The Renaissance is known as a time of rebirth change and advancement. The Western world emerged from the Middle Ages and came alive with new enthusiasm. Although an abundance of new ideas and schools of thought materialized, there were three central themes that were both catalysts and results of the Renaissance: individualism, humanism and questioning (especially of the Church). These central themes went hand in hand with the three main geographical centers where the Renaissance took place: Florence, Rome and Northern Europe. In Florence, the birth of the Renaissance was centered around individualism, as displayed in Florentine art and literature. When the Renaissance moved to Rome however, humanism was more central. The Northern Renaissance was more religious than creative and was centered around questioning, especially concerning the Catholic Church. Because of this, the Reformation coincided with the Northern Renaissance.

Individualism was the driving force of the Florentine Renaissance. Realist painters like Giotto and Masaccio portrayed the individualist spirit by stressing personality, uniqueness and human capabilities. The importance of the individual person was growing. As this mentality took hold, in the wake of the Great Schism of the Catholic Church, the social importance of religion diminished a bit. This was the beginning of the questioning and speculation about the Church which eventually led to the Reformation. Da Valla’s On False Donation of Constantine questioned the power of the Papacy. The Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli’s most famous work, illustrated a secular method of ruling a country. It is clear that the Church’s influence was beginning to wane as people developed their own ideas.

In Rome, humanist adherents led by the Renaissance Popes dominated the philosophical platform. Not all Romans accepted the humanist beliefs, but many did agree with living life to the fullest. Unfortunately, they interpreted “live life to the fullest” to mean “be indulgent and opulent and flaunt it.” The Renaissance in Rome was about decadence, money and power- even in the Papacy (Raphael and Michelangelo were hired by the Pope, for example, to “re-decorate” the papal apartments and buildings). A line of corrupt popes including Alexander VI, who was aided militarily and politically by his son Cesare Borgia, caused papal integrity to diminish rapidly. As the Church became even less important, humans themselves became their own masters and heroes. The art of the period demonstrates this concept beautifully. Michelangelo, for instance, drenched the Sistine Chapel with gargantuan images and other Roman paintings and sculptures often portrayed humans giant-like in proportion. Meanwhile individualist literature trickled throughout Italy and Northern Europe. The invention of Gutenberg’s printing press allowed for ideas to spread faster and more easily. Just as the individualist movement and Roman decadence reach their height, the French invasion in 1526 ended the Italian Renaissance in three short months- the time it took for the French armies to destroy Rome. Fortunately, Northern Europe was ready for a change. The Renaissance in the North would take it from where Romans left off- questioning religion.

An unspeakably corrupt Papacy had destroyed nearly all faith in the sanctity of the Catholic Church. By the time the Renaissance seeped into Northern Europe, it was slowly beginning to melt into the Reformation. The Renaissance in the North was less artistically creative and more focused on philosophy and literature. Literary greats like d’Etables questioned virtually every aspect of the Church (d’Etables, for example, published 5 different versions of the Psalms in order to challenge the idea of a single authoritative Bible). This thorough examination and criticism of the Church that had begun in Florence was now paving the way for Reformation; religious revolutionaries like John Calvin and Martin Luther were ready to follow the road. Others, however, returned to humanist ideals to conceive a new humanism compatible with Christian beliefs, appropriately named Christian Humanism. This “new humanism” allowed adherents to study both the humanities and the Christian teachings as Desiderius Erasmus did. Erasmus was the most famous intellectual of his time and a respected and influential humanist. His essay, In Praise of Folly criticized the narrow-mindedness of political and religious leaders and called for a return to the simple faith-based Christianity of the past. Erasmus became the intellectual leader of Christian Humanism. The people also needed a solid spiritual leader. John Calvin, Martin Luther and other spiritual pioneers and innovators stepped up to the challenge, and thus began what is known as the Reformation. Renaissance thinkers and their ideas had laid the foundation.

As the Northern Renaissance progressed into the Protestant Reformation, the same central ideas that were the core of the Renaissance were extended and revised to serve new purposes. Whatever their purpose or form, humanism, individualism and questioning remained the sun of Western Europe’s philosophical solar system- central and powerful with far-reaching effects. Though individualism flourished in Florence, humanism reigned supreme in Rome and enquiry was the catalyst for the Northern Renaissance, all three were ultimately melded and draped throughout. Thus, the Renaissance and its effects vary in each location, but come together to provide the foundation not only for the Reformation, but for the modern world as we know it.

By Michelle Ayers, 2002 edited by Mr. Edmonds