Religious Changes (HIST 1301 History)

CLIMATE CHANGE and PLAGUE in the FOURTEENTH CENTURY HIST 1301 | History Religious Changes In the fourteenth century, concerns over spiritual salvation and divergent theological interpretations led to a number of changes in religious life throughout Afro-Eurasia. In the face of hardship, some religions grew larger, while others split off into factions dedicated to upholding their own doctrinal integrity and believing uniformity. For instance, Islamic traditions in most of North Africa and central Asia did not decline after the pandemic and the disheartening fall of the Mongol Empire; rather, they were more institutionalised and contributed to the creation of a shared identity over a large region. Muslim scholars often corresponded with one another and visited Mecca to stay up to date on the most recent theological teachings in order to preserve this sense of togetherness. The basic texts of all kinds of Islam continued to be the Quran and the Hadith (Muhammad's recorded sayings and deeds); yet, the boundaries of its numerous branches became more determined by varying interpretations of ritual and the significance of the mystical experience. Specifically, the mystical branch of Islam known as Sufism—which originated in the ninth century—became more and more ingrained in daily religious practice. Sufism's focus on inward reflection and the believer's relationship with the divine, though it might take many forms, proved particularly alluring during the unstable and unpredictable period that followed the fall of the Il-Khanate. From North Africa to eastern Persia, the majority of people lived as Muslims by the end of the fourteenth century. The diversity of languages and cultures among this community of believers became more and more evident. But unity and coherence came from adherence to a common historical heritage and set of tenets, as well as from believers' social networks, mosques, and educational institutions. Islam's expansion into Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa was made possible by its coherence and ongoing growth, which paved the way for the Muslim conquest in the fifteenth century. After years of Mongol control, China concentrated on reclaiming its intellectual and theological traditions as Islam flourished over central and southern Asia. As a result, the Ming era was a time of reflection and seclusion. As the third emperor of the Ming dynasty, Zhu Di assumed the title of Yongle emperor and reigned from 1402 to 1424. By funding the creation of a large encyclopaedia that included work from thousands of Confucian academics, he restored Confucian-based rites and education. In Ming China, Confucianism lived side by side with Buddhism and Daoism, although it worked best as a supplement to both traditions than as a rival. In the meantime, the main religious tradition of western Europe, Christianity, was beginning to show signs of weakness. By the end of the fourteenth century, the pope's reputation had been severely tarnished by leadership problems linked to the Avignon papacy and the Great Western Schism, which made many people doubt the church's sincerity and devotion. Following the end of the Great Schism, the conciliar movement attempted to allay these fears and questions by handing more power to councils of clergy as opposed to popes. Popes who insisted on complete papal sovereignty fiercely opposed this movement, despite the fact that it gave some hope that the church could be changed from within. Many Christians who survived the horror of the Black Death, however, were more preoccupied with their personal salvation than with the church's incapacity to quell God's wrath or lessen the damage caused by the virus, even if they had deeper doubts about the morality of church leadership. This led to the emergence of new mystical and individualistic spiritual practices that emphasised asceticism—a tradition of rigorous self-discipline and the denial of worldly goods—and promoted the rise of anticleric groups like the Lollards in England and the Spiritual Franciscans in Italy. These organisations presented serious threats to the church's power by denouncing the corruption and riches of the clergy. Despite being labelled heretics and being punished by church authorities, the leaders of several anticlericinal groups lay the foundation for the Protestant Reformation, a religious movement that took place in the sixteenth century. The Reformation, which originated in central Europe, profoundly polarised the Christian Church.