On October 22, 1685, catholic King Louis XIV of France revoked the Edict of Nantes to begin his conquest of bringing France under the one religion of catholicism and eliminating the Huguenots, a nickname given to French Protestants. Now, Louis XIV was taking promised rights away from the Huguenots by withdrawing the Edict, and declaring... Continue Reading →
This week’s post is about the Glorious Revolution during the 17th Century. But what is it that makes it so glorious? What was being revolutionized? The Glorious Revolution started in 1688 and is famous, and named ‘Glorious’ for the fact that the throne was shifted from a legitimate ruler to an illegitimate one without civil... Continue Reading →
While I was learning about Oliver Cromwell this week, I not only thought about what it was that he did, but I also thought about what it was like for all the people under his rule. What was life like for them? A little history about Cromwell: He was a member of the Parliament until... Continue Reading →
An amazing new insight into French history! Just a few weeks ago, in an Estate sale in France, a man opened up an old wooden trunk in the attic, and inside was a very old journal from an anonymous writer. The entries were dated back to 16th Century France and were based around the French... Continue Reading →
During the 16th Century, when Philip II was King of Spain, he was also governor of the Netherlands. Unfortunately, he was not very tolerant of any religion other than Catholicism. So this made it hard for him to deal peacefully with the Protestants. While Philip was never actually in the Netherlands, his sister Margaret, Duchess... Continue Reading →
Many people today struggle with finding or staying with a religion. This isn't a new problem. Many people, especially important people, sometimes struggled with this. Elizabeth I, Queen of England was one of these. In the 16th Century, while Elizabeth I, was able to create a system of order and a thriving economy with low... Continue Reading →
I was recently asked by Dr. Tom Woods, instructor of my on-line Western Civilization course, to consider: "What were the 95 Theses about? What was the basic message of Luther's complaint? Here are my thoughts. Martin Luther, who is sometimes referred to as the 'father' of the Protestant Reformation, wanted to reform the Catholic church.... Continue Reading →
During a recent lesson in my Western Civilization course, I had the opportunity to read a small part of Ignatius Loyola's Spiritual Exercises. First though let me briefly tell you a little bit about this religious man then I will mention what I found about his religious and doctrinal opinions. Ignatius lived in 16th Century Spain.... Continue Reading →
Do you know who St. Francis Xavier was? No, you say? Well, then let me tell you about him! This man was a Spaniard who was one of the founders of the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits. He was a missionary, and was sent all over Europe and Asia to teach and spread Catholicism. At... Continue Reading →
