The Emergence of Modern Europe

The Emergence of Modern Europe — page 5
Introduction I n the 15th century observers such as the philosopher and clerical statesman Nicholas of Cusa suggested that the Middle Age had attained its conclusion and a new era had begun The Papacy the symbol of the spiritual unity of Christendom had lost much of its prestige in the Great Western Schism a period from 1378 to 1417 in which there were two and later three rival popes Lay ideals in the Italian peninsula also began to affect the Papacy In the 16th century the Protestant Reformation reacted against the worldliness and corruption of the Holy See and the Roman Catholic church responded in its turn by a revival of piety known as the Counter-Reformation While the forces that were to erupt in the Protestant movement were gathering strength the narrow horizons of the Old World were wid ened by the expansion of Europe to America and the East The 16th century in Europe was a period of vigorous economic expansion This expansion in turn played a major role in the many other transformations social political and cultural of the early modern age By 1500 the population in most areas of Europe was increasing after two centuries of decline or stagnation The bonds of commerce within 8