The Role of Religion in Renaissance Medicine

What role did religion play in medicine in the Renaissance?

Religion continued to play a very important role in medicine. For example, the ideas of Galen were still supported by the Church. However, scientific ideas did begin to challenge the teachings of the Church.

What role did the factor of religion play in medicine in the Renaissance?

Here are 4 main examples of the role that religion played:

• ❖ People were no longer reliant on monks to copy out books by hand.
• ❖ Many still believed the Plague was God's punishment.
• ❖ Surgeons had more freedom to carry out human dissections to learn more about anatomy.
• ❖ Henry VIII seized the wealth of Catholic monasteries and gave money to start hospitals.