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Abstract
This paper critically examines the European Renaissance taking into consideration the radical changes that characterize the European civilization. The paper examines the factors that supposedly led to the gradual disintegration of the feudal system and Christendom—the two dominant institutions of medieval Europe. The rise of Protestantism threatened the integrity of the Roman Catholic Church and a growing urban class strengthened by ‘money economy’ assumed political and economic power in the society. Thus, the changes that took place in the modern age mark a shifting socio-economic basis. The paper examines varied manifestations of the European Renaissance as reflected in the writings of Jacob Burckhardt, J.A.Symonds, Stephen Greenblatt, and Wallace Ferguson.