notes from seminars Flashcards
What are some of the major developments that historians attribute to the ‘early modern’
- critical events, cultural eras and reformation
- the collapse of 1500 years of broad religious unity, protestant reformation, growth in religious sects & denominations
- Disenchantment later seen as precondition of full blown secularisation of the modern
When and why was the label ‘early modern’ adopted by historians to refer to this period?
- established 1970s
- Phil Withington said they thought of themselves as ‘modern’
- distinctive developments in matter of religion, sense of coherence to this period as a whole
Why is the ‘early modern’ period Eurocentric?
- make sense when we see it as a narrative of western progression toward ‘modernity’ - where do other parts of the globe fit it
- Geographical variation disrupts most of these categories, generally applicable for ‘the west’
How Many africans and Indians bought to the new world
12 million Africans, 100,000s of East Indians
Why were the Aztec’s and Incas defeated?
- disease
- not familiar with western weaponry
- had prophecies about white Gods coming
- no unity with them against the Europeans
- power struggles within the empires themselves
Why was taking slaves from Africa efficient?
- used to the climate
- could negotiate and communicate with African Kingdoms
- tech/advancements of slave trade
Effects the slave trade had on Europe
- low prices, luxury goods more open to more people
- Surplus feed more, procreation, increased population, conditions to sustain a pregnancy
- more time to think about other things - things start to improve in general - artistic movements, philosophy, things that come with surplus
What did Kelly Argue?
that women did not have a renaissance
early capitalism and social relationships formed them impinged on the lives of renaissance women, meany experienced contraction of social and personal options that men did not.
What did women suffer the regulation of during this time?
- regulation of female sexuality
- women’s economic and political roles, access to property/politics/education/training
- Cultural roles of women - shaping outlook to their society and access to education/institutions
- Ideology in particular sex-riles system displayed in two symbolic products of the society
who was Michale servetus and what did he believe?
- spanish theologian and physician
- unorthodox beliefs, challenged mainstream Christian doctrines
- rejected doctrine of the Trinity
- denied concept of original sin
- views seen as heretical to both Catholics and Protestants, arrested and executed in Geneva
What does Servetus demonstrate?
the struggle for religious authority within the Protestant movement
trial and execution raised questions about the power of individual reformers and their ability to determine the fate of alleged heretics
served as warning to those who deviated from accepted Protestant teachings and reinforced the idea that heresy was a grave offence that warranted severe punishment
shed light on the relationship between religion and the state (geneva authorities rather than the church decided his fate)ha
what was the Catholic Reformation - O’Malley
reforms initiated from within the Catholic Church itself, protective nature of reforms, need to change and taking steps to address issues raised by the Protestant Reformation
What was the counter reformation
implies reactionary response to the Protestant movement, implies defensive reaction, Catholic Church focused on countering the spread of Protestantism and reasserting its authority
What was the most significant Catholic Reform
the council of Trent
What were the council of Trent
played a central role in shaping these changes
sought to clarify Catholic teachings, address moral issues and established discipline within the church
disciplinary reforms aimed to address corruption and laxity within the clergy
sought to improve the moral standards of the clergy and emphasise importance of celibacy and chastity
What did the Jesuits do
religious order founded by Ignatius
engaged in missionary work, established schools and universities, engaged in intellectual theological debates
What did the council of Trent do
focussed on reaffirming the Catholic doctrine and practices rather than engaging directly with the arguments of the Protestant reformers
What were Catholic responses to Protestant Criticism
decrees and canons
sought to clarify and reaffirm Catholic teachings on theological and liturgical matters
affirmed catholic doctrine of justification - rejected protestant belief in justification by faith alone
countered protestant belief of sacrament alone
What did Catholic address about the protestants
decrees of sacraments mass and role of clergy
clarify teachings on eucharist, reject their understanding of it as mere symbol
affirming doctrine of transubstantiation
What were the aims of the Medicant friars who went to the New World
- to spread the teachings of Christianity and convert indigenous people
- establish missions and churches
- to provide spiritual guidance and support the colonisers and settlers.
- provide healthcare and medical assistance
- to assist colonisation efforts by providing education and training to local communities
how effective was the Spanish legislation to ensure that the natives of America were treated fairly?
- prohibition of enslavement and forced labour of indigenous people
- recognition of the rights of indigenous communities to own land
- establishment of a legal framework for native self-governance
- protection of indigenous individuals from abuse and mistreatment
Who wrote about ‘social death’
Smallwood, orlando patterson
what is the idea of ‘social death’ and how does it help us understand enslavement
- stripped of social and human identities
- refers to process of dehumanisation and marginalisation that occurs when a person is enslaved
- cut off from networks and communities
- denied legal and social recognition
- physical and psychological violence
all to reinforce idea of their inferiority and subjugation
Who was the famous case study who was a suspected crypto-Muslim
Alex de Castro
What did the case of Castro represent
it played into geopolitical anxieties and local security concerns
he was a victim of the ethnographic-religious tensions and anxieties that issued from an increasingly interconnected early world
what is the relationship between race and religion
lineage - genealogy
believed religion could be passed through blood relations
anxiety about the ‘other’
