16th-Century Europe: Reformation and Transformation

The modern world began around 1500 with the spread of Renaissance humanistic ideas throughout Europe, facilitated by the creation of the movable-type printing press. The medieval Roman Catholic Church had been the center of European politics and culture, but its authority was fractured by the emerging Protestant Reformation. We will examine significant religious and political personalities, their ideas, and social and political events that contributed to the transformation of Europe.