Thomas More Pope Pius XI canonised More in 1935 as a martyr of the schism that separated the Church of England from Rome; Pope John Paul II in 2000 declared More the "heavenly Patron of Statesmen and Politicians".[4] Since 1980, the Church of England has remembered More liturgically as a Reformation martyr.[5] In 2002, he was placed at number 37 in the BBC's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons.[6] Early life[edit] More began his studies at Oxford in 1492, and received a classical education. Spiritual life[edit] According to his friend, theologian Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam, More once seriously contemplated abandoning his legal career to become a monk.[12][13] Between 1503 and 1504 More lived near the Carthusian monastery outside the walls of London and joined in the monks' spiritual exercises. Family life[edit] More's decision to educate his daughters set an example for other noble families. Early political career[edit] Chancellorship[edit] Campaign against the Reformation[edit] Resignation[edit]
Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later assumed the Kingship, of Ireland, and continued the nominal claim by English monarchs to the Kingdom of France. Henry was the second monarch of the Tudor dynasty, succeeding his father, Henry VII. Besides his six marriages, Henry VIII is known for his role in the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church. His disagreements with the Pope led to his separation of the Church of England from papal authority, with himself, as King, as the Supreme Head of the Church of England, and to the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Domestically, he is known for his radical changes to the English Constitution, ushering in the theory of the divine right of kings to England. Biography Early years In 1502, Arthur died at the age of 15, after 20 weeks of marriage to Catherine.[11] Arthur's death thrust all his duties upon his younger brother, the 10-year-old Henry.
Feudalism Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a system for structuring society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour. Although derived from the Latin word feodum or feudum (fief),[1] then in use, the term feudalism and the system it describes were not conceived of as a formal political system by the people living in the medieval period. In its classic definition, by François-Louis Ganshof (1944),[2] feudalism describes a set of reciprocal legal and military obligations among the warrior nobility, revolving around the three key concepts of lords, vassals and fiefs.[2] There is also a broader definition, as described by Marc Bloch (1939), that includes not only warrior nobility but all three estates of the realm: the nobility, the clerics and the peasantry bonds of manorialism; this is sometimes referred to as a "feudal society". Definition
Niccolò Machiavelli Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (Italian: [nikkoˈlɔ makjaˈvɛlli]; 3 May 1469 – 21 June 1527) was an Italian historian, politician, diplomat, philosopher, humanist, and writer based in Florence during the Renaissance. He was for many years an official in the Florentine Republic, with responsibilities in diplomatic and military affairs. He was a founder of modern political science, and more specifically political ethics. "Machiavellianism" is a widely used negative term to characterize unscrupulous politicians of the sort Machiavelli described in The Prince. Life[edit] Machiavelli was born in a tumultuous era—popes waged acquisitive wars against Italian city-states, and people and cities often fell from power. Machiavelli was taught grammar, rhetoric, and Latin. Between 1503 and 1506, Machiavelli was responsible for the Florentine militia. Hence, the Florentine city-state and the republic was dissolved. In a letter to Francesco Vettori, he described his exile: Works[edit]
The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy by Jacob Burckhardt Second edition; translated by S. G. C. Guide's Introduction Jacob Burckhardt was a pioneer in the field of cultural history. In 1860 Burckhardt wrote his most important work, The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy. Though virtually ignored when published, Burckhardt's work grew in popularity and influence until it became the standard introduction to the history of Renaissance Italy. Today, Burckhardt's argument that the concept of individuality was born in 15th-century Italy is challenged by a new understanding of 12th-century European intellectual history. The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy stands as a fascinating exploration of Italian thought, culture and society during the Renaissance movement. Transcription Note The electronic text I acquired was peppered with scanning errors. Your Guide, Melissa Snell Table of Contents Part One: The State as a Work of Art Part Two: The Development of the Individual 1 - Personality2 - Glory3 - Ridicule and Wit
John Calvin John Calvin was born in 1509. He died in 1564. John Calvin was the son of a lawyer. He was born in Noyon, Picardy and was therefore a Frenchman. In 1523 he went to the University of Paris where he studied theology. To maintain himself while a student, Calvin secured a small chaplaincy attached to Noyon Cathedral. In 1528 he went to Orleans to study Law, and one year later Calvin went to Bourges also to study Law. Calvin was pressurised by his father to study Law but in 1531 his father died giving Calvin the freedom to resume his religious studies. In the same year that his father died, Calvin went to the College de France in Paris to study Greek. At some point between 1528 and 1533 he experienced a "sudden conversion" and grasped Protestantism. Many historians look on the time from 1531 to 1533 as being the key time as this was the first time that he had been free from his father’s ‘shackles’. In 1536 the first edition of "Institutes of the Christian Religion" was published in Basle.
Calvinism Calvinism (also called the Reformed tradition or the Reformed faith) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice of John Calvin and other Reformation-era theologians. Calvinists broke with the Roman Catholic Church but differed with Lutherans on the real presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper, theories of worship, and the use of God's law for believers, among other things.[1][2] Calvinism can be a misleading term because the religious tradition it denotes is and has always been diverse, with a wide range of influences rather than a single founder. While the Reformed theological tradition addresses all of the traditional topics of Christian theology, the word Calvinism is sometimes used to refer to particular Calvinist views on soteriology and predestination, which are summarized in part by the five points of Calvinism. History[edit] Spread[edit] Theology[edit] Scripture[edit] Law and Gospel[edit] Covenant theology[edit]
Peace of Augsburg The Peace of Augsburg, also called the Augsburg Settlement,[1] was a treaty between Charles V and the forces of the Schmalkaldic League, an alliance of Lutheran princes, on September 25, 1555, at the imperial city of Augsburg, now in present-day Bavaria, Germany. It officially ended the religious struggle between the two groups and made the legal division of Christendom permanent within the Holy Roman Empire. Overview[edit] The Peace established the principle Cuius regio, eius religio, which allowed Holy Roman Empire's states' princes to select either Lutheranism or Catholicism within the domains they controlled, ultimately reaffirming the independence they had over their states. The Interim was overthrown in 1552 by the revolt of the Protestant elector Maurice of Saxony and his allies. The treaty, negotiated on Charles' behalf by his brother Ferdinand, effectively gave Lutheranism official status within the domains of the Holy Roman Empire. Problems[edit] Aftermath[edit] Citations[edit]
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) was a series of wars principally fought in Central Europe, involving most of the countries of Europe.[10] It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history, and one of the longest continuous wars in modern history. Initially, religion was a motivation for war as Protestant and Catholic states battled it out even though they all were inside the Holy Roman Empire. Changing the relative balance of power within the Empire was at issue. Gradually, it developed into a more general conflict involving most of the great powers of Europe.[11] In this general phase, the war became less specifically religious and more a continuation of the Bourbon–Habsburg rivalry for European political pre-eminence, leading in turn to further warfare between France and the Habsburg powers.[12] A major consequence of the Thirty Years' War was the devastation of entire regions, denuded by the foraging armies (bellum se ipsum alet). Origins of the War[edit]