The Counter-Reformation

According to the author of this particular article, the Protestants forged a weapon against the Catholic Church. This weapon was based on accusations of idolatry. Therefore, as soon as the Catholic Church gave up on the attempt to compromise with the Protestant church, it went to a course that would ensure the strengthening methods of defiance and doctrines in the church which would include underpinning the foundations of religious art to prove that sacred religious images were indeed a means to salvation and an incitement to piety. Five facts through which the author builds this articles argument include the fact that Teresa was one of the newest Saints to the church, Teresa’s story was still literary fresh since she had only been canonized in the year 1622, She had founded the Discalced reform of the Carmelite order, Cornaro’s connection with the Discalced Carmelites was strong and well established, and Cornaro was deeply involved in the counter-reformation. What I find very difficult to understand in Bilinkoffs argument is that Teresa’s reforms of the Carmelite order encouraged and promoted poverty. However, they encouraged autonomy and a direct experience of God. This article has been published in the women’s art journal mainly because it critically analyzes Teresa, a woman, whose reforms greatly influenced the reforms in the Catholic Church especially in religious art. The tone of the article is not friendly. It is true to state the fact that journal themes are only limited to one’s imagination, however, for this particular article, the main theme is Art.

Conclusion

The Catholic Church for a long time had faced accusations from the Protestants. The accusations were the church’s art encouraged idolatry. This led to reforms in a bid to prove the accusations otherwise. This theses’ statement shows the major argument, five facts presented by the author, it has also identified the weakness and theme of the journal to which this article has been published.