Chapter 2: The Power of the Word: Renaissance and Reformation

Identify: Erasmus, Vesalius, indulgences, Luther, Calvin, Council of Trent, Society of Jesus.
Map: Religious Divisions of Europe

. 1. What were the ideals and achievements of the Renaissance?

2. According to Cameron, Renaissance culture "belongs to the modern world" (63). How does the Renaissance belong to emerging modernity?

3. Why does Cameron include--and how does he deploy--the section on Renaissance science?

4. Why did the Reformation occur? That is, why did Protestantism arise?

5. What idea was central to Protestant belief? What aspects of religious culture divided and united Protestants?

6. How did the old church respond to Protestantism?

7. Look at the images on pp. 94 and 99. What do they tell you about Calvinism and Catholicism?

8. Cameron's chapter title seems to combine Renaissance and Reformation. How much did they have in common? Did similarities outweigh differences or vice versa?

Hone your critical reading skills:

Identify two sentences that convey interpretation as distinct from factual information.