1.2 The Church and the Renaissance Flashcards
What are the five topics of this section, The Church and the Renaissance?
a) Factors that led to the Renaissance
b) Meaning/Concept of Humanism
c) Some Humanists and Consequences
d) Humanism in the North
e) The Renaissance Popes
When was the Renaissance?
We can consider the Renaissance as spanning the 15th and 16th centuries, with first signs appearing in the 14th century.
What were 4 factors that led to the Renaissance?
We see the Church as losing its place in the growth of society; now focus on man. Paganism begins to creep in. It is a time of cultural, artistic, literary and technological renewal.
Wealth: Prosperity grew through the emergence of the bourgeois merchants and centers of wealth: Florence,… (***) With this wealth, can have patrons of arts.
Invention of printing press (***) (Gutenberg around 1455): Enabled knowledge to be disseminated far and wide. It was thought that 6 million books were printed between 1455 and 1501. Before, manuscripts copied by hand.
Expansion to new places: Demographic growth by expansion to New World through discoveries. Also these discoveries brought back new WEALTH
What was the first phase of the Renaissance and who were 2 principle early figures?
Humanism, the literary manifestation of this movement, may be said to have begun with Dante’s Divina Commedia. It received a fresh impulse through Petrarch (d. 1374)
What was Humanism and what made it different from approach of the Middle Ages?
an intellectual movement focused on the classical authors of antiquity. The Latin and Greek classics had been pushed into the background in the Middle Ages. When studied at all, they had been valued as a means to an end, as storehouses of information and as models of Rhetoric, not as “living literature to be enjoyed for the ideas that were contained in it and the form in which they were expressed, which the humanists did. They began to be studied for their own sake,
The monastic libraries were ransacked for copies of Virgil, Horace, and Cicero, and every new manuscript that was unearthed was hailed with joy.
Believing that a thorough training in the classical literature of Greece and Rome alone could form a perfect human being, the followers of the new movement called themselves “Humanists,” while the subjects of their studies came to be known as Litterae Humaniores, or Humanities.
What was the difference between Pagan and Christian Humanism? Name 2 examples of each.
Humanism had, almost from the first, both a pagan and a Christian aspect.
Christian: Dante, Petrarch, Thomas More, John Fisher. They made use of made free use of the treasures of antiquity without sacrificing Christian principles
Pagan: Lorenzo Valla, Boccaccio. their infatuation for the classics absorbed the pagan conception of life which those classics embodied. They looked down with scorn upon everything that savored of the supernatural and the unworldly, and ridiculed the writings of the Scholastics for their barbarous Latin
Many Pious men condemned Humanism because of the pagan version, but the Church didn’t
Who was Petrarch?
Focused on Literature/ Poetry
Petrarch succeeded Dante as the great sage of Florence. His fame and renown as a writer were such that, in keeping with an ancient tradition, a Roman senator crowned Petrarch “poet laureate” (a reference to the custom of crowning heroes with laurel leaves) when he was only thirty years old.
Born Francesco di Petracco in 1304, he was sent by his father to study law. Francesco, however, disliked this chosen career path, and spent as much time as he could reading classical literature instead of law. Virgil and Cicero became his teachers, and his command of Latin was impeccable. Much of his fame, however, is derived from his poetry, especially from his sonnets to Laura, written in his vernacular Italian. He had soon changed his name from Petracco ––its sharp, flat quality did not ring well enough in the ear of such a poet–– to Petrarch.
Unlike Dante, however, Petrarch could not detach himself from the world of Florence. Though his love of learning and study of Latin would win him the title “father of Humanism” this deeply religious Christian was constantly torn between his love of the present life and hope for eternity. He intensely wanted to resolve his inner turmoil as demonstrated in his Secretum, a series of personal meditative dialogues between himself and St. Augustine under the watchful eye of Lady Truth, earning him the title “Man of Letters”.
What effect did Humanism have in painting and sculpture?
The rebirth of art in Italy during the fifteenth century expressed similar cultural changes, as was the case regarding philosophy and literature. Increased interest in classical literature and art prompted a new resolve for observation of the individual and study of the natural world. Subjects from Greek and Roman mythology (pagan in content) found their way into the art of the day in response to the renewed interest in the classical era. More brilliant colors found their way into paintings that from the dull, drab Scholastic era. The study of ancient architecture also inspired new techniques in building involving spatial perspective. elegance of form. and symmetry.
The first generation of Renaissance artists (most notably Donatello. Brunelleschi and Masaccio) applied rational inquiry to discover laws of proportion, formal balance. and symmetry. They remained keenly observant of natural phenomena,… but also sought to render spiritual ideals through their art forms of painting and architecture.
The late fifteenth century, the period known as the High Renaissance, produced some of the most magnificent works of art ever seen. Commissioned by wealthy families, kings, and popes alike, artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael filled Italian churches and palaces with breathtaking paintings and sculptures which alternated between religious and secular themes. More than just thematic content, these artists presented unified balance and color composition with a talent that combined the dramatic force of a physical representation with sublime harmonic and lyric beauty.
Who was Michelangelo?
Michelangelo Buonarroti, born in 1475, played an unparalleled role in the development of Western art. He embodies the Renaissance man who excels in many disciplines in a way that is larger than life. Michelangelo was a sculptor, painter, and architect of almost superhuman capacity, whose works hold the viewer of every age in utter amazement.
An unmistakable quality of Michelangelo’s art was his depiction of the contours of the human body in such a manner that the grandeur of man comes out with overwhelming force. His sculpture “David” typifies the artist’s use of scale and exaggeration along with detailed studies of the human anatomy to create this massive figure that exudes power and strength.
Like many artists of the time, Michelangelo was supported financially by the popes. His relationship with them was not always cordial. Commissioned to paint the Sistine Chapel as well as to design the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, the popes needed to coerce Michelangelo to complete the task. Painted from 1508 until 1512, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was a painstaking and torturous endeavor for the artist who was left nearly blind by the time of its completion. The chapel ceiling remains an incredible achievement in Renaissance art that perfectly displays dazzling beauty through an idealized human form.
Who were the Medici?
The history of Florence during the Renaissance was dominated by one family: Medici. By 1429 this banking family completely controlled the political scene of the city thanks to the rise of Cosimo de Medici. Although a Republican government was nominally maintained, the Medici family held the major offices and approved appointments. Cosimo de Medici was a skilled politician who ended the wars that had plagued Florence for a century, bringing peace and increased prosperity to the city. Cosimo de Medici’s grip over Florence was so strong that his son Piero and grandson Lorenzo the Magnificent were able to take the reins of power without any opposition. Besides political strength and wealth, the name Medici would go down in history for extraordinary generosity and patronage to the arts.
Cosimo de Medici seems to have been a devout Catholic (especially in his latter years). and at the same time the Medici were close friends with the heads of Franciscan and Dominican convents. Religion, like politics in Renaissance Florence, would often fluctuate between coldness and fervor. Occasionally, the Florentines would loathe their worldly ways and decadent lifestyles and repent with a fervent resolve to wholeheartedly live as good Catholics. When this change of heart occurred, there would be resurgences of faith accompanied by bonfires designed to burn ornaments, fashionable clothes and secular books. Nonetheless, most of these manifestations of repentance were short-lived.
There was a three-year-period from 1494 to 1497, in which such a resurgence of faith forced the Medicis from power. The puritanical Dominican friar Savonarola temporarily drove the family from Florence in an attempt to morally reform the populace and re-establish the Republic. At first there was an enthusiastic outpouring of repentance and faith. As usual. the Florentines became weary of the reforms and longed for their lost worldly lifestyles. Consequently, Savonarola was hanged then burned at the stake as a heretic (though he was not one); the Medici family returned to power. and Florence returned to her old ways.
Who was Machiavelli?
In his famous book The Prince (1513), Niccolo Machiavelli (d. 1527) in a sense unwittingly brought humanist optimism to an end, by drawing out the full implications of the natural desire for power. Machiavelli was the first political thinker to ignore the moral basis of politics and to offer instead a purely realistic analysis, a picture of a world without higher law. (Not insignificantly, he modeled his amoral prince on Cesare Borgia, the son of Pope Alexander VI.)
Although he may have been a believing Catholic, Machiavelli thought the Christian virtues of humility and charity made men weak and vulnerable, and he extolled the ancient pagan religions for fostering virility and boldness. If the prince wished to retain power, Machiavelli advised, he could not be restrained by moral or religious scruples but had to employ terror, deceit, and treachery as necessary. Many people were shocked by Machiavelli’s emptying politics of moral content, so that after him an unreservedly optimistic Humanism was no longer possible.
What characterized Humanism in the North?
The circumstances surrounding humanism in Northern Europe were different from those in Italy. The
North (Flanders, the Hanseatic League, the Rhineland “[rainland] cities) did not see a significant change of economy, social life. and education. During the Renaissance in Italy, these northern regions remained remarkably the same. Most of the North was rural; life was hard, and the majority of the population was poor. Northern Europe did not experience the same rise in prosperity along with the appearance of a middle class that so marked the Italian Renaissance.
Northerners were aware of Italian Humanism and often made trips to Italy to learn about it, but some northerners found Italian Humanism too pagan. Some were also scandalized by the worldliness of the papal court. Partly because it interacted with the New Devotion, northern Humanism developed in more consistently Christian ways than in Italy.
Paradoxically, however, this had the consequence that northern humanists were often sharp critics of the Church and even sometimes crossed into heresy, as Italians seldom did. To some extent, there was a spirit of tenacious bluntness in the North that demanded answers to troublesome questions, in contrast to a kind of easygoing sophistication in Italy.
Who was Thomas More?
- The life and martyrdom of Saint Thomas More have been the source of a message which spans the centuries and which speaks to people everywhere of the inalienable dignity of the human conscience, which, as the Second Vatican Council reminds us, is “the most secret core and sanctuary of a man. There he is alone with God, Whose voice echoes in his depths.”* (Gaudium et spes. 16).
- Whenever men or women heed the call of truth, their conscience then guides their actions reliablytowards good. Precisely because of the witness which he bore, even at the price of his life, to the primacy of truth over power, Saint Thomas More is venerated as an imperishable example of moral integrity.* (St. John Paul II, On Saint Thomas More, 2000, no. I)
On the opposite end of the political spectrum from Machiavelli, there appears another renowned humanist, lawyer, knight, Lord Chancellor, saint, martyr, and one of the greatest minds of the Renaissance: St. Thomas More (1478-1535). He mastered Greek, French, and Latin; studied mathematics, history, music, law, and philosophy; and wrote numerous works, among them his famous Utopia. The word “utopia” ––first coined by St. Thomas More himself–– is Greek meaning “place”: In this modern parallel to Plato’s Republic, More described a religious society, heavily influenced by divine revelation, in which goods were held in common and the state regulated business. More meant exactly what the etymology implied by the name of his island-Utopia is no place, and can never be, but it offers a remarkable humanist critique of the socio-political state of sixteenth century England.
Besides his work Utopia, St. Thomas More is best remembered for his heroic Christian witness during the tumultuous events surrounding Henry VIII’s defection from the Catholic Church. More served as Lord Chancellor for Henry VIII until 1532. When Henry, whom the pope once named Defensor Fidei (Defender of the Faith) because of his work against Lutheran heresies, passed the Act of Succession and Oath of Supremacy in 1534, thereby establishing the Church of England. St. Thomas More refused to swear allegiance to these schismatic decrees. He was accused of high treason and imprisoned in the Tower of London, where he remained until his beheading on July 6, 1535. Pope Pius XI canonized St. Thomas More in 1935. His feast day is celebrated on June 22.
Who was Erasmus of Rotterdam?
(ca. 1466-1536) (***):
Erasmus embodied the religious ambiguities of his time. He was of illegitimate birth, his father (he thought) probably a priest. Educated by the Brethren of the Common Life, he imbibed their devotion to simple biblical piety but found their spirit overly rigid and narrow. Aspiring to a life of learning, he entered a branch of the Augustinians but found monastic life also too constricting and left to become secretary to a bishop. Later, when asked to return to the monastery, he protested that he had been too young (seventeen) even to understand what he was doing when he became a monk. His canonical status remained irregular for many years, until he received papal permission to live in effect as a layman.
A master of Greek and Latin, Erasmus traveled all over Europe, lecturing. counseling, and writing. He epitomized the intellectual character of humanism. He saw the Middle Ages and Scholasticism as unenlightened while holding the classical thinkers in highest esteem. He extolled the primacy of human virtues such as prudence, intellectual honesty, zeal for truth, and consideration for others. He had deep desires for reform and progress through education and tolerance.
Although he never spoke against its divine origin and fundamental beliefs, Erasmus was highly critical of the way many societies within the Church functioned. His biting and sarcastic critiques of ecclesiastical and monastic life brought out the need for a profound spiritual renewal of the sixteenth-century Church.
In his Handbook of a Christian Knight, Erasmus confronted the difficult question Petrarch and many
Christian humanists raised: How does one remain a good Christian while taking part in world affairs? Unhappy with the contemporary structure and practices of the Church from the popes to Christian rulers to everyday people, Erasmus suggested a more personal and subjective spirituality and understanding of the Faith. He called for study and meditation on the writings of the Church fathers and the Scriptures.
His most famous work. however, is Moriae encomium (Praise of Folly), written for his friend St. Thomas More. In this short work. Folly speaks on the state of human society. From ruler to peasant, she says, all favor Folly over Reason, though they are dishonest about their preference and give her disparaging names. The work, a satirical exposition of the Renaissance world, is at once a celebration and a critique that harshly criticizes members of the Church.
Erasmus remained a Christian throughout his life. and he never balked at criticizing the Church’s many members who did not uphold the dignity and respect of the Church. Because his faith and love of the Church was devoted and deep, Erasmus continually expressed zeal for necessary reform.
What characterized the Renaissance Popes?
Much has been said of the worldly lives of the Renaissance popes. Unfortunately, these popes lived
more like worldly princes than men called to reflect the holiness of Chris’s vicar and successor of St, Peter. It is worth mentioning that the popes of the Renaissance acted as temporal princes who were trying to strengthen the temporal authority of the Church after the long period of schism and establish a stronger security for the Papal States. Some of the popes were men of letters who helped sponsor the artistic works of the Renaissance. whereas others acted more as princes interested in increasing their power.
The Church at the time was in need of strong leadership. Rising discontent in the Holy Roman Empire and political infighting among European Christian states weakened Europe in its ability to defend itself successfully against the Turks. Internal European conflict also seriously hampered the leadership of the
Church. The Church was faced on all sides by growing political turmoil as one state vied with another for temporal sovereignty. This tumultuous time of continuing political strife and violence threatened the unity of the Church. Nonetheless, it was also a period of great intellectual growth and an extraordinary period for artistic expression. The Renaissance period also shows that, despite the human limitations of the members of Christ’s Church, the Holy Spirit continued to direct the Barque [bark] of St. Peter.
