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Sacred And Secular Ideas

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The Melding of Sacred and Secular Ideas Determining whether or not sacred and secular aspects were combined into the visual arts and literature is an important feature when it comes to actually understanding the overall concepts and differences of behind Medieval, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque art. For one to truly understand the art, literature, and the concepts behind both, one must first understand the terms sacred and secular. The definition of the word sacred is, “of or relating to religion.” Conversely, the definition of secular is, “not overtly or specifically religious.” The church, the clergies, and first and foremost the Bible, were the major influences regarding the sacred ideas associated with the Renaissance period. The new idea of Humanism and its prevalence led to the incorporation of more secular ideas and aspects when it came to the arts during the Renaissance. Humanism was an idea that supported more pagan and secular thoughts, and also supported and upheld the appreciation of the world aspects of a person’s life. It promoted personal growth and was not as formal as that of the sacred Christian teachings that much of society was accustomed too. This idea, in turn, helped secular ideas become predominant, but also enhanced the mixture of the both the sacred and secular ideas. These two terms differ immensely, yet throughout the Renaissance age and the Baroque eras, both terms and their meanings were used and expressed through the arts, architecture,

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