oncentration on the present material world and the acquisition of material things. The rising economic prosperity caused people to realize thoughts about penance and purgatory did not allow them to enjoy the material pleasures they could now afford. The people had not endured the crisis of the fourteenth century only to spend their time focusing their attentions to the faith. They wanted to take advantage of their new prosperity and enjoy their leisure time and discover the joys of living a comfortable life. Unfortunately, the church was no exception to the sin of avarice. The pope and high church officials were notorious for throwing their money around and the importance the church placed upon money. The amount of money flowing around was the major cause of the Reformation because of Martin Luthers criticism of the idea of indulgences, paying the church for wrong-doing. He maintained that only faith and a one on one relationship with God could buy salvation into the eternal kingdom of Heaven.Political theory plays an important theme during any historical period and the Renaissance was no exception. In comparison to the Renaissance, medieval political theory stressed the way government ought to be and high Christian standards were set for a rulers conduct. Good medieval governments were supposed to provide justice, law, and order. The Renaissance work The Prince by Niccol Machiavelli maintained that people should not only be concerned about how the government was supposed to be run, but how it actually was run as well. Machiavellis theories embraced the idea that leaders actions cannot be restricted by ethics, but the most effective approach should be implemented regardless of its morality. The Renaissance marked the beginning of an age where rulers utilized aggressive methods to sustain and expand their governments. To illustrate the lengths leaders should go to to preserve their kingdom was when Machiavelli stated he who ...
