land through armed confrontation was a universal perception among western Europeans. Between the middle and modern ages, the church the sole source of social organization. The crusaders were called upon by the pope and, therefore supported by people from all social classes. In addition, crusaders were recruited from both the peasant and wealthy families. For instance, the third crusade was led by important monarchs one of them was King Philip II Augustus with his royal army (Spielvogel 302). There was also a children’s crusade led by teenagers on 1212. The crusades not only unified people from different social classes but also kingdoms. The holy crusade had significant influence over Europeans during the middle ages. During the first journeys, the continent was under the powerful authority of the Pope. However, political developments in the 14 centuries led to the development of powerful and centralized bureaucracies, which were the roots of modern European states. Although Europeans made contacts with Islamic communities through the Iberian Peninsula, most of the scientific knowledge was transferred to the Muslim world through the crusades. Military experience of soldiers from different Papal States also had significant influence on European architecture and design. Therefore, the crusade created interactions between the eastern and western world, contrary to the pope’s expectations. Scientific Revolution The scientific revolution was the period of new developments in sciences (mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, astronomy and medicine), which transformed people’s views towards nature and human existence. In Europe, scientific revolution started towards the end of the renaissance era and continued up to the enlightenment era (18th century). Scientific revolution was not a quick transition but a gradual change in human reasoning and attitude towards nature (Estep 121). Galen, Ptolemy, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are considered as the fathers of modern science. Early scientists were responsible for the transformation of people’s thoughts and ideas about nature. For instance, Aristotle introduced the idea of mechanical philosophy, which was based on “action” and “causes.” They also contributed to the separation of science from theology. Scientific revolution was a catalyst for social religious and cultural transformations. Precisely the revolution introduced the essence of logic and curiosity among the people. Truths or norms became irrelevant or contradicting hence creating the need for transformations. The revolution solved communication and transport problems and, hence promoted interactions among the people. On the other hand, developments in astronomy interfered with Christian teachings on the nature of the universe. For instance, scientific discoveries contradicted the theory of creation and existence of the spiritual world (Naphy 43). Moreover, Kepler laws of planetary motion nullified the common belief of a flat universe. Discovery of the law of gravity strengthened the idea that the earth is a spherical body that orbit around the sun. In the early ages of scientific revolutions, rulers and religious leaders became the custodians of new scientific discoveries. In most cases, they decided and recommended information to the public. Developments in astronomy had been kept secret by Christian leaders who considered it provocative (Starn 78). Initially people believed that the moon and the stars represented the heavens. However, scientific discoveries proved that the moon and the stars were composed of materials similar to those found on earth. Such news shocked many peasants since it nullified their belief of a heavenly paradise and life after death. In addition, the discovery weakened people’s faith towards Christianity and the church. The Reformation Protestant Reformation is an era in Christian history when Western Europe protested against Roman Catholic. The reforms were initiated by Martin Luther following his 1517 posting on the Ninety- Five Theses. The posting protested against the doctrine, rituals, and corruption within the Roman Catholic Church. It is believed that the reformation sparked major social, political, and economic revolutions in Western Europe. In 1543, Martin Luther wrote the anti-Semitic treatise “On the Jews and their Lies.” The treatise described Jews as immoral and ungodly people who only, boasted about their lineage (Naphy 43). The essay set a basis for the newly created protestant movement. The treatise described the protestant movement as self-sustaining movement that could withstand roman influence. Martin Luther may not have been fully aware of the impacts of the reformation. This is because he failed to break ties with Rome after his protestant declaration. In fact, his ties with Rome ended following pope’s condemnation of reformation and excommunication of Luther. If the reformation never occurred, Western Europe would have social and political structures similar to Eastern Europe. Social and economic freedoms that characterize Western Europe are a direct consequence of reformation. The Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) that resulted from the reformation led to creation of western empires. Therefore, if reformation never took place, much of Western Europe would be under Roman Catholic Church. In addition, countries in Western Europe would not be having constitutions that separate the state from the church. The reformation also promoted economic and social developments that characterize the modern Western Europe. Renaissance Historians articulate Renaissance as the period of re-birth in the European history. During renaissance social and cultural developments among the Europeans reached their peak. It is believed that significant cultural and social transformation occurred because of popularization of writing and art. The art of writing promoted access to information particularly the bible, which was only available to clergymen in the Roman Catholic Church. During the renaissance period, artists were highly regarded and their patrons became wealthy. In addition, commercialization of artwork started during the renaissance period. New techniques of drawing and painting were also discovered during this period, making renaissance a celebrated era in European history. Although art and music are inherent to humanity, renaissance artwork had unique characteristics. For instance, renaissance musician mainly composed romantic songs while artists were obsessed with pornography. The black death/plague hit Europe between 1348 and 1350 leading to numerous deaths. Italy and Florence were the most affected states. During this period, people became so used to death that they became fearless. It is believed that the Black Death had a significant effect on religious beliefs particularly those concerned with afterlife or life after death. Demographic decline resulting from the plague had massive impacts on European economy. Nearly 40% of people living in Europe died living an economic deficit in labor and market requirements. Survivors of the Black Death initiated a new wave of developments that can be traced into the modern world. The Western World is likely to have considered the new era as a period of social and cultural reforms. The new era ended the period of total control whereby the church controlled nearly all aspect of human life. Social and cultural norms such as people’s belief in life after death are likely to have been transformed during the era. In addition, most Christian norms are likely to have been challenged during the great awakening. The renaissance period is likely to have inspired later movements such as the contemporary society movements. In particular, the era introduced the essence of extremism in human creativity and reasoning (Kane 11). Works Cited Estep, William R. Renaissance & Reformation. Michigan: Grand Rapids, 1986. Kane, Brian. The Blessing of Life: An Introduction to Catholic Bioethics. New York: Lexington Books, Jul 16, 2011 Naphy, William. The Protestant Revolution: From Martin Luther to Martin Luther King Jr. London; BBC Books, 2007. Starn, Randolph. "A Postmodern Renaissance?" Renaissance Quarterly 60.1 (2007): 1–24 Read More