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The Reformation Questions
The reintroduction of classical knowledge into Western Europe was influential because it opened the people on the need to celebrate their life. The classic knowledge influenced people to develop a renewed interest in their own understanding. The fact that the social order in the society was corrupt; the new knowledge opened a way that will help people define themselves against the aristocracy that existed at the time. This was an important aspect of the reform movement. At the same time, the Reformation led to a rise in literacy because the movement encouraged people to learn to be literate, so that they can gain the ability to learn the religion. Reformation opened people to the idea that they can learn for themselves and not always depend on the clergy and the aristocracy.
As a result, the rise in literacy led to the loss of authority of the Roman Catholic Church. This is because literacy opened people to know that they can go to heaven through having faith by reading the word of God. This is exemplified by the works of Martin Luther, who expressly stated that going to heaven is by faith alone. As a result, the Roman Catholic Church lost the authority, as there was a widespread feeling that people understood for themselves. Consequently, the rise of the nation state was reduced as the authority of the pope was also reduced.
The re-emphasis on the importance of the individual had the consequence of changing the social order, as people had greater significance than the social group they belonged to. This was in addition to the breaking of the church between the reformist Protestants and the conservative Catholics. As a result, there was violence because the break in the church affected the structure of the Roman Empire. This led to the division of Europe between the Protestant north and the catholic south. Another consequence was the growth of enlightenment, which promoted the reformation. In addition, the re-emphasis on the importance of the individual promoted the growth of work ethics as people sought to improve their lives through economic self improvement.