Renaissance, Reformation, and Humanism in Europe

Posted on Feb 16, 2025 in Religion

Renaissance

Renaissance is the name given to the broad cultural revitalization movement that occurred in Western Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries. Its main exponents are in the field of art, but it also saw renewal in literature and the sciences, both natural and human.

Key Features of the Renaissance:

  • Faced with the theocentric medieval attitude, the Renaissance was at the center of the world.
  • Intelligence was a power to discover and learn for themselves.
  • It showed great interest in what man had done or could do.
  • Discovery and assessment of nature as a model of beauty.
  • The fee, which measures all writings or poems, called metrics.
  • The ideal which seeks the unattainable perfection.
  • Naturalness.
  • The predominance of reason over faith.

The Reformation

The Reformation is understood as the religious movement in the fifteenth century that broke the unity of doctrine in the Catholic Church and ignored and disregarded the authority of the Pope, Bishop of Rome, and head of Christianity.

Causes:

  • The loss of morality and the weakening of faith.
  • The lack of authority of the clergy.
  • The callus that discredited the papacy.
  • The desire by some members of the German nobility to enrich themselves with Church property.

Represented Shades:

Calvinism

Christianity, preached by the doctrinal formulas of Luther, was well received in France.

Anglicanism

A third dimension in the separatist religious movement of the Christian religion is present in England.

Lutheranism

Lutheranism is a Protestant Christian religious movement (protesting against what they considered wrong with what was stated) institutionally founded by the German monk Martin Luther (1483-1546). October 31, 1517, is considered the date of birth of this branch of Christianity, the date on which the 95 Theses were placed on the value of indulgences on the door of the Church of All Saints in Wittenberg, Germany. Lutherans believe in Jesus Christ as their spiritual founder, the Triune God (Holy Trinity), namely: God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Biblical interpretation that God did not judge us by our good works, but rather by our faith, gives Luther the fundamental basis of his thinking.

The Counter-Reformation

The Catholic Reformation (sixteenth century) was a Catholic reform movement that began in 1545 where the Catholic Church reacted to the flaws that had been the cause of the Reformation and spread Catholicism throughout the world.

Aspects of the Counter-Reformation:

  • The Inquisition: Refers to courts that investigate and inquire before judging and giving a sentence, consisting of clerics. It was created by Pope Gregory IX (13th century) to investigate and prosecute witchcraft.
  • Society of Jesus: Founded by Ignatius Loyola, composed of priests and educators, and a recognized religious order by Pope Paul III. Its goal is to spread Catholicism throughout the world.
  • The Council of Trent: Its aim was the total mission of all references to Catholic doctrines, compared to Protestant positions; to study the necessary changes in the way of conduct of the clergy; to normalize the relationship between the ecclesiastical rank and the faithful; and to regulate the time of evangelization.

Humanism

It is a spiritual movement that is dedicated to studying the origin of man. It had its roots in Italy with Petrarch. Francisco Petrarch is considered the father of humanism, accompanying John Boccaccio, and the greatest humanist was Erasmus.