Renaissance and the Reformation - Ch. 12 

From the Italian Renaissance of the firteenth century through the Age of Enlightenment of the eighteenth century, the outlook and institutions of the Middle Ages disintegrated and distinctly modern forms emerged.  The radical change in European civilization affected every level of society.  On the economic level, commerce and industry expanded greatly, and capitalism largely replaced medieval forms of economic organization.  On the political level, central government grew stronger at the expence of feudalism.  On the religious level, the rise of Protestantism fragmented the unity of Christendom.  On the social level, middle-class towns-people, increasing in the number and wealth, began to play a more important role in economic and cultural life.  On the cultural level, the cleargy lost its monopoly over learning, and the otherworldly orientation of the Middle Ages gave way to a secular outlook in literature and the arts.  Theology, the queen of knowledge in the Middle Ages, surrendered its crown to science, and reason, which had been subordinate to revelation, asserted its independence.
Reading Schedule: 
Ch. 12 Sec. 1: The Renaissance (pgs. 398 - 405)
Ch. 12 Sec. 2: Ideas and Art of the Renaissance (pgs. 406 - 411)
Ch. 12 Sec. 3: The Protestant Reformation (pgs. 412 - 417)
Ch. 12 Sec. 4: The Spread of Protestantism (pgs. 418 - 423)

Renaissance and Reformation (pdf)

Assignments 

Ch. 12 Sec. 1
Italian City-States
​The Italian City-States that developed during the Renaissance became the foundation for later developments in government and in culture. In this assignment you will analyze how those cities experimented with different forms of government. 
The Greatest Italian City State - Assignment
Ch. 12 Sec. 2 
Renaissance Literature 
Renaissance writers created some of the most lasting and important themes in western literature. In this assignment will analyze the writings of four Renaissance artists. 
Ch. 12 Sec. 2
Renaissance Art 
Using examples of the ancient Greek and Roman relics, Renaissance artists reinvigorated the classical style to impart the cultural values of their time period. 
Ch. 12 Sec. 3
The Renaissance Popes
The actions and behaviors of the Popes during this time period set the stage for Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation.
Ch. 12 Sec. 3
Luther Challenges the Church 
In 1517 Martin Luther would begin the Reformation and forever change the history of the world. 
Ch. 12 Sec. 4
The Spread of Protestantism 
As Luther's reforms spread around Europe, other religious and intellectual thinkers began to call for their own reforms and ideas about social systems. 
Essential Questions:
  • What was the "new conception of mankind" which emerged during the Renaissance, and how does it compare with contemporary views of mankind? 
  • How did humanism affect both Renaissance thinking & contemporary attitudes? 
  • How & why did Renaissance art change? 
  • How did the Reniassance differ from the late medieval period? 
  • How did Dante's Commedia change the concept of Medieval literture?  
  • Are Machievelli's political ideas applicable to modern society? 
  • Why did the Reformation occur?
  • How did the Reformation change the world religiously, politically, economically and socially?
Main Ideas:
  • Many factors led to the changes that together comprise the spirit of the Renaissance. 
  • Although similarities do exist, the Renaissance is significantly different that the late medieval period. 
  • The influence of the classics and growing trade broadened the views of Renaissance citizens. 
  • Political structures varied in form from region to region, in Renaissance Europe. 
  • Differences existed betwen Medieval and Renaissance art. 
  • Northern Europe and Italy experienced the Renaissance in slightly different ways. 
  • The Reformation was a social, political and economic movement, not just a religious one. 
  • There were many similarities & differences between the various Protestant reformers.
Chapter 12 Review Guide