The History of Education: Educational Practice and Progress Considered as a Phase of the Development and Spread of Western CivilizationCubberley, Ellwood Patterson
History
The History of Education: Educational Practice and Progress Considered as a Phase of the Development and Spread of Western Civilization
Cubberley, Ellwood Patterson
Education -- History
Physically exhausted, and recognizing at last the futility of fire and
sword as means for stamping out opposing religious convictions, but still
thoroughly convinced as to the correctness of their respective points of
view, both sides now settled down to another century and more of religious
hatred, suspicion, and intolerance, and to a close supervision of both
preaching and teaching as safeguards to orthodoxy. During the century
following the Peace of Westphalia greater reliance than ever before was
placed on the school as a means for protecting the faith, and the pulpit
and the school now took the place of the sword and the torch as converting
and holding agents.
RELIGIOUS REFORM. The effect of the Protestant Revolts on the Church was
good. For the first time in history Catholic churchmen learned that they
could not rely on the general acceptance of any teachings they
promulgated, or any practices they saw fit to approve. The spirit of
inquiry which had been aroused by the methods of the humanists would in
the future force them to explain and to defend. If they were to make
headway against this great rebellion they must reform abuses, purify
church practices, and see that monks and clergy led upright Christian
lives. Unless the mass of the people could be made loyal to the Church by
reverence for it, further revolts and the ultimate break-up of the
institution were in prospect. The Council of Trent (1545-63) at last
undertook the reform which should have come at least a century before.
Better men were selected for the church offices, and bishops and clergy
were ordered to reside in their proper places and to preach regularly. New
religious orders arose, whose purpose was to prepare priests better for
the service of the Church and for ministry to the needs of the people.
Irritating practices were abandoned. The laws and doctrines of the Church
were restated, in new and better form. Moral reforms were instituted. In
most particulars the reforms forced by the work of Luther were thorough
and complete, and since the middle of the sixteenth century the Catholic
Church, in morals and government, has been a reformed Church. Above all,
attention was turned to education rather than force as a means of winning
and holding territory. A rigid quarantine was, however, established in
Catholic lands against the further spread of heretical text books and
literature. Especially was the reading of the Bible, which had been the
cause of all the trouble, for a time rigidly prohibited. [20]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account