Question

1. Between religious wars and disease outbreaks can we really blame the Europeans for growing less enamored of their Faith or any Faith by the time the late 17th Century rolled around?

2. Did some Europeans find themselves attracted to commercial endeavors instead?

3. Why would many Europeans entertain and welcome idea of absolute rulers sent or chosen by God?

4. Is it any surprise that artists and authors found fertile ground for personal and individual success in this changing environment?

5. And was once almost all powerful Renaissance Spain a surprisingly golden place to satirize the human condition of this era?

Answer 1

1. Between religious wars and disease outbreaks can we really blame the Europeans for growing less enamored of their Faith or any Faith by the time the late 17th Century rolled around?

No, the Europeans could not really be blamed for their change in faith or lack of it. The Europeans were known for their intolerance towards other religions. They did not like people of non-catholic religions or people who were economically downtrodden. Church played a major role in how life was to be lead and what beliefs were acceptable. By the 16th century, religious wars had become commonplace, in addition to the political and economic warfare. Until the beginning of the 16th century, the Catholic church had great influence in both the religious and political happenings in Europe. Taxes, church fees, and payments were mandatory and those who failed to pay were forced to or persecuted as a lesson to the others. This led to growing unrest and a need for space. Martin Luther then came up with the protestant reformation focussing on people having the choice to choose priests and priests having to be treated like normal people who should work and pay taxes like others. This led to a lot of conflicts and resulted in wars which directly resulted in change not only in the religious climate but also the political and economic status of Europe. At the end of it all, faith had become a tool to manipulate and coerce people into submission for personal ambitions. This eventually led people to lose faith slowly and let go of religious affiliations by the 17th century.

2. Did some Europeans find themselves attracted to commercial endeavors instead?

For the Europeans, religion was not just an activity for once a week, it was embedded in their lives. There was no choice about whether or not they could believe in a certain faith - there was absolutely no choice. The church and the kings were focussed on how to extract more money in the form of taxes while the common man was not making any progress as such. The basic problems related to land and agriculture were neglected and the heads of the state focus on capital and commercialism. This resulted in economic inequality. There was famine, poverty, overpopulation, intolerance, and warfare. People had to tend to themselves as the heads of the state were more focussed on commercial, industrial and colonial ventures. So yes, some of the Europeans were focussed on commercial endeavors.

3. Why would many Europeans entertain and welcome the idea of absolute rulers sent or chosen by God?

The idea that the Pope was over and above the kings ruling the state came up in the medieval era. Catholicism has remained predominant in Europe because of the concept of believing in a legal relationship with God. Faith was not a personal choice but rather a contract with the church as a whole. Religion was the pillar of the society where people from other faiths were looked down upon. The belief that following the church would lead to salvation was concrete. The Europeans looked up to a single leader or a ruler chosen by God because it was their absolute belief that nothing could go wrong under his rule. Since religion was the focal point of their lives that determined the economic and political status, the ruler too had to be of religious choice. This is the reason why Europeans believed in the absolute ruler or a single leader of the state.

4. Is it any surprise that artists and authors found fertile ground for personal and individual success in this changing environment?

No, it isn't surprising. The existing religious climate of the state was suffocating, to say the least. There was no freedom or choice to do anything other than the church's beliefs. When Martin Luther's attempts at redeeming religion came about based only on faith and not the church's practices. This came as a breath of fresh air where people had the freedom of individual choice. It became a fertile ground for artists and authors - which is no surprise.

5. And was once almost all-powerful Renaissance Spain a surprisingly golden place to satirize the human condition of this era?

It was indeed a golden place to satirize the human condition at that time but was not surprising at all. The religious fanaticism and the enthusiasm that Spain once held came crashing down. The world as humans understands it had a different meaning altogether. And the irony - astrology, witchcraft, and the likes were soaring in popularity until the 18th century - when again, there was a divide between the rich and the poor, the elite and the popular. Spain - was indeed a great place for the New World.