4. Features of the
Renaissance
• Deep interest in Classics
• Culture of display and consumption
• Weakness of the Church led to rise of
secular power and ideas
5. Renaissance Humanism
• Replaced the scholastic emphasis on logic
and metaphysics with the study of language,
literature, history, and ethics
• Revived Classical Latin as the only way to
read and study (therefore contributed to its
demise)
10. Some of Luther’s Achievements
• Translated and rapidly disseminated the
Bible in his native language, German
• Defied the church, printing several pamphlets
and book called To the Christian Nobility
(1520)
13. Calvinism
• John Calvin (1509–1564)
• Urged Christians to conceive of themselves
as chosen instruments of God
• Luther: Christians should suffer; Calvin:
Christians should labor for God
14. Calvinist Ordinances
• Drunkenness:
That no one shall invite another to drink under penalty of 3 sous.
That taverns shall be closed during the sermon, under penalty that the tavern-keeper
shall pay 3 sous, and whoever may be found therein shall pay the same amount
If anyone be found intoxicated he shall pay for the first offence 3 sous and shall be
remanded to the consistory [church governing body]; for the second offence he shall
be held to pay the sum of 6 sous, and for the third 10 sous and be put in prison
Songs and Dances.
If anyone sings immoral, dissolute or outrageous songs, or dance the virollet or other
dance, he shall be put in prison for three days and then sent to the consistory.
(source: Hunt 433)
15. • Peace of Augsburg made Lutheranism a
legal religion (1555)
• Calvinism spread to France, and followers
were known as Huguenots
• 10,000 H’s died within six weeks
