RELG319

The Protestant Reformation and Catholic Church's response were a major turning-point in the political, social, and religious history of Europe, with implications for the entire world. This period saw clerics, rulers, and ordinary people wrestle with profound and eternal questions: what does a person need to do to save their soul? Who can claim to mediate between God and humanity? What is the role of family, sex, and marriage in a pious life? What gives a ruler the right to rule? When is violence justified in the pursuit of faith? This course examines the answers that were offered to these questions, as we study: the background to the Reformations in the ideas of Paul, Augustine, and medieval reformers; writings of key figures, including Luther, Calvin, Loyola, and Teresa of Avila; political ramifications of the Reformations; the impact of the Reformations on European society, notably those who were among the most marginalized—the poor, Jews, sex workers, and "witches". Students read primary sources in translation as well as important works of scholarship. No prerequisites.