In the period from 1560 to 1648, it can be asserted that it was a time of confessionalization but it is also valid to claim that it was one of secularization, according to some scholars. The theory that it was an age of confessionalization- that is, the collaboration between church and state, is logical when taking into account all the religious disagreements of the time such as the French Wars of Religion and the Thirty Years’ War and all that had to happen to bring peace because matters of the church and state were so intertwined. Secularization- the practice where “religion gradually became a matter of private conscience rather than public policy” - has it merits as well since matters of religion were becoming less and less frequent when
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It had its own merits in a world that was once focused on antiquity and was shifting to a world that was aimed toward modernity, which changed Europeans self-understanding by giving them new opportunities to look at the world in a different light. European thinkers were starting to give precedence to secular concerns over religious ones. This was closer to the time when thinkers, like Galileo, discovered the universe was heliocentric, which was “in contradiction to the physical notions commonly held among academic philosophers”. He, and most likely others, knew that the Bible could be “very abstruse” and believing it in totality could result in misinterpretation since it was made purely for “the comprehension of the common people” . It could also be argued that secularization started to occur earlier within the period when religious tolerance became a necessity. With increases of religious populations arising in Europe, religious intolerance became an issue that resulted in wars such as the French War of Religion and Thirty Years War which required needed political intervention to bring about peace as with the Peace of Augsburg and the Edict of Nantes . “The Edict of Nantes” stated “one general law, clear, pure, and absolute” which created a peace in the nation wherein Catholicism and Protestantism could coexist, though limitations were placed upon the …show more content…
The period was not just of confessionalism or secularism but a shift from one to the other. The era started as one of confessionalism, since antiquity was favored when looking at religion so that the common people could take more from the religion they followed than just saying they were members of the church. Religion gave Europeans a higher sense of self-understanding while it gave them an idea of what was greater than life itself to look toward for direction and knowledge of the world. But views started to change as secularism took hold with the need for religious tolerance and new, enlightening scientific discoveries were being made. Soon, the European thinkers started to give increasing need to secular thought because religion was no longer a solid enough answer as to how the world came into existence and its place in the universe nor how its people should interact. The period from 1560 to 1648 in Europe needs to be looked at, as not one of just religious focus or modern thought, but as one that changed the way the world worked because the shift from confessionalism and secularism was needed in order to teach the people that religion can be beneficial though making it a matter of personal reflection was necessary for Europe to survive as a
It had its own merits in a world that was once focused on antiquity and was shifting to a world that was aimed toward modernity, which changed Europeans self-understanding by giving them new opportunities to look at the world in a different light. European thinkers were starting to give precedence to secular concerns over religious ones. This was closer to the time when thinkers, like Galileo, discovered the universe was heliocentric, which was “in contradiction to the physical notions commonly held among academic philosophers”. He, and most likely others, knew that the Bible could be “very abstruse” and believing it in totality could result in misinterpretation since it was made purely for “the comprehension of the common people” . It could also be argued that secularization started to occur earlier within the period when religious tolerance became a necessity. With increases of religious populations arising in Europe, religious intolerance became an issue that resulted in wars such as the French War of Religion and Thirty Years War which required needed political intervention to bring about peace as with the Peace of Augsburg and the Edict of Nantes . “The Edict of Nantes” stated “one general law, clear, pure, and absolute” which created a peace in the nation wherein Catholicism and Protestantism could coexist, though limitations were placed upon the …show more content…
The period was not just of confessionalism or secularism but a shift from one to the other. The era started as one of confessionalism, since antiquity was favored when looking at religion so that the common people could take more from the religion they followed than just saying they were members of the church. Religion gave Europeans a higher sense of self-understanding while it gave them an idea of what was greater than life itself to look toward for direction and knowledge of the world. But views started to change as secularism took hold with the need for religious tolerance and new, enlightening scientific discoveries were being made. Soon, the European thinkers started to give increasing need to secular thought because religion was no longer a solid enough answer as to how the world came into existence and its place in the universe nor how its people should interact. The period from 1560 to 1648 in Europe needs to be looked at, as not one of just religious focus or modern thought, but as one that changed the way the world worked because the shift from confessionalism and secularism was needed in order to teach the people that religion can be beneficial though making it a matter of personal reflection was necessary for Europe to survive as a