Blessing of Baroque and the Church

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that at the center of Western civilization and Christianity, Rome can be considered a formidable guide to the study of culture. The writer points out that the 15th century is a time where the eternal city once again provides a focus for understanding the crisis that Europe and the Church faced. The writer discusses that a melancholic Augustinian monk, Martin Luther senses the crisis on the horizon as an opportunity to rally a torrent of protest. The aftermath leaves a vast chasm in Christianity and the rise of the Baroque cultural movement. This cultural shift induced by the Council of Trent is examined in relation to the storm of Luther's protestantism in order to find deeper meaning about the Church today and a pastoral understanding of the modern issues and crisis that Catholics face.

From the Paper:

"The Baroque development is another lesson from the story within the eternal city that extends for all times including the contemporary one. The events of the splintering of Christianity in the 15th and 16th century are part of a major epoch of the course of history that gravely impacted society and the Church. It is important for the faithful in today's Church to know this story. Church history like all history allows a person to understand many current issues. The great events of the past, particularly within the story of Christianity give perspective on why things are the way they are. This insight can open up new ways for dealing with oftentimes old recurring issues. The story of the council of Trent can convey a tremendous message of hope. Under the desperate circumstances of the protestant crisis with all the flawed leadership and evil activity and after years of neglect and indecisiveness a great ray of sunshine produces a bloom that renews the Church. Trent laid a foundation that provided an orderly path amidst all the chaos. The magnificent response of the Baroque cultural influence is a testimony to the higher capacity of human nature and a gesture of Providence."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bokenkotter, Thomas. A Concise History of the Catholic Church, New York: Image Books, Doubleday, 2005r.
• Hintzenb-Bohlen, Brigitte. "In and around the Piazza Della Rotonda." Art and Architecture: Rome and the Vatican City. 2000. Ed. Jutta Allekotte and Frank Zimmer. Trans. Peter Barton, Anthea Bell, and Cambridge Publishing Management. Bonner Strasse: Barnes and Noble, 2001. 201-207.
• McGregor, James H.S. "Baroque Expansion." Rome: From the Ground up. 2005. Cambridge: Belnap of Harvard University, 2006. 237-281.
• Rose, Michael S. "An Emotional Stimulus to Piety." In Tiers of Glory: The Organic Development of Catholic Church Architecture Through the Ages. Ohio: Mesa Folio, 2004. 73-83.
• Scotti, R. A. Basilica, The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter's. New York: Penguin Group, 2006.

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