Module 2: The Renaissance and the Reformation

The Renaissance was an artistic and intellectual explosion that marked the end of the Middle Ages in Europe. This movement started in Italy and then spread to the rest of Europe. For many historians, the Renaissance marks the beginning of the modern age in history.

One of the great technological advances during this time was the invention of the printing press. Literacy increased and the Bible was translated into many languages. As people began to read the Bible for themselves and corruption with the Catholic Church became more apparent, challenges to the Catholic Church emerged. Martin Luther, John Calvin, Henry VIII, and Elizabeth I all challenged the authority of the Church, but for very different reasons. As a result, religious wars broke out all over Europe.

The Catholic Church attempted to regain its lost power with the Catholic Reformation through the use of Jesuit missionaries and the Inquisition. Protestant churches began to dominate Northern Europe, and the Anglican Church became the official church of England, with the king as its leader.