Power to the People: How Humanism Prompted Martin Luther's Success

Martin Luther once said: “I am more afraid of my own heart than of the pope and all his cardinals. I have within me the great pope, Self.”

I have always wondered what allowed Martin Luther to be as successful as he was. He made bold statements against an institution that seemed to be untouchable, and still managed to reform one of the biggest powers of the time period with only, as Luther calls it, Self.

As I was discussing with my friends Bella and Fay on Tuesday, we considered the effect individualism (an importance Renaissance ideal) had on the Reformation. One thing that was said during the conversation really stood out to me: 

"Humanism was the catalyst that allowed Martin Luther to successfully tackle church reform."

Through this discussion we realized that without the individual focus the Renaissance uncovered, an individual such as Martin Luther would have had minimal power in the religious sphere, especially against the Catholic church. 

We see the idea of individual power for change presented in Pico della Mirandola’s “Oration on the Dignity of Man,” where he praises man for his “nature capable of transforming itself” and claims that this is why humankind is “deserving of all admiration”. He characterizes change as admirable, and gives the power of change to the individual, calling at the end of his speech for man to “join battle” and embrace these new ideas.  

Didn't Martin Luther do just that?

This battle that Luther engaged in was both a bloodbath and a written brawl. Conflict, persecution, and protest ensued from his criticism of Catholic indulgences and practices of the clergy. Luther and his followers advocated for religious piety and sought authentic worship and personal devotion. He recognized that change was necessary to bring about this reform, and Humanism allowed Luther to bring about such change.

Martin Luther was successful because Renaissance society placed value on the individual.

Without understanding the capabilities of man, this one man would have been insignificant in the eyes of Renaissance citizens.

Original photo taken by my aunt in Italy

After this idea sparked on Tuesday, I took the time to immerse myself in the art of the era and found the same trend! I examined Donatello’s statue of David (though not too closely if you know what I mean) and admired Da Vinci’s anatomical sketches. These artists celebrated humanity and attempted to more accurately depict human traits and individual details.

Although Reformation art is strikingly different from that of the Renaissance, I found that it was not the techniques of the art that were different, it was the subjects. Protestant artists such as Rembrandt and Bruegel emphasized common people and religious scenes from everyday life, which perfectly mirrors the emphasis placed on piety that Martin Luther sought to achieve through the Reformation.

The value placed on the individual during the 14^th through the 17^th centuries paved the way for Martin Luther to create change. His influence was significant because Renaissance society valued the significance of humankind.