Today’s idea about nationalism has developed out of the Renaissance’s Reformation and its emerging monarchies.

PROTESTANT REFORMATIONRISING MONARCHY  The Protestant Reformation was a movement, initially led by Martin Luther, to change some of the doctrines and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. Ex. Luther found the selling of indulgences by the Church to be particularly distasteful and unsupported by scripture.  This Reformation was further fueled by the Bible beginning to printed in vernacular languages such as Gutenberg’s Bible that allowed people for the first time to interpret its meaning without priest.  Soon, religious change swept across Europe whether it was John Knox’s Presbyterian Church or Henry VIII’s formation of the Anglican Church.  European leaders began to choose sides and challenge the Roman Catholic Church’s authority.  The monarchs’ introduction of taxation allowed them to develop better trade routes, to employ mercenary soldiers and to purchase gunpowder.  With land routes closed through Constantinople, monarch sponsored sea exploration to establish new and highly profitable sea routes. Moreover they established standing armies that allowed them to expand their territory over their noble enemies thus, ending the feudal system once and for all.

 Consequently, these new religions broke Europe up into many different Christian regions all following different leaders. These leaders, in their fight for religious freedom, created a sense of unity among people that resulted in the forming of countries or nations.  With the final collapse of the feudal system, monarchs grew their authority by the creation of laws and national economic policies. Furthermore, they gained support of citizens by establishing a society based on social mobility, by providing public services and by the patriotism that resulted from the policy of exploration. As result of the monarchs’ effort, people began to identify with and support the monarchy which inevitably led to the creation of the nation state

 Accordingly in the aftermath of the Reformation and the empowering of monarchs, the Western worldview continues to believe in religious freedom, social mobility and looks to government to assist in our collective well- being.