The Renaissance

Chapter 13-5Christian Humanism

Northern Renaissance

Adapted Italian ideas to their own traditions and cultures

North was more Christian, pius, humble

More interest in Christian ancient manuscripts

Studied Biblical and Christian themes

Reflected in the arts (not many nudes in the North)

Christian Humanists

Wanted a more ethical way of life Wanted to use the new ideas to

create a better (more Christian) world

Wanted to use reason and intellect to REFORM people and society

Christian Humanism: the blending of classical ideals with Christian principles to create a more ethical society

Humanism v Christian Humanism

Humanism: What can the ancient texts reveal about human nature which will enable individuals to reach their full potential? The celebration of the individual (virtu)

Christian Humanism: How can we blend classical ideals with Christian principles to create a better world? The quest to reform

In the Arts

In Italy, art was no longer used to convey a concept or the big idea…The art, itself was enough Religious scenes but secular themes

In the North, the art is still sending a message (usually a religious one) (preoccupation with death) The art often had secular scenes but

religious themes!

Erasmus

The most famous and celebrated of all of the Northern Humanists

Was a master and THE authority of Greek

Made new translations of the Greek and Latin versions of the New Testament

Were much different from the Vulgate

Was the first humanist to make a living by writing

Erasmus

Wrote The Praise of Folly 1550 Only the Bible sold more copies Was written in Latin Was critical of the Church and other

institutions Was a big inspiration to Luther later BUT was a loyal Christian Erasmus believed that education

was the key to reform

Sir Thomas More

Writer and Civic Humanist Was Chancellor to Henry VIII Highest position of all!...and was

beheaded because he was unwilling to take an oath of loyalty to Henry as head of the Church of England

More

Wrote Utopia Described a perfect society in which

civic humanism was mixed with religious ideals

Believed that accumulation of property was the root of society’s problems

Thought that war, poverty, suffering would disappear if people were willing to sacrifice individual rights for the common good. (communism?)

D’Etables

Leading French Humanist Produced 5 versions of the psalms

that challenged a single version of the Bible

Was a devout Catholic who will later be seen as an enemy of the Church

Rabelais

Produced French secular writings that portrayed confidence in human nature

Wrote Gargantua and Pantagreul: satirized French society

Championed secular learning Attacked clerical education

Montaigne

The Essay Introduced Skepticism: Doubted

that true knowledge could be attained so tolerance is in order

Shakespeare

The greatest playwright of all time

Cervantes

Wrote Don Quixote Was a chivalric romance The first modern novel Was critical of excessive religious

idealism

Francesco Ximenes de Cisneros

Spanish humanist and reformer A member of the Spanish clergy Spain escaped a reformation

because he cleaned up Church abuses in Spain

Was Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition Not all Humanists were tolerant

Created the Polyglot Bible: 3 columns of Hebrew, Greek, Latin translations of the Bible