The Renaissance and its Influence
The Renaissance was a cultural movement which significantly influenced European intellectual life. The movement started in Italy and spread to other parts of Europe during the 16th century. The influence of Renaissance was felt in religion, science, politics, art, philosophy, and other aspects of intellectuality. Moreover, the Renaissance was viewed as an attempt to study and improve the secular aspects of the world by scholars through the revitalization of ideas from ancient times.
The Relationship between Renaissance and Reformation
The Western scholars believe that both Reformation and Renaissance are intricately related. Reformation could not have gotten the opportunity to progress if there were no Renaissance. Also, Renaissance widened the mind of humans. People came out of the darkness after being enlightened by rationality and reason. This development of rationality and reason moved humans to a different stage of Reformation. Furthermore, Renaissance made mortals believe that religion was an individual issue and that they had the right to live their religious life according to their belief. This situation assisted the leaders of Reformation to rise against the massive influence and power of the church. For instance, Calvin and Martin Luther used the situation to challenge the leadership of the church (Grendler 11).
The Influence of Renaissance and Reformation
Renaissance influenced Reformation in numerous ways since the international trade and relations improved. People from different parts of the world came closer to each other, and their mind was sharpened. Moreover, Renaissance set the way for the rise and development of rationality in the minds of most people as they refused to be led by the dictates of the church and orthodox religion. On the other hand, the Reformation movement eliminated the unreligious stigma from Christianity (Grendler 32).
Works Cited
Grendler, Paul F. "The universities of the Renaissance and Reformation." Renaissance Quarterly 57.1 (2004): 1-42.
Lecture 5: The Ancient Church and the Church in the Middle Ages
