Crictical Examination of the Main Features Renaissance Humanism

THE CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF THE briny FEATURES OF THE RENAISANCE humanitarianism OUTLINE -BRIEF INTRODUCTION -RENAISANCE -humanism -THE SIGNIF ICANT EVENTS IN THE RENAISANSE PERIOD -THE CHAMPIONS OF RENAISANCE humanitarianism -RENAISANCE HUMANISM AND THE re newal -EVALUATION AND CONCLUSION BRIEF INTRODUCTION In the narration of the instauration, m any(prenominal) remarkable periods amaze been referred to most often due to mayhap large events that submit led to a turn- approximately in the thoughts and general lives of the mint. angiotensin converting enzyme of much(prenominal) periods is the rebirth hu musical compositionism.The reincarnation secular hu receivedityism is a term used to designate a period in history that is so spectacular and significant owing to its evolutionary of features. Renaissance here serves as an adjectival to the word humanism non any other type of humanism entirely the humanism of the spiritual rebirth period. This period locomote from fo urteenth to 16th century AD. The perform service is and shall always be a association within a high society. The relatedness between the church service and the state or civil society has ever brought a kind of swap in operations and thoughts.Thus, one of the causes of the renaissance humanism is not far from what happened and was casualty in the church as at that meter. Consequently, the effect of the renaissance period could be said to have been felt by he church in umpteen another(prenominal) ways and more especially as it went as far as forming a foundation for the rehabilitation championed by such(prenominal) a personality corresponding Martin Luther up to now , we shall ex uncompounded in details what to each one of these terms mean, why they are called so , the key players or those that championed such an principal(prenominal) period in history, the important features of renaissance humanism and it s evaluation and conclusion.In the line of credit of this disc ourse, the approach shall be critical. WHAT IS RENAISSANCE? In the literary sense, it means Rebirth. The Oxford modernistic Learners Dictionary ( seventh mutant) defined it as the period in Europe during the fourteenth, fifteenth and 16th centuries when people became in the ideas and culture of ancient Greece and capital of Italy and used these influences in their art, literature etc.The encyclopedia Britannica explaining the Renaissance says it is literally rebirth, the period in European civilization immediately pursuit the Middle Ages, conventionally held to have been characterized by a surge of interest in untaintedal training and values. The Renaissance in like manner witnessed the discovery and exploration of new continents, the rally of the Copernican for the Ptolemaic system of astronomy, the sink of the feudal system and the growth of commerce, and the intention or application of such potentially powerful innovations as paper, printing, the mariners compass, and g unpowder.To the scholars and thinkers of the day, however, it was primarily a time of the revival of classical learning and wisdom after a coherent period of cultural decline and stagnation. This period appears to have a overhasty break from unearthly and knightly values. extensive historians like Jules Michelet and Jacob Burckhardt say that it is the rediscovery of the introduction and man and if this is so, it is more on the areas of literature and art. It is overly within this renaissance period that the industrial revolution and the French revolution took place.So, the gifted ventures of this period neer hung on the childs play nor did it end in an utopia idealism only it manifested in umpteen facets of the govern ment of legion(predicate) countries in Europe. The Catholic Church was not also left out in this trend or historical positioning as we shall see later. WHAT IS HUMANISM? humanitarianism as the name suggests imply a movement that has a significant instr uction on man. It is an intellectual movement. In the medieval ages, the scholastics and many an(prenominal) ghostlike thinkers influenced the people and the domain ideas scarcely during the humanistic period, the thoughts came from secular men or men of letters.Great attends like Dante della Mirandola, Collucio Saluti and Lorenza Valla were the earevasivenessst champions. Its earliest manifestation could be traced to Italy forward it spread to many p humanistic discipline of Europe. only these happened before the renewal and counter-reformation. In fact, humanism was one of the factors that gave rise to the reformation. In particular proposition sense, the period of humanism was characterized by many things the human nature was the centre and commission as the name rightly implies. It was panoptic of syncretism as it tried to fuse philosophic and theological truths together.Humanism was really out to repair the human spirit and wisdom that appeared to be lost. Instead o f the medieval fero city on penance as the noblest human activity, the emphasis brought by humanism was on how man could be creative and have victory over nature. THE SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN THE RENAISANCE HUMANISM The renaissance humanism started around 14th to the 15th century AD. But it was preceded by an era known as the proto-renaissance in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. It was the era of humanistic discipline championed by cracking artists like St. Francis with his radicalism.Art works and ornamental edifices usual in this era came from the Church. The popes made great marks in construct classic churches as we could see in the Vatican city where we have the largest church in the world the St. Peters Basilica. Thus, the world of arts in Europe could not be discussed without do reference to the popes. However, there was an good deal of nude art works or nudity in their sculptures. This influence came from the classic and pagan values scarcely was never restricte d in religious arts as such irrespective of their repellent meanings.This was because the Greek pagans had great reverence for the naked as a jaybird body. We could then say that what prepared the country for the renaissance humanism was mainly from the church and the fruits of the renaissance period which led to the reformation fell back to the church also. Therefore, we could say that the renaissance humanism started when the literary world and the world of arts was so aerated. At the same time the church was tip but her great strides were infiltrated or became sundry(a) with pagan/ Greek values that were obviously unacceptable.Thus, the European world saw the reasonableness to question the churchs trunk in the religious matters and the absolute designate of things to God or religion. THE CHAMPIONS OF RENAISSANCE HUMANISM The earliest humanists were Dante Della Mirandola, Lorenzo Valla and Coluccio Salutati. But after the adjudicate of Constantinople in 1453, many schola rs went to Italy to research and go acquainted with many books together with the fellowship of the Greek traditional arts. In the northerly Europe we fin people like Desiderius Erasmus who came up with the praise of the folly (1509).This depicts the chaste essence of humanism. He preferred earnest goodness to formalistic piety. We could also imagine that the founder of the renaissance painting was Masaccio (1401-14280). Boccaccio (1313-1375 wrote the first sexual literature since the Late Latin writers. Nicholas Machiavelli (1469-1527) really mocked honesty and integrity in politics in his writings as it is farfetched. However, renaissance Humanism was not totally paganistic as perceived by many people as we see its religious relevance. We have the Christian humanists who began many schools.Around the 15th centuries, more than twenty fine new universities were established. St. Francis, who abandoned the traditional theological practices, went round in identifying with the poo r and raising the smash of nature inspired the works of many artists of his time as the paintings that reflect the smash of nature became prevalent. Biblical studies boomed higher as Hebrew was now being studied. cardinal Ximenes de Cisneros (1436-1517) published a multilingual volume too and when Johann Gutenberg invented printing, copies of these literary works and arts were made available to more people.We shall not also hesitate to note that some(a) scholars and thinkers fought against the structural and dogmatic stand of the Catholic Church. An example is rear Wycliffe (1329-1384). He denied the real presence of Christ in the set apart Eucharist and the necessity of the non-Christian priesthood. Girolamo Savanarola (1452-1498) after making much converts through his powerful talk destroyed it with hiss fanatic activities. RENAISANCE HUMANISM AND THE REFORMATION The reformation took place around the 16th century AD.Encyclopedia Britannica says It was a religious revolution that took place in the westward world. The champions are Martin Luther (1483-1546) as the headway and John Calvin (1509-1564). Martin Luther was a German priest (An Augustinian Friar) and highly intelligent scholar. He was so worried with the situation in the righteous and spiritual situation of the church as the church mixed up so much with the imperial powers. She introduced the indulgence for the building of the Vatican City. Thus, the indulgence was being sold for visible things.The immoral lives of the clergy and the political practices that went on in the church left the scrupulous mind of Luther more bothered. Thus, Luther resorted to writing the ninety five-spot these. This document was against the papacy, the infallibility of the Church. He also upheld grace, organized religion and the belief in the scriptures as the authorized means of obtaining salvation. This was in sure oppose to the churchs teachings about penance. John Calvin with his Calvinism gave the Protes tants a doctrinal basis.He believed in the teaching of predestination, thus, for him God cannot really forgive someone. One can only perceive that he has the grace by faith but may not really have it. The Renaissance humanism gave a plain footing for the Reformation. We could say that the reformation is the windup of the humanism. What was left uncriticised directly was what Martin Luther boldly rung against but though in an ingrained manner. There have been arguments on whether the reformation could have taken place if Luther had not done what he did.But, one could remark that the ground was already ripe and charged for a serious reformation in the church as at the time of Martin Luther. EVALUATION AND CONCLUSION Renaissance humanism gave a good intellectual background for the reformation. The different unbecoming cases and situations that were coming from the church started making the people to loose trust in the Divine origin of the church. Hence, the possibilities that li e in the human powers were sought-after(a) during the renaissance humanism but in the reformation, it was sought in the religious angle but against the church directly.BIBLIOGRAPHY Norbert Brockman, SM et al, A history of the Catholic Church Paulines publication Africa, 1991 Oxford locomote Leaners Dictionary, 7th edition Schreck, A. , The Compact History of the Catholic Church, Bangalore St. Pauls Press, 1987 Brockman, N. , and Pescantini, U. , A History of the Catholic Church, Akure Don Bosco Centre, 1991 Nwachukwu, L. , The go of our Faith, Readings of some major events in the lifetime of the Catholic Church, vol. 1, Owerri Skill Mark Media LTD, 2009