1. What factors led to Europe being the center of the Scientific Revolution? Why didn’t the Scientific Revolution occur in other societies where more innovation and knowledge had previously been accumulated? Why was the Scientific Revolution so threatening to the Church? Be Specific. If you were a European during this time period, what would your reaction have been to all of this new thought? Why? Why did women have a limited role in the Scientific Revolution? Why did many of these early scientists not renounce their religious faith?

2. Europe was in a good position. Massive exchange of ideas. Access to Africa and Asia. Development of universities. Skepticism of traditional views.

3. In China, focus was on maintaining bureaucracy. In the Islamic world, radical thinking was discouraged; if the Quran is the truth, why consider anything else?

4. The Church’s authority was compromised. Science showed that the Church was wrong about certain things. What else could they be wrong about? Showed that humans and the Earth were not the center of the universe.

5. No right or wrong answer. Think about everything, make an argument, and support it.

6. Women’s role limited because of the times. This kind of thought and work was the work for men, not women. They were not given the opportunity to make a significant contribution.

7. They thought that God was the reason for their observations. There was no reason that Religion and Science couldn’t coexist. Many thinkers believed that the order and complexities of the universe could only have been created by God.

9. Prior to 1450-1500, Christianity mostly limited to Europe. Christendom stretched from Spain and England to Russia, with small communities in Egypt, Ethiopia, India, and Central Asia. Internally, Christianity was seriously divided: Roman Catholics in Western and Central Europe. Eastern Orthodox in Eastern Europe and Russia.

10. Christianity was also competing with the expansion of Islam. Muslims had ousted Christians from the Holy Land by 1300. Ottoman seizure of Constantinople in 1453 was a victory for Muslims at the capital of Eastern Orthodoxy. Ottoman siege of Vienna marked the Muslim advance into Central Europe. Overall, it may have seemed like the future was with Islam rather than Christianity.

11. Protestant reformation shattered the unity of Roman Catholic Christianity. Reformation begins in 1517. German priest, Martin Luther, posted his Ninety-Five Theses on the door of a church. He was calling attention to various abuses within the Church.

12. Many people were critical of the luxurious life of the popes. There was corruption and immorality within the clergy. The church was selling indulgences Pay money to remove sin and go to heaven. All of this was nothing new. People were aware of most of this.

13. What made this so revolutionary was its theological basis: Luther said that he came to a new understanding of salvation, which came through faith alone. In other words, an individual’s interpretation of the Bible mattered more than the Church’s. Faith was a free gift from God. This challenged the authority of the Church. Called into question the position of the hierarchy and the pope.

14. His ideas provoked a massive schism within Christendom (contrary to his intent). Many kings and princes had disputed the political authority of the pope, and used Luther’s ideas as a justification for independence. Made a lot of sense for many people who felt disenfranchised by the Catholic Church.

15. Reformation thinking started to spread within and beyond Germany thanks to the printing press. “God has appointed the Press to preach, whose voice the pope is never able to stop.” Martin Luther printed many pamphlets and his interpretation of the New Testament. This also results in many competing Protestant Churches. All were distinctive, but non gave allegiance to the pope.