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How Did The Protestant Reformation Change

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The Protestant Reformation caused many changes in the political and social aspects of European life, most notably the changes in marriage, greater rights for women, and the further expansion of education. Marriage used to be solely for political or economic reason, but now it is viewed as having a partner or companion for life. Women, where before had near no rights, now had much more than they had ever been seen before in European culture. Whereas in the Renaissance, although there were expansions in education, it was available to only the elite, it was becoming for open for a common person.. These changes not only reformed that time period but have lasting impacts on life to the date. As a result of the Protestant Reformation there were …show more content…

This led to people truly loving their spouse when they got married. One example of this is when John Calvin’s wife died he wrote about how “she was his best companion and how she had been a great help to his ministry.” This not only shows how women were being treated better but also showed how one loved their spouse during that time. These changes were encouraged by ideas such as the later marrying years for women and the caring for the bride and groom's happiness could have helped develop these changes. These changes in marriage more closely reflect the marriages of today they were done for love and so both people could have someone by their side …show more content…

For marriage before the Reformation, during the Renaissance and during medieval times, women were considered property of their husband and were almost always married off for economic or political reasons. During the Protestant Reformation, not only were they not married off for political and economic, they were being more treasured. The sacredness of family and home was emphasized deeply during the Reformation, and since women were the main home workers their work was more appreciated. There was an emphasis on the family and since the women spent most time with the children they were appreciated and respected for caring for the children. Protestant reformers neglected using the temptress, Eve, to degrade women and to exalt them as virgins, following the role of Mary. They rejected the anti-woman and anti-marriage writings, written during medieval times. They praised women in her own way, especially in biblical ways such as housewife and mother. This did not put women above men, as they were still subject to them, but it did give them new rights. Women were allowed to divorce and remarry with the same respect to men. The sense of equality in the household was brought upon by the fact that it was a God ordained community. In that community you must love each other as equal and in that regard you must be equal. As opposed to Catholicism where,

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