What was the Reformation? How did it affect English Society/ English Literature?

What was the Reformation? How did it affect English Society/ English Literature?

The Protestant Reformation impacted religious thought, philosophy, politics and economics throughout the world. The effects of the Reformation can still be felt in modern times. The Reformation’s most direct impact was upon religious and philosophical thought. It came about largely through dissatisfaction with the Catholic Church, which was a preeminent authority in Europe in the 1500s, when the Reformation began. As a result, the Church was fractured, giving rise to the multitude of Christian denominations that are seen in modern times.

Reformation leaders like Martin Luther declared authority should be derived from the Bible, not the Pope or the Church, giving rise to Protestant systems of belief. Religions like Lutheranism are a direct result of the Reformation.

The movement had economic impact as well. John Calvin, another Reformation leader, taught a doctrine of predestination and hard work. He taught that financial success was a sign one was destined to salvation in the afterlife, and that merchants who succeeded in business did so because God looked upon them favorably. This gave rise to what is known as the “Protestant work ethic,” which led to the economic system of capitalism.

The Reformation inspired a mood of anti-authoritarianism, which led to backlash against the feudal system 
and, by extension, to the democratic movement around the world. In the centuries following the Reformation, movements like women’s suffrage and the abolition of slavery traced their roots back to Reformation-era principles.

This emphasis on individual interiority had a strong impact on English literature. Because authority shifted to the bible, or "sola scripture," and because people were meant to read the bible themselves, it was translated into English, first via many unauthorized translations, such as the Geneva Bible, and finally in the authorized but more conservative King James version. Literacy was encouraged so that people could read the bible. People were also encouraged to keep journals in order to examine their consciences and make sure they were not falling away from God's will in any way. Many critics have attributed the rise of the English novel to the interiority encouraged by this kind of confessional journaling. Novels such as Robinson Crusoe are based on this format, and the confessional format can even be traced in such later works as Wordsworth's The Prelude, in which the narrator likens himself to a prophet and embarks on a minute examination of his interior development as a poet. Of course, closer in time to the Reformation, Protestant poems such as Milton's Paradise Lost had a profound influence on English literature, as did the language of the King James Bible.........................................

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