Reformation and Renaissance Thinkers\' Criticism

Reformation and Renaissance

Renaissance Thinkers' Criticism of Religious Beliefs and Practices

The Renaissance was a series of literary and cultural movements in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, beginning in Italy and eventually expanding to other parts of Europe (Microsoft Encarta 2009, Hermansen 2009). Upon studying ancient civilizations, these European countries concluded that their own cultural achievements were just as excellent. Influenced by the concept of humanism, Renaissance thinkers focused on human worth and believed that classical education could improve human society. Improvement could come from disciplines like poetry, history, rhetoric and moral philosophy. Renaissance meant "rebirth" of what Europeans' believed was the superior Greek and Roman culture, which declined during the Middle Ages in the 5th century (Microsoft Encarta, Hermansen).

This rebirth or the Renaissance was characterized by an intense preoccupation on the visible world and knowledge derived from concrete and sense experience (Microsoft Encarta 2009). It drew away abstractions, in life after death, and promised rewards in a future world, which dominated the Middle Ages. They turned from the abstract treatment of religious issues to the morality of human actions. Renaissance thinkers both encouraged curiosity and objectiveness in dealing with major issues. Dutch writer Desiderius Erasmus emphasized the need to reform Christian society through the study of the ancient classics. The Age of Enlightenment in the 18th century contributed a fresh emphasis on the power of human reason to the Renaissance. One of the early Enlightenment thinkers, Voltaire, insisted that the Renaissance must be freed from the superstition and error of the Christian society of the Middle Ages. He was delighted by the decline of the power of the Roman Catholic Church during the period (Microsoft Encarta). Thinkers like Erasmus and Thomas More condemned the Church for clerical immorality; clerical ignorance; a poor basis in Latin as the language of the Church; pluralism and absenteeism; and the presence of nobility in the religious infrastructure (Hermansen 2009) They claimed that the clergy violated their own vow of celibacy and restraint by having concubines and by drinking. The clergy also had very low or poor quality of priest education and standards for ordination. As such, they were poorly prepared for the job. Church officials often held multiple and simultaneous offices, many of which they never even visited. Despite this, they were paid extremely high fees and made the poor clergy in the rural areas perform their work. There were, however, some efforts at reforming the Church. Cardinal Francisco Jimenez, for example, visited religious houses and encouraged the clergy to raise standards of ordination. In Holland, a group called Brethren of Common Life struggled to make religion a personal and private matter and taught this view to their children. Pope Julius II convened a council to reform the Church. But the attempt was unsuccessful because of demographic difficulties (Hermansen).

The Roman Catholic Church was also part of the feudal system and had a difficult time adjusting to the secular demands of society as regards money instead of allegiances (Microsoft Encarta 2009). Parish priests and monks served as main religious teachers to peasants. Some church leaders also sold their services, broke biblical laws they were sworn to uphold and lived not differently from merchants and politicians. The papacy's greed, immorality and ignorance of many of its officials in all the ranks, the vast tax exemptions of church properties to as much as a third of the lands of Europe were the grounds for criticism of the religious practices of the Church (Microsoft Encarta).

B. The Reformation's Response to Criticisms of Religious Practices

The Reformation was the great religious revolution in the Christian Church in the16th century (Microsoft Encarta 2009, Hermansen 2009). It put an end to the religious supremacy of the Pope in Western Christendom and established the Protestant churches. With the Renaissance before it and the French Revolution after it, the Reformation completely changed the way of life in Western Europe and began a new period in modern history. The conditions, which led Martin Luther to bolt out of the Roman Catholic Church, existed hundreds of years before. These conditions produced many and myriads of complex doctrinal, political, economic and cultural aspects and consequences (Microsoft Encarta, Hermansen).

The Reformation's position on religious practices and beliefs was largely expressed by its foremost thinkers, Luther and John Calvin (Microsoft Encarta 2009, Hermansen 2009). In the 16th century, religion was a personal and private decision not to be shared with anyone. Luther's thought incited anti-Roman sentiment and thought initially in his native Germany. He strongly influenced sympathetic local princes to confiscate church lands and property and to redistribute these. He urged for the end of the practice of granting indulgences. Through his work, 95 Theses, he questioned the worth and truthfulness of indulgences. The Roman Catholic Church "granted" indulgences to absolve one's sin from a "treasury of merits" of the Church. Luther could not accept the clergy's ability to absolve sin and that it was something, which could be bought. He held that there was no biblical basis for indulgences and that the Bible should be the sole basis and center of Christian theology. Outside of the Bible, the clergy had no sure and valid foundation for their interpretations (Hermansen).

The foremost Reformation figure after Luther and Huldreich Zwingli, a Swiss pastor, was John Calvin, a French Protestant theologian (Microsoft Encarta 2009). In or about 1536, Calvin clamored for more reforms than what the town council of Geneva had then instituted. He sought for the congregational singing of the Psalms as part of church worship, instruction on catechism and confession of faith to children, strict moral discipline among pastors and church members and excommunication for notorious violators of Church doctrines. His church organization had a representative and, therefore, democratic form. Pastors, teachers, presbyters, and deacons were elected by the congregation (Microsoft Encarta).

John Calvin's experience of a religious crisis drew him to Protestantism (Hermansen 2009). He believed that God chooses certain persons to perform certain tasks for Him. Calvin believed God selected him to reform the Church. He began executing his reform mission in Geneva, Switzerland and wanted to establish it as a church. He argued that God was omnipresent and all-powerful. Any assertion of the free will would damage the image of God within. He believed that God preordained who would be saved and who would not be saved. As a consequence, many saw that Calvin preached a pessimistic kind of faith. It confused and disillusioned the many who believed that doing God's work would save them. It established a city government, consisting of lay people and pastors, who exercised very stringent observance of the law and behavior. Absence from sermons, adultery, blasphemy, heresy, criticism of ministers, family squabbles, cards, family affairs and drinking were crimes, punished with banishment or death. In enforcing discipline and morals, Calvin ordered a rigid inspection of household conduct with a consistory of pastors and lay persons to implement it. Citizens' dress and personal behavior were prescribed to the smallest detain. Many forms of recreation were banned and blasphemy and ribaldry were cruelly punished. As a result of this regime, many dissenters were persecuted and executed. All citizens were provided a minimum of elementary education in order to reach and understand the Bible. Calvin's writings, influence as an educator, and organizing skills of church and state provided the basis for the consequent establishment of Protestant churches in Switzerland, France and Scotland (Hermansen).