How Did The Reformation Affect Society

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The Reformation was one of the biggest movements in both European and British history; the Reformation brought forth clarity and led to an almost total collapse of the church’s rule over different forms of society, and with that, government adapted. Humanism came to light and prior to the Renaissance, most Europeans and some Brits were required to follow the teachings of Catholicism strictly. Many people had little exposure to any form of education beyond that, and science was a concept that was not-well-understood. Beings that everyone followed Catholic rule, very little, if any, of the Church’s teachings were challenged. Those who did speak out, however, were accused of heresy and labelled as a heretic. Heretics were often victim to excruciating forms of punishment, such as being burnt at the …show more content…

In many ways, these aspects of our lives are just further reforms on the thoughts of the Reformers. The aspects in which we have changed dramatically since the Reformation, it could be argued, are areas in which the Reformation laid ground for curiosity and exploration. People began to experiment with new ideas and think independently. As more and more advancements were made in science and common arts, the Catholic Church began to lose power and influence among people’s beliefs. Poets, scientists, and writers finally came into light. Scientists began to focus on practical observation rather than religious teachings and viewed their work with much more skepticism. One the other hand, the Renaissance is also known throughout culture for its contribution to the arts, putting a focus on traditional depictions of religious figures and iconography. With inspiration from humanists, Renaissance painters drew inspiration from Rome and