The Two Reformations in the 16th Century: A Study of the Religious Aspects and Consequences of Renaissance and Humanism

ISBN-13: 9789401187206 / Angielski / Miękka / 1964 / 406 str.

H. a. Enno Gelder

Opis

This book deals with the religious aspects and consequences of the Renaissance and Humanism. It is therefore advisable that these terms should first be defined to some extent. By Re naissance is meant here the new element in Westem European culture, which became more and more evident in Italy during the 15th century and in about 1500 completely dominated the great minds in that country. In the 16th century this new ele ment was carried to the countries on the other side of the Alps, where it developed vigorously during that century. The new element in that culture is found in the plastic arts, literature, philosophy and also - and this is the subject of the present study - in a modified religious attitude. The following chapters will show the content of this last change. Problems such as: what in general characterizes the Renaissance, by what was it caused, when did it begin and, in particular, whether the Re naissance forms a sharp contrast to the Middle Ages or whether it is a direct continuation of it, will not be discussed here. It will be clear from the above definition that I have placed first and foremost those things in the Renaissance which distinguish it from the Middle Ages."

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Spis treści

The Problem.- In what sense the terms Renaissance, Humanism, Catholic Orthodoxy are used here.- Relations of Renaissance and Reformation.- Minor and major Reformation.- The share of the Renaissance in the religious development of Western Europe.- I Italy.- I. The Italian Humanists and the Christian Doctrine of Salvation.- 1. The new attitude of the Italian citizen towards religion and life.- 2. The circle of the Medici in Florence-Ficino and Pico — Their view of human dignity — Appreciation of the world.- 3. Freedom of the will — Immortality of the soul — Pomponazzi.- 4. The Humanists and the catholic creed — Justification-Fate, necessity and astrology — Religion as a philosophy of life.- 5. Christology — Indifference towards the sacraments.- 6. Rationalism — Providence, fate and fortune — Holy Scriptures and Classics.- 7. What happened in 15th century Italy is the reverse of what happened when pagan philosophy was conquered by Christianity.- II. Propagation and Expansion in Italy.- 1. Influence on culture — Discourses about Platonic love — Religion in Castiglione’s Del Cortigiano.- 2. Little value ascribed to religion in education — Criticism of orthodoxy in Pulci’s writings — Disbelief in miracles.- 3. Ariosto and orthodoxy.- 4. Condemnation of Humanism by the Church — Heretics in Italy — Revival of Catholicism.- 5. Influence of new views in painting — The Sistine Chapel — Botticelli -Piero di Cosino — Leonardo da Vinci — The story of “Hercules at the cross-roads” — The religion of Titian.- 6. Christian Humanism with Michelangelo — The Sistine Chapel — The Medici tomb.- 7. Vittoria Colonna and the catholic revival — The sermons of Ochino — The “Last Judgment” of Michelangelo.- II Western Europe.- III. Orthodox Catholicism and its early Opponents.- 1. The contents of Orthodoxy in the Catholic Church about 1500 — The drama of Everyman.- 2. Ideas deviating from orthodoxy before the Reformation — Wessel Gansfort and others.- 3. Humanism in Paris — England: John Colet.- IV. Erasmus.- 1. Scientific importance — “Regeneration of Christendom” -Moral writings.- 2. His conception of the Church — Criticism of the clergy — Moralism — Erasmus and the Bible — Knowledge and education — Real piety is mastering the passions.- 3. Erasmus and monkish life — The value of asceticism — The value of the sermon.- 4. Dignity of man and original sin — Grace — Penance — Veneration of Saints — Attitude towards life after death.- 5. Indifference about dogmas — Sacraments are ceremonies — How to prepare oneself for death — No belief in the devil.- 6. True piety is obedience to the Evangelical commandments — “The Religious Banquet” — Appreciation of the Classics — Influence of Erasmus in the 16th century.- V. Erasmus’s Contemporaries.- 1. Thomas More and the Italians — His attitude towards orthodoxy — The religion in Utopia.- 2. Lefèvre d’Etaples — The theological Faculty condemns Lefèure.- 3. Disciples in France of the Classics — Briçonnet tries to reform the Divine Service — He fails.- 4. Budé halfway between Classics, Orthodoxy and Reformation.- 5. The German Humanists and Erasmus — Mutianus, Paracelsus, Ulrich von Hutten.- 6. Veneration of the Classics in Germany — Humanists in Erfurt and Gotha — Radicalism in the Netherlands.- 7. Painting and the major Reformation — Bosch — Dürer — Lucas van Ley den.- VI. Luther.- 1. Pre-Reformation — Luther looks for help to Erasmus.- 2. Different religious attitudes of Luther and Erasmus — The letter of Spalatinus — Erasmus wants to protect Luther — The minor Reformation.- 3. Differences between Luther and Erasmus: conceptions of God — Of grace — Of the sacraments — Of Salvation — Of the Church.- 4. Different interpretation of truth — The Holy Scriptures.- 5. Zwingli disciple of the Classics and of Luther — Melanchthon.- VII. The Baptists, Sebastian Franck and Marguerite d’Angouleme.- 1. The Baptists in relation to the Reformation and Humanism — Spiritualists.- 2. Sebastian Franck — The sacraments — His antropology — His rationalism.- 3. Marguerite d’Angoulême disciple of Lefeere d’ Etaples And of Erasmus — Her attitude towards Orthodoxy.- VIII. Christian Humanism in France.- 1. The religion of Calvin — Difference from Humanist religion.- 2. Rabelais — Influence of Platonism and Erasmus — Miracles — The Bible — His A nthropology — Immortality of the soul — Attitude towards Calvinism.- 3. Castellio — Christianity a doctrine of life — The Scriptures.- 4. The religious attitude of Michel de l’Hospital.- 5. Ronsard against the Huguenots — His Platonism — Aristotelism in the “Hymns”.- IX. In the Netherlands.- 1. Cassander tries to mediate between Catholicism and Protestantism.- 2. Coornhert — True piety is obedience to the Evangelical commandments — Perfectibility of man.- 3. Lipsius — His Christian stoicism — Adept of the Classics — Adaption to Protestantism and Catholicism.- 4. The major Reformation and the arts in France — In Spain — In the Netherlands — Bruegel.- X. Christian Humanism in England.- 1. Characteristics of the Reformation in England. — Important influence of Erasmus — The Established Church under Elizabeth — Manifold opinions possible — Sir Philip Sidney.- 2. Spenser and Puritanism — His Platonism — Philosophy prevails in his religion — Humanism in his “Hymns”.- 3. Shakespeare — Indefiniteness of his religion — His conception of the Divine — His anthropology — Grace and forgiveness — Sinfulness of man — The Sacraments — The Bible — The clergy — Life after death.- XI. Dolet, Marlowe, Montaigne and Bodin.- 1. Halfway adepts of the major Reformation — The major Reformation among educated people in France.- 2. Dolet disciple of Protestantism and Humanism — Immortality — Providence and fate — Christianity seen relatively.- 3. Des Périers and “Cymbalum mundi”.- 4. Marlowe — Appreciation of the strong individuum — His disbelief in Christian dogmas.- 5. Montaigne — Indifference towards catholic dogmas and rituals — His moralism — Natural religion — His attitude towards death and life after death — Anthropology.- 6. Bodin -All religions of relative value — His Theism — His conception of man and Christ.- Conclusion: Disciples of the major Reformation are to be found both in the catholic and the protestant churches.