Ad Scriptum

Ad fontes. This Latin expression, meaning "back to the sources," was a major theme during the Renaissance. Scholars, artists, and influential thinkers looked back to the Greeks and the Romans for inspiration in their perspective fields. In a recent discussion with a few classmates of mine, we determined the theme of ad fontes was the driving force that led to other Renaissance themes, such as humanism.

As important as the theme of ad fontes was to the Renaissance, we felt it had an even greater impact on the Reformation. Indeed, the concept of going back to the sources sparked the whole movement. Without the foundation of ad fontes, there would have been no Protestant Reformation. In this way, the Renaissance ultimately brought about the Reformation.

This idea of looking back was established in the Renaissance. Renaissance thinkers had planted the idea that the current state of the world is not necessarily the best state. They believed that by looking back into time, one could find wonderful things in the past that, if combined with the wonderful things of the present, could improve the here and now. 

While the great minds of the Renaissance, looked back to the classical Greeks and the mighty Romans, the reformers looked back to the scriptures. Ad scriptum one might say. 

Ad fontes (and by that, I mean the specific sub-theme ad scriptum) is a common theme during the 15th and 16th centuries.  John Calvin, Philipp Melancthon, and Thomas Kempis all wrote about the importance of going back to the scriptures to understand God and religion. But the champion of ad scriptum was Martin Luther. 

Luther’s defense at the Diet of Worms is a great example of this. After admitting that certain “heretical” books were authored by him, Luther countered by saying if someone could use the scriptures to prove his writing false, he would be the first to throw them in the flames. “If, then, I am not convinced by proof from Holy Scripture,” he went on, “I neither can nor will retract anything.” Stop looking at what the pope or the Church was saying, Luther argued. If you want to find truth, go back to the writings of the prophets and apostles. 

Luther and the other reformers established their beliefs of Christ and the church by going back to the Bible. If this is not ad fontes, I don’t know what is. They followed the Renaissance way of thinking, differing only in what source they were looking back towards. If it had not been for the Renaissance paving the way, the reformers might never have looked back. Had they never looked back they may never have moved the world forward.