Kayleigh Liu
Paper #3: Research
HIS286J – Religion and Popular Culture The English Reformation would be considered to be the turning point for European history because of the effect it had overall and the wave of events that occurred afterwards. England was a predominantly Catholic central country and it has been this way ever since the introduction of the idea of this religion. The power and influence the church had over the common people’s daily lives has been undeniably strong and it created a popular culture within itself. The way of life for the people at the time was to work for salvation and follow the righteous path of the gospel of God. Along the way the clergy has corrupted the clear and good message of the gospel and this created …show more content…
G. Dickens, he states that the reformation was inevitable due to the certain circumstances that have been occurring in England already. There are already conflicts between the church and state, the power struggle between the clergy and Henry VIII caused tension between the two and their relationship is strained. Because they aren’t on the best terms, it is easy for the king to be swayed against the church’s favor. Dickens goes on to say, “the catholic party lost the struggle in England” based on the fact that more and more people are being educated by learning literature and therefore they can think for themselves. Based on the actions of Luther, who began to translate the gospel into the common tongue and allows for those who practice the religion to determine what the word of God meant. This encourages the people to learn and for their education to grow and expand. Hope is a very powerful thing to have and to obtain well-round knowledge alongside with it, the ideas being explored can affect thousands and millions of people. On the opposing side, in the work Marking the Hours: English People and Their Prayers by Eamon Duffy’s argument for the reformation was geared towards the negative effects it had on the society as a whole and the citizens that are caused by the political power plays by higher level politicians. Duffy points out that the reformation was not required because the impact it had on each individual’s lives in England at the …show more content…
Based on revisionism, the events that occurred are often seen as inevitable and predestined, therefore it may seem as if the reformation was bound to happen. Religion is a man made thing that is frequently used as the scapegoat for conflicts but the main cause is men themselves. In Social Origins of Protestant Reformation by Robert Varickayil, he argues the Protestant Reformation was triggered and provoked by the economic and political state of the country rather than religious and says that the “it was not the moral indignation of a few righteous people on the ‘immorality of the Church’ which was the most important factor behind the movement” . To say that the whole reformation was based on economic and political play alone rather that it’s religion encourages the other historian’s point of views. Gifford’s point in which many are simply saying things to please others, especially on religion and they are indifferent can be proven since the movement was based on the economy rather than the citizen’s truly wanting to reform the country. There is no need to believe what they really believe in their hearts because they are uninterested. The Protestant Reformation can be viewed in two different lights, that it had a positive and negative impact on the people based on the historian’s perspectives of what was good for the time
Paper #3: Research
HIS286J – Religion and Popular Culture The English Reformation would be considered to be the turning point for European history because of the effect it had overall and the wave of events that occurred afterwards. England was a predominantly Catholic central country and it has been this way ever since the introduction of the idea of this religion. The power and influence the church had over the common people’s daily lives has been undeniably strong and it created a popular culture within itself. The way of life for the people at the time was to work for salvation and follow the righteous path of the gospel of God. Along the way the clergy has corrupted the clear and good message of the gospel and this created …show more content…
G. Dickens, he states that the reformation was inevitable due to the certain circumstances that have been occurring in England already. There are already conflicts between the church and state, the power struggle between the clergy and Henry VIII caused tension between the two and their relationship is strained. Because they aren’t on the best terms, it is easy for the king to be swayed against the church’s favor. Dickens goes on to say, “the catholic party lost the struggle in England” based on the fact that more and more people are being educated by learning literature and therefore they can think for themselves. Based on the actions of Luther, who began to translate the gospel into the common tongue and allows for those who practice the religion to determine what the word of God meant. This encourages the people to learn and for their education to grow and expand. Hope is a very powerful thing to have and to obtain well-round knowledge alongside with it, the ideas being explored can affect thousands and millions of people. On the opposing side, in the work Marking the Hours: English People and Their Prayers by Eamon Duffy’s argument for the reformation was geared towards the negative effects it had on the society as a whole and the citizens that are caused by the political power plays by higher level politicians. Duffy points out that the reformation was not required because the impact it had on each individual’s lives in England at the …show more content…
Based on revisionism, the events that occurred are often seen as inevitable and predestined, therefore it may seem as if the reformation was bound to happen. Religion is a man made thing that is frequently used as the scapegoat for conflicts but the main cause is men themselves. In Social Origins of Protestant Reformation by Robert Varickayil, he argues the Protestant Reformation was triggered and provoked by the economic and political state of the country rather than religious and says that the “it was not the moral indignation of a few righteous people on the ‘immorality of the Church’ which was the most important factor behind the movement” . To say that the whole reformation was based on economic and political play alone rather that it’s religion encourages the other historian’s point of views. Gifford’s point in which many are simply saying things to please others, especially on religion and they are indifferent can be proven since the movement was based on the economy rather than the citizen’s truly wanting to reform the country. There is no need to believe what they really believe in their hearts because they are uninterested. The Protestant Reformation can be viewed in two different lights, that it had a positive and negative impact on the people based on the historian’s perspectives of what was good for the time