Chapter 7 - Cultural Transformation 1450-1750 Flashcards
What caused the Protestant Reformation?
Corruption in the Catholic Church, including selling indulgences, luxurious life of the popes –> movements challenging Church authority.
How did Martin Luther’s actions create conflict?
His 95 Theses criticized Church practices, luxurious life of popes, corruption, etc. –> leading to a schism within Christianity and wars like the Thirty Years’ War.
Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648)
- Catholics vs Protestants
- most of Europe involved
- massive destruction, especially in Germany (15%-30% of population perished)
Peace of Westphalia (1648)
- ended 30-year War
- established principles of state sovereignty and religious tolerance (somewhat)
State Sovereignty = independent nation-states: Each ruler within the Holy Roman Empire was granted sovereignty over their territory, allowing them to govern without external interference.
religious tolerance somewhat - the ruler of a state could determine its official religion; minority faiths could practice privately
How did the Counter-Reformation (Catholics) respond to Protestantism?
Council of Trent:
- reaffirmation of the (same) practices
- education and supervision of priests
- censorship of books
- exile and burning of heretics (heretic = in this case those who protests the mainstream/catholic religion)
What does Taki Onqoy (Peru) tell us about Indigenous resistance to Christianity?
Taki Onqoy rejected Christian influence by advocating for a revival of native Andean spiritual traditions
Reasons for indigenous resistance to Christianity in South America:
-Forced conversion, aggressive destruction of shrines and idols
-women who were previously shamans/priests did not have corresponding role in catholic church
Jesuits in China
- Focused on converting Chinese elites by blending into local culture.
- Downplayed their missionary goals and showed tolerance toward Confucian and Buddhist practices.
- Early 18th-century: The Pope’s rejection of cultural accommodations angered the emperor, who saw it as a challenge to his authority.
- Missionaries were expelled, and Christianity was banned
Wahhabi Islam
- return to orthodox Islam
- destruction of idols
- hashish, tobacco, musical instruments forbidden
- strict monotheism (one god)
How did Wang Yangming’s ideas challenge orthodox Confucianism?
He emphasized intuitive moral knowledge over rigid adherence to Confucian texts.
(Similar to Protestants’ calls for personal scripture interpretation)
Kaozheng movement (China)
Like Europe’s Scientific Revolution, Kaozheng focused on empirical (facts) evidence and challenged traditional knowledge.
How did Mirabai’s poetry reflect broader tensions in Indian society?
Her devotion to Krishna challenged caste and gender norms (not burning herself after her husband death), devoted to Lord Krishna, expressing love through poetry and song, emphasizing love and devotion over societal roles
How did Sikhism emerge? (India)
Tensions between Hindus and Muslims –> Sikhism –> blending elements of both while promoting unity.
(ended caste distinctions, ended seclusion of women, men and women equality, dress code for men)
Scientific Revolution
- Shift from reliance on religious and ancient texts to empirical (facts) observation and experimentation
- Key figures: Copernicus (heliocentric theory), Galileo (telescope, astronomy), Newton (laws of motion, gravity)
- Advancements in the scientific method, emphasizing observation, hypothesis, and experimentation
- Challenged traditional views of the universe and human nature (–> conflicts with church!)
- Led to major developments in physics, astronomy, biology, and chemistry
Why catholic church’s opposed the new scientific findings?
- New scientific discoveries contradicted Church teachings (e.g., earth center of the universe)
- Threatened the Church’s authority and control over knowledge
- Scientific ideas seen as heretical, leading to persecution (e.g., Galileo’s trial)
How did Copernicus’ heliocentric theory conflict with medieval worldviews?
Nicolaus Copernicus (Poland)
Heliocentrism - Sun in the middle of the universe
Church taught the earth was stationary (not rotating) and center of the universe
Galileo Galilei (Italy)
- Pioneered the use of the telescope for astronomical observations
- Supported the heliocentric theory (Earth orbits the Sun) proposed by Copernicus
- Discovered moons of Jupiter, sunspots, and phases of Venus, providing evidence for heliocentrism
- Faced trial by the Catholic Church for heresy and was forced to recant his views
- Known as the “father of modern science” for his contributions to physics and astronomy
Sir Isaac Newton (England)
- he formulated the modern laws of motion and mechanics
–> revolutionary understanding of the universe - no supernatural forces but universe is functioning on its own according to scientific principles
How did the Enlightenment challenge traditional power structures?
It promoted ideas of equality, democracy, and secular governance, leading to clashes with monarchies and churches.
Who was Voltaire and what he believed in?
French writer
believed in Deity as a clock master - God created word but did not intervene with people or tampered with natural laws
Philosopher Marguis de Condorcet - What was his main argument?
He argued for universal rights, education, and equality (men and women), directly opposing entrenched aristocratic and clerical power.
Which enlightenment figure did NOT believe in equality between men and women?
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (France)
According to Rousseau, women are fundamentally different from and inferior to men and needed to rely on men for their well-being because they were less rational than men
Examples of religious syncretism
Sikhism (Successful Syncretism)
- Hinduism and Islam, South Asia
Haiti, Cuba, Brazil (successful syncretism
- west African traditions and Christianity
The Jesuit in China (Mixed Success)
Wahhabi Movement (Failure of Syncretism)
- strict form of Sunni Islam that rejected syncretic practices.
Catholic Reformers (Resistance to Syncretism):
- Catholic leaders in Europe and the Americas resisted syncretism, aiming to maintain orthodox doctrine during the Counter-Reformation (16th-17th century).
-Americas - Efforts included condemning indigenous religious practices and promoting European Catholic rituals over local beliefs.
How did the printing press amplify conflicts during the Reformation?
It spread Martin Luther’s ideas rapidly, fueling religious debates and uprisings.
How did Baroque art connect to the Counter-Reformation?
It used dramatic imagery to inspire faith and counteract Protestant critiques of Catholic excess.
How were Newton’s laws used beyond physics?
Enlightenment thinkers applied them to social and political theories, promoting natural rights and governance by reason.
What similarities existed between Wang Yangming (China) and Protestant reformers?
Both emphasized individual moral insight or scripture interpretation over institutional authority.
How did Jesuits in China and Taki Onqoy (Peru) handle cultural conflict differently?
Jesuits sought integration, while Taki Onqoy outright rejected foreign influence.
How did Baroque art differed from Renaissance art?
Baroque art dramatized Catholic values during the Counter-Reformation, while Renaissance art celebrated secular humanism.
Main Difference Catholics vs Protestants
Religious Authority:
Pope:
Salvation
Bible:
Worship:
Catholics vs Protestants
Religious Authority: Pope vs *The Bible**
Pope: ultimate authority vs no authority
Salvation: faith and sacraments vs faith alone
Bible: interpreted by priests vs personal interpretation
Worship: formal service in Latin, prominent role of saints and Mary vs simpler service, priests can marry, Mary and saints less prominent
Role of women - comparison
Sikhism
Protestantism
Catholicism
Wahhabi Islam
Sikhism: Emphasized gender equality, educational opportunities for women, and their active participation in religious and social life.
Protestantism: Encouraged education and literacy for women, though formal roles in religious leadership were still limited.
Catholicism: Women had some opportunities for education, particularly within convents, but were generally confined to traditional domestic roles and had limited access to public life.
Wahhabi Islam: Had the most restrictive views on women’s roles, education, and rights, with women largely confined to domestic roles and restricted from public participation.
Main reasons for Christianity expansion
- Colonial settlers and traders (who brought their religion with them)
- massive work of missionaries (note: missionaries were more successful in illiterate areas, like in south America)
Why did the breakthrough of the science revolution first occur in Europe?
Autonomy of its universities with significant study of nature (not just religion) (they became neutral zones of intellectual autonomy, in which scholars could pursue their studies in relative freedom form church and state authorities)
How does Scientific Revolution connects to Enlightenment movement?
The Scientific Revolution’s focus on reason and evidence laid the foundation for Enlightenment thinkers to challenge traditional authority, apply rational thought to politics and society, and promote progress and human rights.
