Answer:
Middle Ages
Church most important political force - The Church dominated the politics of the Middle Ages. The political power of the Catholic pope was impressive.
Education centered on religion - Very few people were educated during the Middle Ages, and those who did, got mainly a religious education.
Political instability - The Middle Ages was a very unstable period. Feudalism brought political fragmentation to the era.
The Renaissance
Classical ideas revived - The Renaissance is characterized by a renewed interest in classical ideas (the ideas from Ancient Greece and Rome)
Shift from religious to secular thought - The Renaissance marks a shift from the religious worldview that characterized the Middle Ages, to a more secular, humanistic view.
Beauty and wealth more important - The Renaissance put great emphasis on wealth and beauty. Renaissance architecture and art is an example of that.
Religious teachings questioned - As explained above, in the Renaissance, religion came to be questioned for the first time in over a thousand of years.
