Humanist Movement During The Middle Ages

How did Renaissance art and the humanist movement reflect the political, economic, and social developments of the period?

Arguably the greatest and longest impacting movement brought about by the forward thinkers of the Renaissance was humanism. Humanism was a cultural and intellectual movement that emphasized the human potential to attain excellence through direct study of the literature, art, and civilization of the classical Greek and Roman societies (Merriam-Webster). The scholars and believers in humanism sought to change the course of society away from the narrow pedantry of medieval scholasticism and utilitarianism. Humanism was a basic desire for every citizen to be able to speak with eloquence and read and write with clarity, so that common citizens were capable of engaging in the civic life of their communities (Gray). The movement also emphasized the value of a human being as well as the importance of rational thought rather than blind faith in spiritualism or superstition. It also pushed people to explore human desires and pleasures while also enriching their minds. The influential nature of humanism was far reaching and most notable for its effects on Renaissance art, literature, and philosophy.

Humanism was the study of Greek and Roman language and literature to educate one’s self and improve one’s reasoning. During the Middle Ages the church was looked upon as the absolute power, and many felt as if it was the end all be all in terms of God and salvation. Because of its high status, not many people questioned the Church. However, this all changed during the Renaissance. As discussed in document 5, the church basically only existed for money. They did this by selling indulgences and collecting money from the wealthy. People saw the corruption within the church and many were not happy. Martin Luther, a German monk and religious reformer, is thought to have started the Protestant Reformation. One of Luther’s boldest acts against the Church was translating the Bible into German. He did this so people did not have to rely on the Church’s interpretation of the Bible. This meant people could listen to God’s word and form their own opinions, something not previously possible during the Middle Ages. Document 2 provides a clear view to the difference of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Jacob Burchhardt compared the distinctness of the Renaissance to how Greeks were distinct from barbarians. The Humanism Reformation clearly separates the Renaissance and the Middle Ages, as does the revival of learning and scientific

Before the early thirteen hundreds, there was a time called the Midieval era, where life was devoted and owned by the church. People were lied to by the thought of paying and working to go to heaven. When the thirteen hundreds came, alongwith it cam the renaissance that lasted until the late sixteen hundreds. The renaissance had a very important movement that changed all of Europe. Many new cultures and ways of life had changed because of this era, and one of the bigger ones is called Humanism. Humanism caused a very large impact on a person’s thoughts, actions, and art.

A new way of learning was starting to be utilized and the study of the bible was beginning to be treated like any other classical piece and with the study of it came the realization of corruption in the church. The humanist movement came at a time when faith in the church war growing weak and educated men were growing bored with the old fashioned way of learning. The return to the study of the classics led to feelings of restless and a need to learn about the world around rather than the blind faith in the supernatural beliefs that Christianity was based. The extremist on both sides blamed each other, the church was leery of any teachings that came from pagan sources, and humanist, encouraged by their scientific discovery’s, were questioning long held

Before the start of the Renaissance, the Catholic Church influenced every aspect of society. The Renaissance and it’s ideals changed this. The Humanist movement opposed the Catholic Church’s involvement in the lives of the citizens. Humanists advocated for personal independence and individual expression, an idea that directly opposed the Catholic Church’s ideals. The Church believed that citizens should dedicate their lives to the service of God and by extension, the Church. The introduction of the idea that the Church does not control every aspect of society was revolutionary to Early Modern Western Civilization because it allowed people to pursue things that they had not been previously able to pursue because of the limitations the Catholic Church placed upon them. Although only the wealthy were able to dedicate all of their time to these pursuits, there were still significant advancements in art, literature, and science, all of which impacted Early Modern Western Civilization.

The Middle Ages is often referred to as the Age of Faith and it is correct to do so, as during this period religion dominated all aspects of life from architecture, literature, art and music. The dominant religion during this period was Christianity. The middle ages saw "the emergence … of Christian literary forms… a popular religious culture centred around processions, icons, and relics" (George Holmes 42).

Neither one of them can be precisely placed in any of the religious categories of the period; Calvinism (both orthodox and reformed), Unitarianism, Transcendentalism, and liberal "Christocentric humanism" all exerted definite influences on both works, but both works similarly resist direct placement not only because of the syncretic nature of their programs, but the fluidity of these very traditions. Therefore, while some hesitancy is a necessary hazard of such a investigation, it nevertheless preserves a respect for the complexity of the religious history involved.

A new way of thinking derived during the Renaissance, and this was known as Humanism. This belief stated that the only way to better society was to first better people as humans. Humanists shied away from the dogmatic practices of the Catholic Church, and focused on improving morals. Erasmus carried a large influence on this belief system. He stated that humans

“Desiderius Eramus of the Netherlands was the most prominent of the Christian humanist” (“Humanism” 1). Eramus was famous and known as the prince of Humanist. He wrote the New Testament in both Greek editions and Latin editions (“Renaissance Humanism”3). “Eramus became famous all over Europe, living mostly in Holland, England, and Italy. While being compassionate to Martin Luther’s criticism of the Catholic Church, Eramus never forsaken Catholicism (“Renaissance Humanism”3). “Eramus refused the educational methods of the University of Paris as well as worked for the enhancement of modern-day civilization by means of criticizing the troubles of the day judged next to Christian knowledge” (“Humanism” 1). Eramus was born in Rotterdam Netherlands, in 1466. At nine years old he went to school at Deventar ran by a humanist named Hegius. Eramus went there and studied theology. Eramus first major was called “Enchiridian Militis Christian”, which came out in 1502. This book was about true religion and piety, while throwing some criticism at the church. To pursue his studies, Eramus was spurred by poverty to enter a monastic order in 1486 (Melton 1). Eramus tried to fight for his rights with the churches. Ermaus argued for reformation, that wouldn’t bother the leader of the church. He disagreed with Luther’s excommunication, but Eramus

Religion provides hope for those who are hopeless. It aims to welcome those who are alienated and feel that their life has no purpose. Religion served the same function in the Middle Ages and Renaissance as it does today. However, religion was embraced more during the Middle Ages by desperate

After the Black Plague crippled Europe, a new period of time erupted known as the Renaissance slowly developed. The Renaissance is known as the “rebirth” for Humans. The reason for this meaning during the 14th century was because of the radical changes in the culture of Europe. The Middle Ages was surrounded by religion in many aspects. The Black Plague helps stimulate the idea that religion is through the individual. Religion in Europe was starting to becoming not so literal, but more of a personal connection with God, instead of a strict public connection. The starts of the renaissance, commoners or nobility were not focused on taking over the family business, but focusing on other career options of interest. The ideas and the development of Humanism were established during the renaissance through the idea of religion being more personal.

The ancient ideas about beuty- of mind, body and spirit, led on to a new philosophy, known as humanism, which challenged the teachings of the medieval Church. Renaissance thinkers made human beings, and human achivements, their main concern. They cared more about life in this world, than about eternity. Most humanists did not reject altogether. But now they believed that, in some ways, humans could be perfect, and almost equal to God.

The Renaissance began in Florence, Italy around the 1500’s to about the 1700’s. Florence, Italy was the mecca of this rebirth because at the time Florence was extremely wealthy and the people of the city had political freedom and those new ideals of the Renaissance were not being condemned in Florence as they were other cities. This was a time where the arts and the logic of one’s own mind was valued rather than criticized, the antiquated medieval ideals no longer matched the needs of those who were living during the early Renaissance. Eventually, a term for this way of thinking arose and was called Humanism, and what humanism is, is an ideology where humans can lead themselves to create a prosperous life and instead of leaning on supernatural forces for answers. Humanists believe that humans have enough logic to create conclusions themselves. This brand-new way of thinking caused a lot of controversy because it did question God’s ability and the church’s power, but the ideas behind it are still heavily used today, even in the 21st century. Humanism in the early Renaissance is important because it called for thinking with reason, it allowed an appreciation for human body and mind, inspired authors and caused a shift in power.

For centuries, people looked to religion for the answers to their greatest questions. The Church had a firm grip of how people viewed the world. God's will was to be followed without question and any attempt to explain a phenomenon without God's involvement was heresy. When the Renaissance began to spread across Europe, the qualities of humanism became more prominent. Scientific and rational analysis was becoming of great interest compared to supernatural explanations. Renaissance world-view can be characterized by a growing humanistic orientation that can be demonstrated by analyzing cultural artifacts from the era.