The Renaissance

1. The Renaissance Chapter 13-5 Christian Humanism

2. 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)

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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!

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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?)

10. 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

11. Rabelais Produced French secular writings that portrayed confidence in human nature Wrote Gargantua and Pantagreul: satirized French society Championed secular learning Attacked clerical education

12. Montaigne The Essay Introduced Skepticism: Doubted that true knowledge could be attained so tolerance is in order

13. Shakespeare The greatest playwright of all time

14. Cervantes Wrote Don Quixote Was a chivalric romance The first modern novel Was critical of excessive religious idealism

15. 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