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The printing press was a great factor in spreading the ideas and beliefs that were prevalent in the protestant reformation. The development of printing was able to promote great discussions that became the foundation for mounting opposition against the church and it's role as lone dictator of spiritual truths. The main factor in the spread of this new idea was the manufacturing of the 95-theses, which had been tacked on the door of the church by Martin Luther. This far-reaching and rapid distribution of Luther's thoughts about and problems with the church enabled people to come to a greater understanding of why an individual's point of view was so important. .
Printing also helped to spread awareness about the new philosophy emerging during the renaissance called humanism. Humanism was developed by study of ancient texts that had not yet been researched because of their pagan authors and foreign language. Humanist scholars were influenced by the knowledge of these ancient civilizations and their focus on man's intellect and his life on Earth. They were able to formulate the idea of self-improvement; the idea that in order to better yourself you did not need God. From this idea emerged Calvinism, created by John Calvin (a humanist scholar), which quickly gained support. Calvinism was a radical new abstraction and was immediately labeled as heresy by the Catholic Church. These new opinions about religion and god's power over man and his life were the start of the Catholic Church's slip from supreme power in parts of Europe.
The printing press improved communication between people from different regions. This improvement in communication lead to a greater understanding of the concepts and beliefs between cultures. It alluded to a standardized grammar and spelling for the English language, which in turn was able to conform (in the English language) the ways in which people expressed themselves in written works.