Humanism And The Protestant Reformation

Humanist philosophy was mainly concerned with human conduct in the world. This was radically different than the scholasticism that was prevalent throughout the thirteenth century. Humanism gave birth to new ways to question life and spirituality. The new humanist philosophy of the Renaissance set the stage for Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. Humanism was a reactionary philosophy as it was a response to the crisis of the fourteenth century. Between plague and famine, human loss was rampant throughout the fourteenth century Europe. As a result, there arose a new need to understand the relationship between man, the world, and God. Humanists were literary scholars interested in Greek and Latin writings, grammar, history, and ethics. They believed that ethics

Lutheranism and the Protestant Reformation was rife with humanistic values. For example, Luther’s lack of faith in the ability of human reason to establish truths about the divine nature. This is consistent with the humanistic belief that man is error prone. His training in three ancient languages, Greek, Latin, and Hebrew also reveals the influence of Humanism. To make the Bible more accessible to the average person, Luther translated the entirety of the Old and New Testaments. This is also congruous with the Humanist emphasis on proliferating writings that were clear and concise. By and large, it is easy to how the new humanist philosophy of the Renaissance set the stage for Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. One can easily observe the effect that had Humanism on Lutheranism and the Protestant Reformation. After understanding the ideals of Humanism and Lutheranism, it becomes quite obvious that they were a classic case of cause and effect. All in all, Lutheranism and the Protestant Reformation were a direct product of the humanist