The Puritans And Sex The Puritans were a group of 16th and 17th century English Protestants who thought that the Reformation had not gone far enough in its rejection of the Catholic Church. They wanted a simpler, purer kind of worship and advocated a strict form of religious discipline. They were intolerant of any form of sexual activity outside marriage, and yet warmly encouraged it in the marital bed. Puritans considered sexual intercourse was a human exigency and according to the Puritans religion, marriage was the only proper supply for it. In fact, the Puritans saw it as a man’s duty to provide pleasure for his wife, and they also considered it as a godly behavior.
It became important that one be well rounded in all intellectual areas as well as becoming knowledgeable about ones physical being through wrestling or fencing. Prior to the Renaissance one could only be educated in one field. They also practiced patriotism and humanistic learning on a daily basis. As the Renaissance continued to grow the “Age of Enlightenment” came around, leading to advancements in science and human reasoning. Intellectuals began to think that the new era of Renaissance was a time to liberate away from the superstitious times of the Middle Ages and to recognize the declining power of the Roman Catholic Church.
This is seen in the Bible when miracles occur and also when god punishes the world. This suggests that this concept of god may be subject to change and that he is affected by the world. God is also changed by prayer as he is happier with his creation when they live peacefully, and they pray to and worship God. The Prime mover contrasts sharply. He is self-contemplatory therefore does not think about the world and is transcendent, hence he is not subject to cause and effect.
In the Middle Ages, the church had the most power and a huge influence (control) on society. During the Renaissance, religion started to affect people less. Things such as the idea of humanism would spread throughout, where the human body was seen as equal to or greater than gods (document 2). Humanism focused on individual achievements which were what the church had opposed of (document 6). Secular writing was used as a sort of guiding.
“Expressions of secular humanism reject both the minimal Christian elements of its precursors and essential biblical truths, such as the fact that human beings bear the image of their Creator.” (Text Book The popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics) Meaning/ Purpose: Secular humanists never think about God don’t pray, never worry about what God thinks. So they may devote much more time and attention, and their energy to improving themselves, their relationships, and their environment. Morality: “Secular humanists base their morality and ideas about justice on critical intellect unassisted by Scripture, which Christians rely on for knowledge concerning right and wrong, good and evil.” (secularhumanism.org) Destiny: Secular humanists know that the truth of human experience is that certain virtues, practices, and habits of mind and character make for a better life. “It aims to heal this world and glorify man as the author of his own, progressive salvation.”(secularhumanism.org) Contrast: I was not sure if I would like to do this paper since I do not agree with the beliefs of secular humanism. Before I could consider my Christian response to secular humanism, I had to do my research.
The importance of religion was significant but people started living for themselves instead of hoping to go to heaven after death. The Declaration of the Rights of Man represents “greatest leap forward” and bridges the gap between the early Europe of Charlemagne and the “modern” Europe of 19th century. It influenced many modern world laws. The Declaration of the Rights of
The word was used in medieval Europe to describe clergymen who did not take monastic vows or live in seclusion with monks, but rather, chose to live and work “in the world” with the common people. The clergymen who lived and worked “in the world” were perceived as not being able to live up to the high standards of purity and morality, as well as personal standards that their fellow clergy living in seclusion maintained. In the wider social context, the word secularism was coined in 1846 by a British writer George Holyoake (1817-1906) to promote a social order separate from religion. This was during the Age of Enlightenment (nineteenth century), when British society sought to have matters of the state separated from the dominance of the Church. Over time, secularism has become a global movement characteristic of a life defined by indifference to or rejection of religion and religious considerations.
Early thinkers of this movement wanted to separate themselves from tradition by reexamining every aspect of their lives, but they were rejected by the majority of society who were afraid of change. By reevaluating their lives, it caused them to realize what was holding them back from the progress that they desired. They then replaced it with the new that was both progressive and better at reaching the desired end. This illuminates life because it motivates the individual to try and make their life better. Life is all about improvements, not about being at a stand still of moderate satisfaction.
Enveloped in this worldly reform was the start of a new ideology known as Renaissance Humanism. This refers to the “course of study followed by most young men of period” which included the quadrivium (arithmetic, music, geometry and astronomy) as well as classical philology, literature, history and moral philosophy. It was believed by Humanists at the time that if you read and applied these classical texts to your life then your overall quality of life would be improved. However, this period of learning and expansion was not purely beneficial; Brotton also explains how the darker side of renaissance came hand in hand with the benefits. “Today, there is a popular consensus that the term ‘Renaissance’ refers to a profound and enduring upheaval and transformation in culture, politics, art and society in Europe between the years 1400 and 1600” (Brotton 9).
The Renaissance Period Renaissance means “rebirth”. The people who lived during this time believed they have witnessed the rebirth of Roman Civilization, marking a new age. In this essay, I would talk about Humanism, Art, and printing that emerged during the renaissance period. Humanism in the renaissance is the spirit of learning that developed at the end of the Middle Ages with a renewed confidence in the ability of human beings to think and determine for themselves truth and falsehood. It also placed importance in the individual’s responsibilities of citizenship and leadership, including the participation in the political process in the community.