Renaissance And Secularism Essay

1033 Words3 Pages

The Renaissance--which occurred from 15th to 16th centuries as a rebirth of classical antiquity--would also mark the transition of Church authority to becoming less politically inclined. After the Black Death in 1348, the original European feudal system that defined the Middle Ages-owing much of its success and political stability to the Church--toppled, and the people of Europe became more materialistic and bureaucratic thanks to the establishment of citizen officials. By the mid 1400s Europe transitioned to adopt a new neoplatonic philosophy called humanism. Therefore, with the establishment of the Platonic Academy in Florence, 1463, humanism would begin to rapidly grow, and the Renaissance would begin in full force. However, the secularized …show more content…

The secularization and political empowerments that were occurring in the Vatican under Alexander VI, (1492-1503) Pope Julius II, (r.1503-1513) and later Pope Leo X (r.1513-1521) caused Erasmus to write “The Praise of Folly”--which first began to be printed in 1511. The text’s comedic nature and satirical statements made it engaging, funny, and well read by the intelligentsia throughout all of of Europe. Furthermore, the satirical elements in his texts combined with authentic information meant to speak out against papal corruption such as Pope Julius II’s military campaign in Romagna, gave the laity a sense of empowerment by exposing celebrities as faulty human beings. However, Erasmus would take it one step further in 1519 when he edited and produced a more accurate Latin translation of the Vulgate. The improved interpretation caused the intelligentsia to note how many of the christian holidays they celebrated were absent in the Bible, causing contemporaries to put more emphasis on Biblical practices which did not incorporate the newer European holidays. As a result, the combination of comedic criticisms as well as an improved interpretation in Church scripture would cause the Catholic Church to appear unreliable and

More about Renaissance And Secularism Essay

Open Document