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Department of History

You are here Undergraduate > Single Honors History > HIU34003 Europe Reformed 1540 – 1600

HIU34003 Europe Reformed 1540 – 1600

This module examines the impact of ideas about religious reform on sixteenth-century politics, society and culture. It seeks to understand how the Reformation changed European societies by examining the development of Reformed religion between 1540 and 1600.
  • Module Coordinator:
    • Dr. Graeme Murdock
  • Duration:
    • All year 
  • Contact Hours:
    • 3 hours per week
  • Weighting:
    • 20 ECTS
  • Assessment:
    • 40% essay, 60% examination

Classes look at the key ideas of Calvinism, its Genevan origins, and its spread across the Continent. Using a range of contemporary texts, this module analyses the impact of ideas which lay at the heart of this movement about God, politics and morality. Did Calvinists think that they alone were predestined to go to heaven? Calvinists often took part in rebellions against royal power, but is an image of Calvinist republicanism justified? Why and how did Calvinists try to tame European society; to stop people swearing in Hungary, ban dancing in France, and curb excessive drinking in Dutch towns? This module will consider whether indeed Calvinism produced a new sort of European citizen, dedicated to hard work and personal discipline, thereby promoting the spirit of modern capitalism.