The Sixtieth Century and Beyond Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 12

The Sixtieth Century and Beyond - Essay Example In 1505, Martin Luther changed his career path to become a monk after a life-threatening experience that changed his perception of religion. He gained spiritual enlightenment through his profound religious studies. Martin Luther believed that the key to salvation was not enslavement to religious dogma, but the faith of an eternal life (Bainton 456). Due to his skepticism and open-mindedness, Martin Luther was later excommunicated from the Roman Catholic. John Calvin was also an influential figure in the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. He was banished from Paris for his support of Martin Luther. He later settled in Geneva where he continued his religious teaching. In addition, Calvin was saddened by the immorality in the French Catholic church. Through his numerous scholarly works, Calvin provided a protestant response to the Catholicism. Modern Protestantism traces its roots to the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century that was perpetuated by both Calvin and Luther. The Presbyterians are a result of Calvinism. The Protestant denomination rejects most of the teachings and beliefs of the Roman church. However, some Protestant churches such as the Anglican have adopted most of the Catholic beliefs while others have little association with the Catholic Church. The adherence to biblical teachings is common in both denominations. The age of discovery is the period in the 15th century that featured the European global exploration. It entailed the discovery of Africa by the Portuguese as well as the Spain discovery of America in 1492 (Wallerstein 78). Historians refer to the period as a link between modern era and middle ages. European exploration overseas led to colonization and slave trade. As a result, this leads to culture transfers, relocation of human population, and spread of infectious diseases between the western and eastern hemisphere. The spice trade dominated the whole of Europe, Africa, and Asia where spices such as pepper, Cinnamon and ginger were traded.