Final answer:
The church's contribution to education spans from advocating literacy for religious purposes, as seen with the Puritans and Harvard's founding, to preserving learning during the Middle Ages. It also influenced public education, particularly when Protestant-majority states influenced school curricula in the US. The Protestant Reformation marked a shift in the control and direction of educational approaches in Europe.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Role of the Church in Education
Historically, the church has played a significant role in education. Leaders of the Christian Reformation were educated and advocated for education as a means for moral and social reform. Education has often been intertwined with religion, and Germany is known for its tradition of excellence in providing free education to students at all levels.
In the context of Puritan society, education was viewed as essential for understanding religion and achieving salvation. Harvard University was founded to further these educational goals, and the Old Deluder Satan Law mandated the availability of schools for teaching the Bible. The importance of education was also evident in the efforts of freedpeople post-slavery, striving to learn to read the Bible and improve their lives through learning.
The Catholic Church held significant control over individual and societal matters, including education. The loss of Roman public education systems led the church to become the bastion of literacy and learning during the Middle Ages, a period later referred to as the 'Dark Ages' by Renaissance thinkers for its perceived decline in learning.
Concerns about state sponsorship of religion surfaced in the United States as public schooling developed, and conflicts arose when Protestant-influenced curricula clashed with the beliefs of non-Protestant and non-Christian students. The Catholic Church's control over European education was challenged by the Protestant Reformation, leading to diversification in educational thought and practice.