Friday, September 17, 2010
Blog #2 Relative Effect of the Reformation on...(Unit 2)
Assess the relative effect of the Protestant Reformation on the nobility, the middle class, the pesantry and women. (Hint: All are social aspects) (Remember to respond to the question in 6-8 sentences (yes it can be longer) and to respond to two of your classmates answers in 4-6 sentences. Do not just agree or disagree without defending or justifying your argument.) Think above and beyond the common answers that you may see. Be sure to challenge your classmates with controversial tactics, actions or selections. Good Luck!!!! Go Mustangs!!!
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The Protestant Reformation, while creating an undeniable religious impact on Europe, also resulted in numerous alterations in regards to society. The nobility, for instance, was affected by this movement in terms of increased secular power. On the eve of the Reformation, city governments passed laws to restrict church interference in "strictly secular political spheres of competence and authority." Luther also called German princes to action in his Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, a 1520 pamphlet that encouraged the reformation of the political and economic power of the church. After Protestantism had been fully established in cities, the diminishing of the clergy's power accompanied the rise of lay authority.
The middle class' involvement in the Reformation was instigated by their intellectual growth and development. As urban laypeople became educated through travel and the spread of knowledge, an increase in literacy and heightened curiosity led many individuals of the middle class to challenge the medieval teachings of the church. Whereas the laity of the Middle Ages complained about the clergy's offenses, the Reformation led to increased restrictions on the church's power. Following the movement, therefore, the people of the middle class enjoyed greater religious freedom and a reprieve from obligatory fasts and rituals. Equal numbers of laity and clergy also formed committees that oversaw domestic moral life.
The peasantry was also affected by the Reformation; at first, individuals of this social class had even thought revolutionaries to be their allies. As individuals oppressed by serfdom and resentful of the efforts of secular lords, the peasants were initially strong advocates for the Lutheran concept of freedom. However, the Lutherans had no desire to pursue a social revolution - during the peasantry's attempt to revolt against their landlords, for instance, Martin Luther condemned these "un-Christian" masses and encouraged regional princes to end the revolution decisively. As a result, between 70,000 and 100,000 peasants were killed by the end of the attempted suppression. Rather than being a movement of "social and moral force", the Reformation seemingly reinforced the inability of the peasantry to challenge the status quo.
Finally, treatment of females also altered as a result of the Protestant movement. As a contrast to the Middle Ages, women gained the right to divorce and remarry. Girls were also encouraged to pursue education in the vernacular, allowing them improved opportunities to attain knowledge and author works on behalf of the Reformation. As evidenced by the union of Martin Luther and Katerina van Bora, Luther's Reformation also stressed his beliefs in compassionate marriage and equal authority within a Christian household. Yet, women also suffered as a result of the Protestant Reformation - females affected by the movement lost the opportunity to participate in church services, and were gradually deprived of the privilege to to manage their own properties and make legal transactions. Overall, however, the Reformation stressed the importance of home and family in a woman's life.
I'm interested to hear what everyone has to say, and any suggestions or comments that might be posted as well. Best of luck, and see you in class! (Huge apologies for making this post so long, too. I wasn't too sure about the length requirement, but I hope it's alright. ><)
The Reformation was a turning point in the history of Europe. Followers of the reformation, also known as Protestants, protested abuses within the Roman Catholic Church. These protest led to a resolution that destroyed the religious unity of Europe and had a massive effect on all Europeans. The Reformation had consequences for every aspect of society, from upper classmen down to peasants and in gender roles.
To start off, the nobility were affected mostly by large independent secular and religious changes throughout the reformation. The attack on indulges influenced the upper class in a huge way. With half of the proceeds being given to the pope, Martin Luther posted his ninety-five thesis against indulgences. In this he objected that indulgences “remitted sins and released unrepentant sinners from punishment in purgatory”, this, he believed, was wrong in the sense that the indulgences made it seem like salvation could be bought and sold.
Another effected group by the reformation was the middle class. Now that the church was limited of their power, the middle class felt more obliged to break away from the status quo and redirect their religious thoughts and rituals. Being able to maneuver towards a more intellectual aspect, the middle class seized the opportunity and grasped a higher form of thinking outside the box.
The Peasants, although unaccepted, had a great deal of effect on them during the Reformation. Although peasants joined the movement in some areas, their revolting attempts were brutally concealed. The peasants initially saw Martin Luther, one of the leading figures throughout the reformation, as an ally. They went about and asked him for support in their demands to end serfdom and for other economic reforms. Luther had condemned the peasants, although he had initially recognized the justice of some of their demands. When they raised his name in their revolt he called them “unChristian”, due to their revolutionary politics. The revolt was crushed, killing thousands of peasants. The reformation evidently opposed of the peasants involvement throughout the entire revolt.
The effect women dealt with throughout the Reformation was quite a great deal. Females suffered by being deprived of the privilege to make any legal transactions at all. The movement had caused for them to lose the opportunity to participate in church services. However, women were given the privilege to divorce and remarry. They also grew more towards an intellectual growth and were able to attain knowledge and carry out onto the study of the vernacular. The Reformation led to an entirely new "Renaissance Man".
I was really pulled in while reading and writing on this topic. Mr. Neal has very interesting power point slides on the Reformation and Age of Religious Wars. It helped me out so much and I highly recommend everyone take a look. Hope you enjoyed! -Gardenia
Great start ladies. Don't worry about the length but on the blog responses you don't have to write it as a formal essay, just get to the point and answer the question. We'll see how people respond to what you guys put and whether or not they agree or disagree with what you said.
The Protestant Reformation was a religious movement against the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church, which had a great affect on society. To begin with,the nobles were affected by gaining more secular power because the church lost more authority during the Reformation.
Middle class were very knowledgeable and they were able to shape the cultural life of their communities. They were also able to take over their religious life on their own such as the protests of financial and spiritual abuse of the medieval church and the sale of indulgences. Therefore, the middle class were able to break away from the medieval church.
Through the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries peasants were stripped away of freedom due to the fact that German feudal lords increased the earnings from their lands by raising demands on their peasant tenants. Soon the peasants leaders, many in which were Lutherans, took action and revolted against their landlords. Initially, Luther sympathized with the peasants and they in return felt his support. However,the mere mention of his name being connected with such revolutionary tactics caused Luther to retract his sympathy and accused them to be“Un-Christian.” Disgusted with the ongoing revolts Luther pressed for a merciless end. The Princes finally conceding to his reasoning and made any allowances to stop the revolts. This resulted in killing over thousands of peasants by the time the revolt was crushed
Women were usually devalued and only seen as a mere housewife or an “ornament” to their husbands. The Reformation however gave new laws to the role of woman in which gave them more security and protection. For one, woman were allowed to divorce and remarry a man under good conscience. Also that woman of all social class were allowed to engage in education such as literacy in the vernacular which gave some women the role as an independent author on behalf of the reformation. However the Reformation did not affect the women in just positive ways but in negative ways as well. For example, women lost the right to handle their own property or to make transactions in their name.
Sorry if what I wrote doesn't really make sense.Oh yea and my computer kept messing up when I posted my blog so yea sorry...
The Reformation - the re-establishing of the Catholic church - not only affected the religious aspects of Europe, but also the different social classes. For example, the nobility gained more secular power by the challenges Luther brought forward to the church with his 95 thesis, expressing his ideas against the ways of the church. As a result, the church lost some authority over the nobles.
The middle class were also affected by the Reformation. They had an increase in knowledge about the world and the people who ruled over them. The urban lay people traveled widely and inventions, such as the printing press, increased sources of information. Books and libraries raised their literacy and spurred up their curiosity which allowed them to think for themselves and away from the church's control. In the end, they sought a more spiritual and egalitarian church.
This next group of people, the peasantry, were heavily impacted by the ideas and beliefs of Martin Luther. As followers of Luther, known as Lutherans, they considered him as an ally and wanted to revolt against their lords for the hardships they faced. Believing in the support of Luther, they went ahead in their revolt to end serfdom. However, Luther was terrified by their revolt against the feudal system, so he encouraged the princes to eliminate them. This resulted in many of the peasants' death and their revolt ended in failure.
Women were also greatly affected due to the effects of the Reformation. Reformers favored clerical marriage and opposed celibacy and they challenged the medieval thought of degrading women. They also praised a women's own right and even though they still remain lower than men, they were presented with new laws that allowed them more freedom. They were now allowed to divorce and re-marry. Even though women were still considered as the ideal housewife, these are the stepping stones to women's eventual freedom and individual rights.
I'm excited to see what people have to say and maybe better understand the Reformation through your opinions :D Good Luck!
So far no one has mentioned any specific religious factions and how they may have impacted these different groups that the question is addressing. Many may be asking "So what do you mean?" Wait and see if anyone figures it out. Good Luck!!!
the reformation, which was when the catholic church was being re-established, affected both the religious and social class. Such as, secular power being acheived by nobility and because of that, the church lost some of it's power.
The middle class was affected too by the reformation. The urban lay people became more literate through iventions such as the printing press. The curiosity of the libraries, or the librarians, were increased and went against the church. However, because of that, the church became more of what you could say "pure".
The peasants were majorly affected by Martin Luther's ideas. Luther's followers, aka lutherans, revolted against their landlords. the peasants thinking Luther was on their side, pursued their revolt, but Luther was afraid of their revolt so he asked the princed for them to be killed. ending in about 70,000 - 100,000 deaths of peasants,
their revolt was a failure.
finally, women were affected as well. They were allowed to divorce and re-marry. However, women wer still looked as nothing more than ornaments.
well... it took me so long to actually learn by reading, but i did it and i got to say. the reformation is a very interesting topic. i would like to know everyone elses viewpoints on it so... uhh... see you guys in class?
I'm trying to submit my comment, but I keep getting an error.
"Your HTML cannot be accepted: Must be at most 4,096 characters"
I'm not at all in a mood to deal with technical problems, so I'm just going to submit it as an email.
Emails are not accepted so you will need to shorten yours up and get to the point. As I mentioned early on in my blog post. Answer the question, no need for introductory sentences or anything else. Just get to the point be sure to use evidence to support what you say.
The Protestant Reformation , or the reformation of the church, had an affect on various social classes such as the nobility, middle class, the peasantry, and women. During this process of reformation, Martin Luther proposed his ninety-five thesis which went against the sale of indulgences, by challenging Pope Leo X and the papacy, resulting in the church losing power, which then allowed the nobility to gain the majority of the power. The middle class was also affected by this reformation because they had many influences in education and inventions, such as the printing press, which helped spread information througout Europe in a fast and easy manner, giving them more knowledge and opportunities on translating the bible. The peasants, who became followers of Martin Luther, became influenced, but later started to practice mere devil's work, becoming disobedient, and violating Gods name. All this resulted in the deaths of the peasants by the princes. With the church, women now had rights to get a divorce and re-marry but they still were not the dominant role in the relationship. They were viewed the same as they were during the Renaissance but had a few doors open for opportunity, re-marriage and divorce.
Hope this will help as a referance and i wish the best of luck to the rest of the class!!! :D
The Protestant Reformation, while creating an undeniable religious impact on Europe, partook in legions of accommodations in observance to Renaissance society, as well.
The Reformation was a critical notable 16th century European movement, which aimed at the initial reforming and defecting from the practices and beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church who’s religious movements were supplemented by numerous ambitious political rulers, most notably to have been established Martin Luther. This occurred at a time of sharp conflict between the emerging nation-states of Europe bent on centralization within their own realms and self-governing towns and villages heavily accustomed to their own affairs. Many people perceived this religious revolt as an ally in their struggle of political freedom and independence. Conclusively, the reformation as a whole has had relative affects on the social groups of Renaissance nobility, middle class, peasantry, and women.
The nobility in the movement were to be affected with the increase in secular power . Upon accession of reformation, laws were passed by city governments in means of restricting church interference. Martin Luther signaled this new direction in the Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, consequent to forced action of reforms upon the Roman church to befall upon German princes; to curtail its political and economic power in Germany. Subsequential of the full establishment of Protestantism in cities, the diminishing of the clergy’s power accompanied the rise of lay authority. In conclusion, the nobility of the Renaissance acquired the increase in secular power in affect of the Protestant Reformation.
Predominantly, reformation involvement in the middle class insinuated its grown in intellectual development and religious independence. As urban middle class inhabitants became educated through the spread travel of knowledge, and the decrease in illiteracy rate became abundant, heightened curiosity led to the individuals of the middle class to challenge and question middle aged teachings of the church. Whereas congregation of the Middle Ages contravened of clergy’s assailments, restrictions of the church’s power to followed proceedings from the Reformation. At hand of the movement, the middle class partook in greater religious freedom in reforming from compensatory rituals required of the Roman Catholic Church. In retrospect, middle class involvement in the Protestant Reformation received growth in intellectual development and greater religious independence.
Peasantry also secured affect of the Protestant Reformation. Since the late fifteenth century, the peasantry had opposed the efforts of their secular and ecclesiastical lords to override their traditional laws and customs and subject them to new territorial regulations and taxes. Naturally, they had believed Luther to be an ally due to the belief in his teaching of Christian freedom and his criticism of monastic landowners a point of view similar to their own. Luther, initially, sympathized with the peasants, condemning the tyranny of the princes and urging them to meet just demands. Though upon peasant revolt against their landlords in 1542-1525, invoking Luther’s name, Luther predictable condemned them as “un-Christian” and urged the princes to cease revolt without mercy, causing the death of an estimated 70,000 - 100,000 of peasants by the time of suppression. In summary, the Reformation’s affect on peasants seems to have done nothing but reinforce their inability in challenging the status quo.
Finally, women in general, as opposed to belonging in a specific social status, received individual affects and treatment of the Protestant Reformation of their own. By protestant teachings of stressing the individual's personal relationship with God and his or her own responsibility for behavior, it affirmed the ability of each to find truth, and thus, offering greater role for lay participation by women, than what was possible in Roman Catholicism. Nevertheless, the Reformation did not markedly transform women's place in society. Both men and women read the Bible and participate in religious ceremonies together. But Bible reading reinforced the Pauline view of woman as weak-minded and sinful. Though women in general were encouraged in their pursue of greater opportunities of knowledge and education in the Middle Ages, they were, in a whole, treated as ornamental inferior beings in Protestant and Renaissance society overall. In closing, women received greater equality in Protestant society, though still treated as the insignificant.
Sorry for taking so long to do this and submitting it as an email. I honestly feel ashamed of myself for my stupidity and constant disappointment.
Allen no need to be ashamed. Great post. I am curious to know what sources you used to post your blog response?
The Reformation effected several social classes such as the nobility, the middle class, the peasantry and women. The nobility were able to gain more secular power through Luther’s 95 theses, which challenges the Papacy and Pope which resulted in the church lose of authority.
The Reformation helped the middle class increase their growth in knowledge. Inventions such as the printing press helped the middle class people become more literate. As the people began to enlighten themselves they began to question the authority of the church. The peasantry’s were strongly impacted by Martin Luther’s ideas. They were widely known as Lutherans (Luther’s follower’s) they saw Luther as an ally and wanted his support in the revolt, but Luther only sympathized for them but did not side with them because he believed that their revolt was “unChristian”. The Prince made an allowance to stop the revolt, which led to the killing of over hundreds of peasants. During the renaissance women were known as ornaments and entertainment, but the Reformation influenced the role of women and let them divorce and re-marry as they pleased, but still many women stayed loyal to their husbands. Women were also able to be educated and literate by the help of Martin Luther and his establishment of a girls school. The Reformation negatively affected the woman as well, women did not have the right to own property nor to hold transactions.
im so sorry my blog probably wont make any sense but i hope this helps...
btw This blog really helped me understand the reformation more better ^^
The Protestant Reformation had a major affect in nobility, the middle class, the peasantry, and women of the social classes. In this movement Nobility was affected for secularism had increased through Martin Luther's 95 Thesis. Through Luther's 95 Thesis it decreased the power of the church and the lost authority over the nobles. The Reformation also affected the middle class because it had increased their growth in knowledge. The increase in knowledge was accompanied by the printing press with the translation of the bible and other facts that increased their literacy. Not just the middle class and nobles had affect on the Reformation but the peasantry class even though it doesn't seem like they would had were affected greatly by this move. Peasants with the church's corruption many had become Lutherans. With all their drive focused in being Lutherans they had started to revolt. Because of their revolt many were killed and also Martin Luther rejected them because he sought their actions as being "UN-Christian". Finally women were also affect for that there were now able to remarry and divorce even thought they had lost the privilege of participating in the church they were brought to being able to be more educated. Luther had establish a girls school which lead them to increase in With women being able to become less of an ordainment it gave them more of an opportunity of to prove that they are more than entertainment yet men were still had more dominate roles in society.
Answer:
In particular, the Protestant Reformation was required with regards of the language that the Bible was produced in, the selling of forgiveness or indulgences, and the increase of power from the popes. The ideas behind the Protestant Reformation were simple. The church should be changed, or reformed, so that it was less greedy, fairer and accessible to all people, not just the rich and well educated. Early sixteenth-century reformers enjoyed an appreciative audience because of widespread dissatisfaction with the Catholic Church.
After Martin Luther, a friar from Germany, voiced his beliefs on how the Catholic Church should be, the nobility started to follow his beliefs. They realized that the church had a major problem with ignoring that a church's only goal is to spread the word of Christ, while the church was only focusing on money before the reformation.
In addition, the Protestant Reformation later focused on the marriage, the domestic life, and the education of women. Marriage was considered as a woman’s career as well as education. Based on Luther’s belief of the Bible, marriage should be more compassionate. Martin Luther provided numerous examples of marriage with his wife. Women did not have any rights similar to men. For example, they lost rights to manage their own property.
The relative affects of the Protestant Reformation on all of the social groups was an increase in secular thoughts and wanting for more religious freedom. The German nobles, once informed of the corruption amongst the papacy, wanted reform and started thinking of secularism. An example of their secularism is when they presented the 102 “oppressive [church] burdens and abuses” to emperor at the Diet of Worms in 1521. It defined the offenses the pope and papacy committed against the German Empire, by selling papacy offices and other unjustified authorities.
The middle class and the peasants both grew in intelligence and secular ideas together. They both were learning of what was starting to happen and when they did finally decided to act upon it, they revolted against the landlords in 1524. Luther did not approve of this act and condemned them as “un-Christian” for trying to reform with violence and under his name. The outcome was the peasants being suppressed and tens of thousand casualties. Importance of education was growing amongst the populous, but at a very slow rate.
For women the Protestant Revolution was not much of a revelation for them. They were still thought of as the inferior gender to just reproduce and take care of affairs at home. Both Calvin and Luther believed women “should stay at home and take care of household affairs.” But towards the end of the Reformation couples were able to divorce, and remarry at will. Eventually they lost the power to manage their own properties, which only tightened the role of women in society of the time period.
The Prostestant Reformation didn't only affect Europe by religion but also the nobility, middle class, and peasants of women. Since the middle class and peasants had education available to them they were able to be secular about the teachings of the church. Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Thesis caused the Roman Catholic Chuch to lose authority with the nobles because of their teachings. The nobility were far more secular than peasants and middle class which made them they would be able to pass laws because the chuch lost authority. Martin Luther being declared as a heretic made the peasants stop listening to him about being obedient to the nobles and revolt which ended with 70,000-100,000 peasant dead. Noble women were able to change their religion because the protestant reformation lead to many beliefs such as being baptized as an adult which were Anabaptist.
The Prostestant Reformation did not give women the right to divorce it was the english reformation. The english reformation lead to divorce because Henry the 8th was married to five women and divorced with them because he had no heir. Since the women were able to divorce at that time they were still not dominant to men.Women would still be seen as ornaments but the protestant reformation made women become more dominant before it started.
FYI: When you respond to other students it should look like this:
Ariel, I agree with.... or Gardenia, your argument about women is....
This way I know exactly who you are responding to. You will post it just like you are posting a blog or you can post it at the same time that you post your blog.
I have not seen any responses yet so lets get the discussion going. Good Luck!!!
The Protestant Reformation was a religious revolution within the Roman Catholic Church. This changed the course of many people's role in society. The nobles for instance, gained secular power due to the Roman Catholic Church loosing power from Martin Luther's 95 Thesis. This allowed nobles to have obtained more power now that the Church's authority is divided. The middle class flourished through education and knowledge at this time. Travel and spreading of knowledge of different ideas and teachings benefited them greatly. The middle class became much more intellectual and began to enjoy their religious freedom and explore new ideas. The peasants were heavily influenced by Martin Luther. They submitted to his ideas in hope to recover their economical hardships.However, they had misunderstood his idea of "priesthood of all believers" was a break from social classes. They were so excited for freedom, they rounded up and started the Peasant Revolt. Luther was horrified by this revolt and ordered nobles to take them down. Many peasants were angry and rejected his leadership. The women in protestantism at this time were allowed to go to school and become literate but however still did not change drastically on the social ladder; they still had to take care of domestic tasks, such as staying home and watching the children. But the reformation women were allowed to divorce and remarry.
I agree with Eunice's point on the peasants, because the peasants had seen Lutheranism as a time to take advantage and hopefully break away from social injustice but in the end having to be taken down by Luther's orders himself. Luther wanted to just change certain ideas within the church, but not become
"unChristans" with barbaric actions.
I kind of agree with Josh... about the peasants revolting against their landlords, but I don't think the middle class revolted too?
The protestant reformation was brought about by many things such as renaissance humanism and the corruption of the church and such. This movement affected the nobility, middle class, peasants, and women in some way or another. Overall, this movement casued the nobility to become more secularized with the infulence of Martin Luther and his 95 Thesis. His 95 Thesis basically critisized the sale of indulgences and caused the church to lose power because it was stated that the sale of indulgences was not what God intended to "save" them from being damned.
On the otherhand, the middle class wasnt as worried about religion, their focus was more on education. They enjoyed the ability of religious freedom. Travel and the spreading of knowledge caused the people of the middle class to become more interested in learning and finding out more stuff purely because of their curiosity.
The peasants were affected by the protestant reformation as well, they were inspired by Luther's teachings. They liked his idea of the concept of freedom and took it to annother level. This caused them to revolt against their landlords. This peasant uprising was known as the Peasants' War or the Swabian Peasant uprising.
Through the protestant reformation, women started to gain a bit more independance. They had the ability to now divorce. In contrast of the previous view of women (seen as ornaments rather than a person with potential), now women could get an education in the vernacular as well as getting divorce. They still played a key role in the household however, while men still played the most important role in society.
I agree with Kristie when she mentions that the nobles gained power because the church lost a lot of its power due to Martin Luther and the uprising in knowledge of the 95 Thesis. When the 95 Thesis brought attention to much of what the church is doing that doesnt make sense, the nobles started to gain more power because of it. Since they were becoming more secular as well, they're power would increase because they no longer was forced to follow the orders of the church, and they didn't have to do everything for the church, such as giving all their money to the church.
I agree with what Josh stated about the affect of the Protestant reformation on women. Especially the part he says about how Luther and Calvin both viewed the role of women to be a stay at home type person. Which would have been one of the ways Luther would be seen as a conservative. Although Luther and Calvin thought the women of the house should take care of household matters only, the protestant reformation did give them a bit more independance, since they could now get a divorce as well as remarry. As Josh mentioned, they were still viewed as the inferior gender.
The Protestant Reformation can be described as both a religious and political change. It gave way to changes in the society, and the positions different groups held within that society. The Lutherans, Zwinglians, and Calvinists were leaders in reform, and many people followed and were impacted by their beliefs.
The nobility was affected in a largely political was. In example Henry VIII gained power over the church, and because of this the church lost influence. Secular movements became more popular, and church reform was constantly preached. The clergy was in a constant battle with the nobles for power, and ultimately were almost always overpowered.
The middle class was affected in a more social than political aspect. The ideas that were being spread were new and exciting. Many middle class people were becoming more educated, and therefore more opinionated. They were given access to the Bible, and so religion was changing because the power of the church was being challenged. Lay power became more common and the church was restricted in terms of influence.
The peasants in this movement was at times violent. Many following Luther revolted in his name, but not in his example. Martin Luther was not at all pleased, and he urged the Princes to end the revolts by eliminating the peasants who challenged their authority. They were ultimately suppressed.
Women in the time of the Protestant Reformation were not greatly influenced. The "major players" Calvin and Luther both thought that women were still ultimately inferior to men. They believed in the sexist stereotype that women must stay home, and behave. They were, however, allowed to remarry, and divorce. This law came from when Henry VIII took the rules into his own hands and went against the Pope to annull his marriage with Catherine of Aragon.
Allina B, I agree with your arguement that the Reformation was a reaction to the corruption with the Roman Catholic church. The reactions of all of the different classes caused a societal change and a shift in power, away from the church and towards lay authority.
Josh, I agree with the idea that new power was born to the nobles, but weren't most of the leaders very religious? They wanted the churchs power, and to reform the church, but they still were strong Catholics or Protestants correct? (HENRY VIII)
I very much agree with Allen's point on the effect of the Reformation on women. Although Protestantism did improve the perception of women, it did not see to a significant change from the extreme Catholic principles that still to this day, disprove divorce despite the mistreatment a spouse may suffer. There may be notable Protestant female scholars such as Catherine Parr, the last wife of King Henry VIII, but they weren’t on the influential level of Martin Luther or John Calvin. So the way I see it is that the Protestant perspective of females was just the lesser of two evils compared to the “righteous” Catholicism ideals.
To begin with, the nobility’s power was greatly affected by the ideas and principles publicized by reformists. In his 1520 work To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, Martin Luther favored noble authority and control over local affairs. The Reformation also created divisions between the patricians of Europe, as exemplified by the failed attempt of the Confessions of Augsburb to compromise religious faith between princes of the HRE in 1530. However, the reformation also brought forth features of social unity as shown by the League of Schmalkalden formed by Lutheran princes to join forces against the emperors who sought to re-Catholicize Germany. As the ruling class in European hierarchy, the nobility felt a transfer of power from the restrictions set upon ecclesiastical authorities but also a decline in dominance over the increasingly resourceful and rapidly expanding middle class.
Secondly, the middle class experienced a multitude of social changes that resulted in a new thirst for knowledge and social liberty. With the establishment of Gutenberg’s printing press in the 1450s, a novelty of ideas and theology became available to the masses. Pamphlets such as Common Points, summaries of Luther's ideas, were widely distributed despite his outlaw in the 1521 Edict of Worms. The literate middle class gained access to reformist teachings such as Ulrich Zwingli’s The First and Last Word in which he denied the clerical body any judgment of church order due to its corrupt state. The newfound accessibility of knowledge opened minds and gave the people a new quest for political, social, and economic freedom. Religious independence became a reality as various denominations of Christianity such as Calvinism and Anabaptism arose, giving people more options and liberty to freely express and interpret their faiths and beliefs. The laity of the Reformation was able to experience the restrictions of church control in their lives, something their medieval ancestors had only unsuccessfully vied for.
Initially, peasants were pious supporters of the liberty Lutheran ideas seemed to offer due to the contempt they harbored for the oppressive ruling classes they suffered under. This led to the misconception that the revolutionaries were directly supporting their cause in overcoming the unjust caste systems their lives toiled on. In actuality, Luther’s ideology in no way applied to nor backed the social revolution the peasantry sought after. With scolding fury, he condemned the unorthodox brutality of the Peasants’ War in his critical Against the Murderous, Thieving Hordes of Peasants, which contributed to the 1526 defeat and death of approx. 100,000 peasants. Despite being the social and ethical movement it acted as for Europeans, the Reformation reestablished the tragic continuation of the peasants’ failure to challenge the persisting state of affairs of their endless hardship.
As for the female population, the Reformation resulted in the paradoxical standard of the progress women seem to repeat in history. Luther’s prosperous marriage bore a new foundation in which wedlock is founded on compassion, not just tactical profit. Divorce laws also loosened in favor of the wife, allowing women to divorce and even remarry. Considerable emphasis was placed on women education, but obviously only applied to those with roots in ample wealth and power. However, no prominent revolutionary advocated any reform to the treatment and consideration of women. If anything, the emphasis on literal interpretation of biblical scripture made social perceptions of women worse, defining them to be a source of sinful temptation and threat to male salvation. Protestantism proposed a few pluses for social and ethical perspective of women, but was not a leap of progression from Catholic ideals in any way. All in all, although a selective portion of women felt the benefits of the Reformation, the remaining majority continued to trudge along the slow path of female progress in history.
The nobility benefited from the Protestant Reform politically and economically. The church was an influential power that controlled a majority of the European economy and political power using the pope. With the church's overall power lessened, the nobility are able to control their own region's political and economic matters.
The middle class also benefited from the Protestant Reformation. Since the distribution of bibles using a vernacular became popular, the middle classmen were able to better understand the bible and therefore able to speak against the church. Some groups that took advantage of this are the Anabaptists and Lutherans.
The peasants did not benefit from the Protestant Reformation economically and religiously. The higher powers of the government during the time (16th century) were still dependent on the middle class and peasants to pay the heavy burden of taxes. And due to their limited lifestyle of labor, peasants were not able to obtain a decent education and therefore could not read the bible.
Women benefited from the Protestant Reformation politically and socially. Mary I was the first woman to fully bear the position as the supreme political leader of England. Married couples were able to divorce as a direct result of Henry the VIII's actions.
Beyond the obvious religious changes brought about by the Protestant Reformation their were undoubtedly many political and social changes as well.
Since many of the nobility were fed up with the economic strain placed upon them by the Catholic Church, many turned to the more economically free and independent Lutheran and Calvinist branches. Although this appears to be the empowerment of an open minded decision on the noble's part, in many instances the economic side of the issue clouded the noble's true reason for conversion.
Through their acquisition of knowledge, many in the middle class challenged the before sacred teachings of the church. The achievements of leaders of the Reformation allowed them to experience a greater sense of religious introspection.
The peasantry who had before felt the need to have a superior over their salvation, now embraced the notion that salvation was through the Bible and faith alone. They no longer viewed the Church as the way to heaven. They saw their own faith and well doings as a means to release their soles from the devil's oppression.
Although not as apparent, the role of women during the Renaissance was affected as well. Women could now divorce and marry as they pleased leading to a gradual increase in feminine power. They were encouraged to pursue education in the vernacular, as well as that of a woman in the household.
Gardenia, I disagree with your statement, "The reformation evidently opposed of the peasants involvement throughout the entire revolt." It was not the "reformation" who opposed their involvement nor was it Luther's; to whom I assume this quote is referring. Luther saw the peasant revolt as a violent disruption of the political structure, that would lead to a chaotic system. He believed that people should accept their place in the social structure and a political hierarchy should remain.
The Protestant Reformation changed religion social and political aspects of life in Europe.The catholic church was greatly affected by the reformation when martin Luther posted his 95 thesis he pointed out the corruption of the church this lead to people loosing there faith in the church. this also lead to the lose of political power.nobles also gained more power.
the middle class was also greatly impacted by the reformation.the middle class began to gain more power they began to travel more so they gained more knowledge about the world and the world around them.
the lower class was also greatly impacted as well they were influenced by Martin Luther ideas .this caused the the lower class to revolt which lead to martin Luther disappointment with the lower class.
women role in society also changed .women were able to get divorced and remarry if they wanted .women were also viewed as political leaders like the wife of King Henry VIII.women also lost there opportunity to be part of the chrch.
I agree with Tiffany Le's standpoint regarding the intellectual development of the middle class. The examples she gives to support her claim - notable publications by Zwingli and Luther, for instance - all reinforce the argument that the Reformation was a formidable educational asset to laypeople. In addition, I was greatly informed by her mention of various factions of Christianity. By contrasting the heightened religious freedom of this time period with the restrictions of medieval life, her response allows me to identify another societal aspect that was impacted by the Reformation.
While I agree with many points of Claudia D.'s response, I disagree with the argument that the wives of King Henry VIII possessed notable political power. It can be argued that their status as nobility alloted them far more influence than the middle class woman; however, I see the six wives of Henry VIII as pawns, not leaders, when viewed in a strictly political light. For instance, Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine of Aragon was arranged only to ease the relations between England and Spain, not because of any notable willingness on the latter's part. I do concede, however, that the eventual rule of Queen Elizabeth I proves the existence of strong female leaders during the time period.
The Protestant reformation effected all of the social classes. They stop following the catholic church and started to follow lutherinism. Peasants followed Luther because he was also a peasant stock. The middle class was effected by the reformation because it got them more religious freedom. They wanted more religious freedom. The reformation also effected women. Women gained the right to divorce their husbands' and get remarried as a result of the reformation. Finnaly the nobility was effected by the reformation because there was a change in power.
The Protestant Reformation had a wide spread effect in Europe. The sudden shift of people turning protestant questioned the nobility of the Pope causes the Catholic Church to lose power. Middle class people made up the majority of the population. As most of them turned protestant the Church lost many of it's followers. Women had much more opportunities as a Protestant. Woman gained the right to divorce and hold higher positions of athority.
I agree with kevin that the Peasants followed nearly every word that Luther said, which eventually led to many of them being killed for revolting.
However I somewhat disagree with Peter, because although they still didn't have all the rights that a man had, I think that not all woman were oraments and could rise to a important stand point.
FYI blog extended to Weds. Sept. 29th so please be sure to get it done that by or on that day. Thanks
The protestant Reformation had great impact on several different social classes such as nobility, the middle class, and the peasantry. People started to adapt secular ideas and began to criticize the church's wrongdoings. Martin Luther played a big role in this movement by writing 95 theses. The nobility gained its power because the secularism challenged the power of the church and papacy. It also affected the middle class because they could gain more knowledge and enlighten themselves by questions what church was doing. The Peasantry's were also greatly influenced by the Luther's ideas. People started to follow Luther because they thought he would help them to revolt against nobility. However despite their expectations, Luther believed that revolt is an unchristian idea and did not side with them. Women gained many rights during this reformation too. During Renaissance period, they were more of an "ornaments" but after the marriage law changed, they started to do things such as establishing girl schools.
Reina has a very great point and I agree with her that middle class focused more on education than religious. Their curiosity was indeed brought about by traveling and the spread of knowledge. i would have loved a great example about 'travel'though, it could have really pulled one in alot more.
-Gardenia
I also very much agree with Tiffany, like Ariel mentioned, she had a strong focus on religious freedom and increase in their intellectual growth. Tiffany you had such a great example about Gutenberg’s printing press. your stance was flawless. Great Job!
-Gardenia
Hey Nick Harrison,
What exactly was your stance on peasantry in the reformation? just curious and I very much enjoy your comments given in class so I really wanted to ask you this.
-Gardenia
Referring to Gardenia's query about my stance towards the peasantry invovled in the Reformation:
The great majority of Germans belonged to the peasant class. Peasants, townsfolk and nobles all participated in a series of both economic and religious revolts. They were the lowest stratum of society who continued to be heavily taxed. In a way to discontinue the spread of Protestantism, German peasants outlined their complaints in compiled lists of articles. One doctrine, known as the “12 Articles,” was ultimately adopted as the definitive set of grievances. The articles' statement of social, political and economic complaints in the increasingly popular Protestant movement unified the population in the massive uprising that quickly spread to other parts of Germany.
I would like to thank Gardenia for taking the time to take note from my responses during class. I am delighted that you have understood my stance to depict my comments into a question. I am looking forward to view more of your critiques.
-Nicholas Harrison
I agree with mike cobian, Middle class people made most of te population. This means if middle class is effected by the reformation, most of the population is effected by the reformation. Also women had way more opportunities. They were now able to divorce and remary.
Just as Allen said, the nobility gained political and economic power because the clergy lost their strong influence. The nobles were able to engage political and economic matters through secularism. The middle class did gain religious independence also because of the clergy's weakening in power. While the nobility and middle class benefited, the peasants did not. I agree that Luther mercilessly influenced the crush of the peasant revolts. I also agree that the Reformation did not change women's status because they remained as the husband's added-appealing figure.
Response to Christian's comment, when you say "more economically free" in your second paragraph, do you mean they are free from church taxes? And also, what does it mean when the nobles decisions were "clouded?"
Continuing my response to Christian, I agree that the middle class acquired a better sense of religion because they created their own groups of God that worship him in their own style, such as the Lutherans.
I do not agree that women were gradually increasing in power during the time period because only a select few females were mentioned as important figures and the majority of the women carried the role as the housewife or "ornament" as many say. I do agree that they start to be recognized as people who deserve to learn the vernacular and receive religious education, but not necessarily become an influential part of society just yet.
The Protestant Reformation, while originally intending to make amends with the Catholic Church, was a great social change for all social classes in Europe as well. The nobility was a great example of substantial alteration in daily life. Since the church started to lose power and credibility, nobles stepped up and gained power in a secular aspect. In addition, nobles and lords became commanders of local churches, and kings established national churches, which became synonymous to the government. Middle classmen underwent significant changes as well. Due to the progression of capitalism, people started to focus more on power based on income instead of family belonging. This also opened the door for people to rise up in social ranking and even fall down which consequently resulted in increased business opportunities. Calvinism also influenced the middle class by persuading them to have a good work ethic and increasing the economic growth of those groups as well. The peasantry also was greatly influenced by the Protestant work ethic since they did the majority of hard labor which demanded the most humility. They also were becoming noticeably mistreated by their employers, heavily and unrealistically taxed, and the church made them feel the demand to buy indulgences which they rarely could afford. Along with this, the 95 Theses gave peasants the thought that Luther was an ally to them. Initially, this was true, but when peasants started to deny serfdom and revolted against their lords, Luther completely stopped sympathizing with the peasants and told the nobles to crush the revolt because of the fact that the peasants were revolting in Luther’s name when he believed in reform in a non-violent, much more conservative manner. Due to the peasant’s hunger for freedom from authority, they were most susceptible to be converted to the different sects of the Protestant Reformation, resulting in great difference between peasants from community to community. Women were also greatly affected by the Reformation in their role in society. Feudal ideas were brought back in the sense that women were considered more equal to men than in the Renaissance because they too were given the right to divorce and remarry. They were encouraged to pursue an education and indulged in individualistic ideas of the reformation based on the belief of a personal relationship with their god. Although, since many Protestant leaders took the Bible literally, women still received the Biblical view of inferior to males.
I agree with the point that Josh made about how women were still seen by Reformation leaders as housewives and did not truly set them equal to men.
I also agree Allen in the sense that although women gained rights in the Reformation, they did not significantly change their role in society.
The Protestant reformation affected the nobility, middle class, and pesantry/women because the churches were corrupted, making the people wander off in every different direction, not knowing who or what to beleive or finding certain people made sense such as martin luther and then going off to further their own curiousity. that being this affected the nobility and power because they were losing their "people" and control. the peasants were affected because of their revolt, they became close with one another in the uniting to fight for what they wanted and demanded that they deserverd. but in the end lost alot of their lives.
lastly woman were affected because now they were aloowed to attend school and aquire education and even marry or become divorced. being a HUGE change because during middle age times they weren't able to do any of the such. education was always a struggle.
*if anyone finds i'm missing something or you have better suggestions on how i can word what i'm saying or content of info please let me know. :|
I agree with Ariel and Kevin on their view of the middle class. Since the middle class traveled widely and a new age of books and libraries raised literacy and enhanced their curiosity led them to challenge and criticize the church.
I agree with Kristie on her comment about the peasants and their revolt. The peasants had little freedom due to serfdom and they were fed up with their Lords. In that, they started the revolt believing in Luther, but not the way Luther had intended.
I also agree with Tiffany on her statements about the middle class and the increase in knowledge. Inventions such as the printing press allowed for a massive spread of knowledge by the creation of books, pamphlets, and the Bible. This increase brought them more religious and political freedom.
Thanks for that clear up Nick. Great stance on the peasantry. I very much understand your view on the topic now. Your example using the 12 articles was very good.
Keep up the great work.That goes for every AP EURO mustang!
-Gardenia
I agree with Eunice Cho for she mentions that nobility were able to gain more secular power through Luther’s 95 theses, which challenges the Papacy and Pope which resulted in the church lose of authority. The church corruption lead to the loss of their authority by the help of Luther's 95 Thesis which informed the people of the church's doings.
I also agree with Ariel when she mentions that the middle class were affected for the growth of intellectual development. Since the printing press has helped them understand the Bible for it was translated to which the middle class can understand that gave the middle class the opportunity to increase their literacy. The printing press also published facts and information which lead the middle class to gain more knowledge.
I agree with Alinna on her statement about the peasants revolt. Many peasants had became followers of Luther and wanted him to lead the revolt. But many of the peasants weren't doing what Luther had anticipated and ended in a massive slaughter of about 100,000 peasants.
I also agree with Jerome on his statement about all the social classes not following the church, but instead followed Lutheranism. Luther's beliefs have spread throughout Europe and led to many people becoming followers of Luther, such as the peasants. His beliefs also had an influence on John Calvin, who believed in Luther's beliefs, and in turn had his own beliefs.
Beyond the religious changes and reform that the Protestant Reformation caused, it also brought about many societal changes.
The nobility's secular thinking increase due to Luther's '95 Thesis' which criticized the sale of indulgences. In doing so, this caused the church to lose power. The church's loss of power resulted in the shift of power to the nobility.
The middle class was also effected the Protestant Reformation. With less of the focus on the church, people were able to more focused on education and business. They also had gained the knowledge to challenge the teachings and ways of the church.
The peasantry was effected by the Protestant Reformation in many ways. They no longer believed that the only way to salvation was through the church. With the teaching of Luther and other reformation leaders, the lower class believed that salvation could be achieved through reading the Bible and through a strong and personal relationship with God.
Women also had positive gain from the Protestant Reformation. Since the divorce of Henry the VIII to Catherine of Aragon, women gained the ability to not only divorce but also to get remarried. Their social status did not change much though, as women were still seen as ornaments to the public eye.
I agree with Ariel's statement that the middle class involvement in the Reformation was shown by their intellectual growth and development. They were educated through travel and the spread of knowledge, this led to many individuals in the middle class to question the church's authority and teaching. This helped opened doors to new religions such as Calvinism and Lutheranism.
I agree with Alina that women were merely seen as ornaments and housewives to there husbands, but the Reformation gave new laws with gave women more rights and freedoms. One of these new laws, gave women the ability to divorce and re-marry as they wish, but many women still stayed loyal to their husbands. They were also allowed to take part in education and literacy. However the Reformation effected women in negative ways as well, such as not letting women withhold property nor make transactions with their name.
I apologize greatly for the late comment. (-__-) I shouldn't make any excuses for being this late in posting but i wasn't being lazy. I promise to try to post before the due date in the future. Yet again I apologize~~~ and here goes nothing...
The Protestant Reformation had an impact on the social classes of Europe. The social classes include the nobility, the middle, the peasantry and the women. The nobility gained more power due to the loss of power of the church. Causes of the church's decrease in power include loss of belief from the citizens and Martin Luther's 95 thesis which pointed out the wrong doings of the church. The middle class were greatly affected due to their education levels and literacy. During this time, they were able to voice their opinions about the church due to the many translations of the bible. The peasantry too were affected. Many were angered by the great deal of taxes. Resulting, they sought Martin Luther as an ally and later disappointed by his statement that their actions opposing the church were "unchristian". Overall, the peasants felt they should have more rights and freedom. However the Peasant's Revolt resulted in many deaths instead of gains of rights. The women were allowed to become educated and literate. They were also allowed to divorce and remarry. Though they gained more rights, their standpoint was still not as great as the man.
I agree with Tiffany L. on her view of the middle class. She stated that the printing press assisted in the new interests of different religions. The educated middle class became interested in believing a different religion due to spread of word or in this case text. The middle class were then exposed to new teaching that interested them.
I also agree with Eunice Choi on her statement that women started establishing schools. Not only did they want to gain knowledge themselves, but they too believed that other women/girls should experience education too. I recall researching about Angela Merici. She established the St. Ursula school for women in Brescia. She realized that the society of Brescia was poor and uneducated and wanted to make a difference and therefore set up this school for poor girls who wanted to learn.
Though the protestant reformation was a cacophony of religious growth, there are numerous aspects to look into its structure of society. Such as the people’s involvement in their change of religious faith, as they learned from late renaissance of the northern humanist, that they have a voice of their own. Especially the middle class, where as having no money or much social power in turn pushed them towards their faith and together with the secular movement have their own right to justify their beliefs. As for peasants their lack of anything at all really intensified their belief in religion and their own power which lead to their outbursts and riots for religious freedom. Although the Lutheran way condoned the thought of religious expression, Martin Luther himself didn’t condone the outrages by these said to be “religious and faithful people”. Where peasantry fell, women had a gain of power of some sort through the reformation, gaining access and rights to have an education and pursue nobility.
I agree with Ariel, as she says that women gained power through the reformation, however its mystifies me where a time of religious devotion would allow women to divorce and remarry when Christian faith does not condone it. Also I agree with Ariel how many of the middle classes had growth within themselves because they had nothing but their faith to turn to where as other classes with power had other worries. Continually, with what Gardenia had said about the attack on indulgences, many of the nobility and those of the higher power had a difficult time with understanding the consequences and of who to believe, whether to trust the church and go to heaven through the power granted thereof the pope or defy those indulgences and might end up going to the wrong place. The higher class probably just thought buying their way into heaven might guarantee their entrance, however they might not be so sure on whether it’s the noble thing to do.
I agree with Sara in the fact that women gained power during the Protestant Reformation. They were allowed an education and able to attend school although they couldn't hold high social positions. Women gained to power to remarry and divorce. They were still viewed as the submissive housewife and their main job was still to stay at home and take care of children, clean, cook, etc.
I also agree with Josh with his point on the peasants. Martin Luther didn't plan for the peasants to revolt. His way of dealing with the issue was through peace and godly actions, but the peasants revolted and took action in the name of him.
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