Europe in the Renaissance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Europe in the Renaissance - Essay Example A major theme of Renaissance in England was a transition from purely religious ways of life (even in architecture and art) to a more secular mode of living, which included a shift from the way people idealised various things and concepts to a different outlook. The Church was no longer being considered a source of instruction in political, religious, social and individual matters. Rather, dissolution of power was taking place while the Church remained a religious identity while the power to deal with matters of law and government were vested with the (oft secular) political government. Hence, while there was a less opportunity to progress and open up to different varied disciplines while the Church was in power, people could focus on the development of culture and art during and after the Renaissance period. This is the reason why much emphasis is paid and research effort given to the cultural and art development during this period and there is much less focus on the political change . There was also an element of foreign ideas’ mixture into the concepts and ideas that were gaining popularity in England which eventually gave rise to a whole Renaissance theme containing a blend of traditional and modern ideas (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). â€Å"I call it our English Renaissance as it is certainly a type of new beginning of the character of man, like the great Italian Renaissance of the 1500s, in its wish for a more affable and comely approach of life, its obsession for physical beauty, its elite notice to shape, its seeking for new subjects for poetry, new intellectual, new forms of art, and imaginative enjoyments: and I call it our romantic association since it is our most current appearance of beauty. We describe it as a mere restoration of Greek modes of thinking, and again as a mere recovery of mediaeval feeling. Rather I would say that to these forms of the human spirit it has added anything of artistic value the complexity and density