Renaissance and Enlightenment: religion and thought
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how changes in worldviews during the Renaissance and the Enlightenment period impacted religion's role in society, including in political life.
Key learning points
- Some worldviews are collective, reflecting the shared values of a society or era.
- The Renaissance marks the end of the Middle Ages & is characterised by striving for progress in thought and creativity.
- The Age of Enlightenment was an intellectual and philosophical movement in 17th and 18th-century Europe.
- As the worldview of the Middle Ages changed, the Church’s control over politics and life lessened.
Keywords
The Enlightenment - a 17th and 18th-century movement emphasising reason, science and individual rights
Humanism (of the Renaissance) - a movement that emphasised the value of human potential, drawing inspiration from classical Greek and Roman ideas
Politics - the activities and decisions involved in governing a society or state
The Renaissance - a period of cultural, artistic, scientific and intellectual rebirth in Europe from the 14th to the 17th century
Common misconception
Renaissance and Enlightenment thinkers gave up the belief in God.
Renaissance and Enlightenment thinkers questioned religious authority but didn't necessarily stop believing in God, focusing instead on reason and human potential.
Teacher tip
Look at the Year 7 unit 'Exploring philosophy' for some background to the ideas and methods rediscovered during the Enlightenment.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
5 Questions
Q1.What word describes the way we experience, understand, and respond to the world
Q2.The three jewels are significant for many
Q3.Which figure is seen as a common ancestor for many Muslims, Jews and Christians
Q4.For many Christians, Jesus becoming human is known as
Q5.Which methods might be used by social scientists to better understand worldviews?
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Which words describes a 17th and 18th-century movement focused on reason, science and individual rights
Q2.Which word describes a period of cultural, artistic, scientific and intellectual rebirth in Europe from the 14th to the 17th century
Q3.The way we experience, understand, and respond to the world is known as a
Q4.Which statement is most accurate about Renaissance humanists
Q5.Renaissance ideas spread rapdily due to which invention
To help you plan your 8 religious education lesson on: Renaissance and Enlightenment: religion and thought, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 religious education lesson on: Renaissance and Enlightenment: religion and thought, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 religious education lessons from the Religion and politics in the Enlightenment: How were they aligned? unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.