Download Influences – Reniassance and Humanism

The term Renaissance
literally means re-birth.
The Renaissance begun in
Italy, primarily because
Italy benefited from three
advantages.
 Classic ruins
 Political culture
 Trade
What was important
was the ‘new learning’
of humanist scholarship
rather than ‘old
learning’ of medieval
scholasticism.
As a result of searching
out previously unknown
manuscripts, Roman
Humanist Lorenzo Valla
was able to prove that
the text of the
‘Donation of
Constantine’ on which
the papacy based its
claims to political
power was forged.
Interest in Plato (428348 BC) lead to an
attempt to reconcile his
philosophical ideas with
the central principles of
the Christian faith.
Plato’s themes linked in
with many concerns in the
15th century, the emphasis
of proper education of
rulers.
The Papacy and Roman
Catholic Church refused
to adapt to the new
ideas of the
Renaissance.
Johann Reuchlin (14551522) a Greek and
Hebrew scholar who
placed emphasis on the
study of the original
document and criticised
the Church of its
narrow attitudes to
biblical interpretation.
The invention of the
printing press allowed
these ideas to spread
easily.
Erasmus also translated
the New Testament
into Greek in 1516 and
Latin in 1519. It was
these translations that
proved the basis for
further translations,
German and English.
Up until the Bible was
translated it was not really
available to the Laity.
Marsilio Ficino who
translated many of
Plato’s works from
Greek to Latin allowed
Erasmus to apply the
methodological tools to
the Greek New
Testament, evolving the
process of undermining
the authority of the
Catholic Church.
Ulrich von Hutten
(1488-1523) a German
Nationalist and strong
critic of the Church.
Insist the Bible should
be studied in its original
language. As a result his
influence led to the
break of the Church’s
monopoly of Biblical
study and
interpretation.
Erasmus tended to see
the Bible as the main
authority for religious
belief and not the
Church. (Similar to
Luther)
The renaissance
produced men who
were prepared to
challenge basic beliefs
and the medieval
attitude of the Church
in wishing to control
thought and debate.
The monastic system
seemed out of place in
the light of new
Renaissance ideas
according to Erasmus.