Reformation Essay Research Paper Middle AgesThe middle

Reformation Essay, Research Paper

Middle Ages

The middle ages lasted from 500-1350.The term Middle Ages was invented by people during the Renaissance, a period of cultural and literary change in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. The term was not meant as a compliment. During the Renaissance, people thought that their own age and the time of ancient Greece and Rome were advanced and civilized. They called the period between themselves and the ancient world “the Middle Age.” The adjective medieval comes from the Latin words for this term, medium (middle) and aevum (age).

Historians adopted this term even though it was originally meant to belittle the period. Since the Middle Ages covers such a large span of time, historians divided it into three parts: the Early Middle Ages, lasting from about 350 to about 1050; the High Middle Ages, lasting from about 1050 to about 1300; and the Late Middle Ages, lasting from about 1300 to about 1450.

During the middle ages society was controlled by what was called a Feudal System . Where a King would higher a noblemen to fight in his army against attacks and invasions. In return the noblemen was given land to grow crops and animals. The noblemen would then higher vassals to work the land and help grow the food. In return the vassal would receive food and the noblemen s protection and security from invasions and attacks also. Socially most people were poor, while a select few were rich and wealthy and the others were very, very poor.

Social equality did not exist. A small minority of people owned the land and helped make all decisions for the population. Most of the people owned little money, land and had no say in decision making. People lived very local and isolated lives, where they could not access the outside world.

Politically they were run under feudalism and were very de-centralized. The role of the church was very influential as they had role in every aspect of life. People would live good lives toward God, so that they would be given a better after life. Peasants and serfs were in a set place among society along with all other people. You were born into your social status and had no way to better your life. You were to live your life to the fullest because god put you on the earth for that purpose. So that is why people wouldn t argue their social position because the church told them that God wanted them to be like that.

Renaissance:

Renaissance, series of literary and cultural movements in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. These movements began in Italy and eventually expanded into Germany, France, England, and other parts of Europe. Participants studied the great civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome and came to the conclusion that their own cultural achievements rivaled those of antiquity. Their thinking was also influenced by the concept of humanism, which emphasizes the worth of the individual. Renaissance humanists believed it was possible to improve human society through classical education. This education relied on teachings from ancient texts and emphasized a range of disciplines, including poetry, history, rhetoric (rules for writing influential prose or speeches), and moral philosophy.

The word renaissance means “rebirth.” The idea of rebirth originated in the belief that Europeans had rediscovered the superiority of Greek and Roman culture after many centuries of what they considered intellectual and cultural decline. The preceding era, which began with the collapse of the Roman Empire around the 5th century, became known as the Middle Ages, to indicate its position between the classical and modern world.

Many scholars claim that much of the cultural dynamism of the Renaissance also had its roots in medieval times and that changes were progressive rather than abrupt. Nevertheless, the Renaissance represents a change in focus and emphasis from the Middle Ages, with enough unique qualities to justify considering it as a separate period of history.

The Renaissance was marked by an intense interest in the visible world and in the knowledge derived from concrete sensory experience. It turned away from the abstract speculations and interest in life after death that characterized the Middle Ages. Although Christianity was not abandoned, the otherworldliness and monastic ideology of the Middle Ages were largely discarded. The focus during the Renaissance turned from abstract discussions of religious issues to the morality of human actions.

In the Renaissance, the unique talents and potential of the individual became significant. The concept of personal fame was much more highly developed than during the Middle Ages. Renaissance artists, valuing glory and renown in this world, signed their works. Medieval artists, with their focus on otherworldliness and on glorifying God, were more humble and remained largely anonymous.

Political Change:

Dramatic political changes occurred in Europe during the Renaissance. For many centuries after the collapse of the western Roman Empire around 500, the only strong unifying force in Europe was the Roman Catholic Church. However, the growth in commerce increasingly unified Europe economically. Invasions from the outside declined, and rulers in the various countries gradually consolidated their power. In most of Europe, the states they ruled became focused almost exclusiv