Question

HELP 60 points Write an essay that analyzes the interaction between Christianity, individualism and the growing secularism that began during the Renaissance, and then set it within the story of Henry VIII’s radical break with the Catholic Church and how it changed politics and ecclesiology. Where appropriate, discuss the picture of “The Moneylender and his Wife” in light of these ideas.
PLEASE MAKE SURE IT IS CORRECT AND HAS TO DO WHAT THE DIRECTIONS.

Answer 1

Christianity, Individualism and the growing secularism

Christianity took an important role during renaissence. During this time, it took the form of Christian Humanism in the sense that in the European Middle Ages there was a strong tendency to despise human affairs. It means that People were more focused on God and in the afterlife. However, in the Renaissence people started to reject those ideas and started to focus on culture and the human development in this life. This is called secularism. We have to remember that there was the beginning of the protestant reform with Martin Luther in Germany and Henry VIII  who was a strong character in the Reform movement. He was the most absolute monarch of that time. Because the Catholic Church didn't give him the anullment of his marriage with Catherine of Aragon, he appointed himself the supreme head of the Church of England and took many properties of the Catholic church. The picture "The moneylender and his wife" painted by Quentin Matsys depicts very much this time. There is a woman in this picture with a Bible and there is a man weighing jewels and pieces of gold. We could say that the woman represents the Christian Humanism  and the man represents secularism.