Objective #1: Evaluate the impact of religious and political disputes on rivalries and conflicts between states from 1450-1750.
Objective #2: Explain the impact of the Protestant Reformation on existing Christian traditions and on the growth of Christianity the period from 1450 to 1750.
Protestant Reformation
Who was Martin Luther? What were his arguments against the Catholic Church?
Why did Kings choose the Protestant Reformation over the Catholic Church?
What was the 30 Year War?
How did the Spanish force conversion on the Native Americans?
What was the Spanish Inquisition?
Explain the following attempts by the Catholic Church during the Counter Reformation
Scientific Revolution
What is empiricism and why would the church be against that at the time?
What is the Scientific Method? Why is it important?
What is the Heliocentric Theory and why would the Church be against it?
What were the long term effects of the Scientific Revolution?
Objective #2: Explain the impact of the Protestant Reformation on existing Christian traditions and on the growth of Christianity the period from 1450 to 1750.
Protestant Reformation
Who was Martin Luther? What were his arguments against the Catholic Church?
Why did Kings choose the Protestant Reformation over the Catholic Church?
What was the 30 Year War?
How did the Spanish force conversion on the Native Americans?
What was the Spanish Inquisition?
Explain the following attempts by the Catholic Church during the Counter Reformation
- Jesuits
- Council of Trent
Scientific Revolution
What is empiricism and why would the church be against that at the time?
What is the Scientific Method? Why is it important?
What is the Heliocentric Theory and why would the Church be against it?
What were the long term effects of the Scientific Revolution?
The Protestant Reformation
Martin Luther
In the early 16th Century (1500's) The Protestant Reformation led to another schism in Christianity. Since the fall of the Roman Empire in Western Europe, the Catholic Church provided continuity in terms of culture, society and politics. The Church held significant power over rulers since they needed the church's approval to legitimize their rule. The church also owned about 1/3 of the land in Europe. In 1517, a German priest would begin a public debate by nailing a document known as the 95 Thesis to the door of a church in Wittenberg. He was critical of the luxurious life of the popes, the corruption and immorality of some clergy, the Church’s selling of indulgences (said to remove the penalties for sin), aspects of church life and practice. |
More revolutionary were his ideas on the source of authority and salvation. He promoted his idea that salvation came through faith alone. He argued that neither good works by a sinner like fasting, pilgrimages or giving to the poor, nor the Sacraments of the church would allow a person salvation. He believed that religious authority came from the Bible and not the church. This was a direct attack on the power of the Catholic Church and the Pope in particular. The Pope would then excommunicate Luther. Three months later, Luther was called to defend his ideas in front of the Holy Roman Emperor in what was called the Diet of Worms. Luther was not the first person to challenge the church and its abuses. What made this situation different was the printing press.
The Reformation and Violence
Many European monarchs already disputed the power of the church. Some took the Reformation as an opportunity to cut ties with the church. This allowed them to gain more political authority. They also gained land and taxes that previously belonged to the church.
Many European monarchs already disputed the power of the church. Some took the Reformation as an opportunity to cut ties with the church. This allowed them to gain more political authority. They also gained land and taxes that previously belonged to the church.
The differences between Protestants and Catholics led to years of conflicts and violence.One example is the violence in France. Catholics would kill French Huguenots, a minority protestant group. One a single day of August 24, 1572, 3000 Huguenots would be killed by French mobs. Finally, the French King signed the Edict of Nates giving religious freedom to the people of France.
Yet another example is the 30 Year war. This continental conflict began when the Holy Roman Empire attempted for force their Bohemian subject to return to the Catholic Church. Then conflict engulfed most of Europe. Approximately one third of Germans perished due to famine or war. Eventually the War ended with the Peace of Westphalia that changed borders for some and gave all states the ultimate choice of being Protestant or Catholic. |
The Spanish Inquisition and more intolerance
The Spanish Inquisition is one of the most horrific examples of violence perpetrated by a state with religious and political motives. It began the monarchs of Spain Isabel and Ferdinand in 1478 during the end of the Spanish Reconquista or reconquest of Spain from Muslim hands. They got special permission from the church to identify and kick out Muslims and Jews. Thousands of non-Catholics were persecuted, tortured, and/or executed. The Spanish Inquisitors made decrees to have Muslims and Jews either convert or leave. In 1492, all Jews were expelled out of Spain. Later, under Charles V (one of my favorite Mexican chocolate bars), began persecuting Protestants as heretics. This ruthless ideology would travel with the Spanish priests to the Americas were many Natives would have to lose their religion or their lives. |
|
Forced Conversion in the Americas
This ruthless ideology would travel with the Spanish priests to the Americas were many Natives would have to lose their religion or their lives. After conquering the Aztec and Inca, the Spanish viewed the local polytheistic religions as “barbaric” The Spanish priests forced the natives to convert to Catholicism. Spanish priests burned books containing Native knowledge, destroyed native churches and build Catholic churches on top. Many natives were tortured or killed by the Spanish. Some natives resisted and continued practicing their cultural traditions. The Counter Reformation
The Catholic Church did try to fight against the Protestant Reformation in the form of the Counter Reformation or Catholic Reformation. First, they tried to increase the use of the Inquisition and punish non believers sometimes using torture. Second they established the order of Jesuits founded by Ignatius of Loyola. Jesuit priests would become missionaries trying to both prevent the spread of Protestantism and spread the Catholic faith in the Americas and Asia. Lastly, in the Council of Trent, them church tried to eliminate some the the church's worst corruption including indulgences. |
The Scientific Revolution
|
While some were trying to spread Christianity, men of Science were trying to understand the world without the use of Bible. Instead, they based their knowledge of the universe on empiricism , systematic observation, logic and reason. The first person to advocate an early form of empiricism (gathering data through the senses) was Francis Bacon. He argued that scientists should based their conclusion about nature on a scientific method where you first form a hypothesis, test the hypothesis and reach a conclusion based on what you observed only.
One of the most significant challenges to the church came from Galileo, an Italian Astronomer, philosopher and mathematician. Previously, the church taught that the center of the universe was the Earth because God had created the cosmos that way (Geo Centric Theory). He argued that the center of the Universe was the Sun calling it the Helio Centric Theory. Galileo based his claim on observations made using Copernicus' evidence and the newly invented telescope. The theory would be disputed by the Catholic Church. They viewed Galileo as a heretic or a person who differs in opinion from the established ideas of the church. Galileo was sentenced to life under house arrest. The most famous Scientists using the ideas of observation and reason was Isaac Newton who used Galileo's findings to develop his Three Laws of Motion. All of those ideas were facilitated by the invention of the printing press by Johane's Gutenberg. The significance of the Scientific Revolution was that it eroded the power of the Church. By doing that people also challenged the social hierarchies that the church helped develop. But, the Scientific Revolution would later be be used to justify racial hierarchies and colonialism in the 1800's. We will see that in Chapter 6. |
One of the most significant challenges to the church came from Galileo, an Italian Astronomer, philosopher and mathematician. Previously, the church taught that the center of the universe was the Earth because God had created the cosmos that way (Geo Centric Theory). He argued that the center of the Universe was the Sun calling it the Helio Centric Theory. Galileo based his claim on observations made using Copernicus' evidence and the newly invented telescope. The theory would be disputed by the Catholic Church. They viewed Galileo as a heretic or a person who differs in opinion from the established ideas of the church. Galileo was sentenced to life under house arrest.
The most famous Scientists using the ideas of observation and reason was Isaac Newton who used Galileo's findings to develop his Three Laws of Motion. All of those ideas were facilitated by the invention of the printing press by Johane's Gutenberg.
The significance of the Scientific Revolution was that it eroded the power of the Church. By doing that people also challenged the social hierarchies that the church helped develop. But, the Scientific Revolution would later be be used to justify racial hierarchies and colonialism in the 1800's. We will see that in Chapter 6.
The most famous Scientists using the ideas of observation and reason was Isaac Newton who used Galileo's findings to develop his Three Laws of Motion. All of those ideas were facilitated by the invention of the printing press by Johane's Gutenberg.
The significance of the Scientific Revolution was that it eroded the power of the Church. By doing that people also challenged the social hierarchies that the church helped develop. But, the Scientific Revolution would later be be used to justify racial hierarchies and colonialism in the 1800's. We will see that in Chapter 6.