One of the main features of medieval Europe was the integration of political power and religious authority, with Christianity serving as a key tool with which rulers constructed and legitimized their power. In some cases, this meant secular rulers like kings using religion as a basis for their power. In other cases, this meant religious figures like popes using their position as a way to exercise authority over society in general. In the early modern period, however, the relationship between politics and religion changed in important ways. The Italian Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation were both key events in this changing relationship and may have contributed to the “secularization” of power in early modern Europe.
For your final essay, you will examine the changing relationship between religion and politics in the early 1500s. This examination will be based on your analysis of two primary sources: Machiavelli’s The Prince and the letters of Martin Luther. In your essay, you should be able to contextualize these sources and explain the historical circumstances in which they were produced. More importantly, you should analyze them in ways that reveal how each source imagines the relationship between authority and religion. Through your analysis, you will either argue that the secularization of politics was a major trend in early modern Europe or that religion continued to play an important role in politics in early modern Europe.
Your grade for this essay will be based on three factors. First, do you demonstrate keen understanding of the themes and ideas of each primary source that we have discussed during Unit 3? Second, have you constructed convincing analysis of the primary sources that supports the overall argument of your paper? Third, do you provide evidence from the sources to back up your analysis and is the evidence clearly and effectively integrated into your paper?Your essay should be around 5-6 pages (about 1,200 to 1,500 words) in length. Its analysis should be thoroughly supported with specific textual evidence from the primary sources. You should cite all quotations and textual evidence using in-text, parenthetical citations. Your essay should be typed, double-spaced, and have page numbers. The primary source should be used from Perusall. If you don’t have access of Perusall than ask me to give the source and I’ll send it to you.
