Humanism and the Path to More Exclusive Religious Memberships

When thinking about the renaissance or the reformation in connection to religion, a lot of times the thoughts that come are those of distance and abandonment of faith. But, like we discussed in my salon midterm groups the Renaissance term, humanism, brought a never-there appreciation for individual human value. This new term brought with it the idea that humans also have worth. The stream of thinking didn’t necessarily step away from religion, but it questioned the self-deprecating nature that came with not giving humans the basic tools necessary to read and decipher religious doctrines and texts. 

With the coming of new technology like the printing press, came the easier access to those typically regarded as low on the social economic "totem pole." The ability to get text to many who otherwise wouldn't have access to religious texts came with the above mentioned foundation of prioritizing human knowledge and existence. Without having first explored that simple idea: humanism, there wouldn't be a desire for creating technology to share truths throughout the masses. 

Now, like I mentioned earlier, a lot of misconceptions about the effects of coming-of-age time periods have been passed on--like that of less religiosity. But, the images above are a good example of how that is not always so, especially within the Christian community. I think this has to do with how, with the coming and ability to share ideas within a religious spectrum, came the chance for Ad fontes-- a chance to go back to the sources. 

The exploration of beliefs logically stems from taking that original thing that taught something. In this case, religion. In our church, we are encouraged to do just that: go to the original sources and explore the ideas we are taught. We do not believe in passive learning. In the bible verse Joshua 1:8, we read, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful”. This concept of meditating on God’s word is one that is taught a lot in the church. We are taught to now be slothful and be active in our learning, mediating on teachings and applying it to our real lives. 

The times periods of both the Renaissance and the Reformation gave way for positive spiritual reforms, that made calls for changes in corrupted practices of churches (particularly the catholic church). These calls for action made for the chance for people to have personal access to God’s word. Thus, allowing for further conversion and appreciation for the human life.

Paganism and the Reformation

In the middle ages, people lived in the Colosseum while its walls crumbled around them. When I first learned that, I wondered how anyone, of any age and place, could see the magnificence that is the Colosseum and decide that it was a great place to stable animals. 

Personal Exploration and the Unknown Frontier

Portrait of Marie Curie, by R. chido Hanečková

As expeditionary voyages became more common during the early Renaissance period this sense of exploration spread across the land.  It permeated the cultural atmosphere of Europe and led to a fascination with discovery. People were excited - and rightly so - as these explorers would bring back new ideas, new stories, and new possibilities.

But physical exploration isn't the only way to discover new worlds of possibility.  During the Reformation many people found their world expanded with a similar set of new possibilities: religious and ideological freedoms.  This brave new world of ideas and opportunity would be just as inspiring to the reformers as those voyages had been to the watching public.

The More Things Seem To Change

What determines a successful social movement? What affects real social change?

A political scientist will say that it’s when someone with power takes up your cause, that’s when you can really get things to change. A cynic might say money is what causes change. Someone who’s more religious might say change happens when God softens people’s hearts. All of these are probably at least a little bit true, but maybe there’s something else.

Art and Religion: where the falling angel meets the rising ape

The 14th and 15th centuries may have been the birthplace of philosophical, scientific, and religious innovation and discovery, but when we think of the Renaissance, the first thing that comes to mind for most people will always be the art. And for good reason—of all the brave new worlds opened in the Renaissance, the world of art was at the forefront; was part and parcel of a heady new worldview. The art of the Renaissance encapsulates everything that the period was.

We can see this in the way art changed from the medieval era: the expression of humanism in a renewed appreciation for the beauty of the human form; the Renaissance emphasis on verisimilitude reflecting a broader shift in a society newly enamoured of observation, of critical thinking. Where medieval art was symbol, Renaissance art was a representation of reality as it was seen. A manifestation of a pattern, found throughout the Renaissance, of intellectual openness and honesty. A desire to look at the world, to think for oneself. The same curiosity, observation, criticism, would give birth not just to painting and sculpture, but to the Protestant Reformation.

Form vs. Content: A Tale of Translation

Original copy of Luther's translated Bible - 1534

Language and communication in the sixteenth and seventeenth century were paramount in shaping the beliefs of the people and the overall social climate. For the first time, religious and secular texts were made available to the masses as a result of the printing press. Translation efforts made these texts available to even more people, changing communication and learning completely. Being a dual-language speaker myself, I was particularly interested in the role that translation played during this era, and how the people responded to that role. What kind of texts were being translated? How common was translation? What problems arose from such translation? 

Back to the Future: "ad fontes" Today

During the Renaissance period in which creativity and humanism resurged to the forefront of the artistic and scholarly endeavors of the Western world, many attempts were made to rediscover the greatness of former civilizations. The ancient Greeks were a notable source of inspiration for those hearkening to an earlier era. And yet, while these events may seem to be merely a blast from the past, we have a lot to learn from the ad fontes attitude of the Renaissance. 

Before we talk about today’s ad fontes movements, it’s important to think about some examples from history. The most obvious is the eponymous movement of the Renaissance era. But this movement led to changes in society often overlooked as being part of the ad fontes approach to change. In our discussion on communication, Aubrey made a few comments on theatre during the Renaissance and into the Reformation period, but one thing especially caught my attention. During this period, theatre moved from a traditional “narrative” format about the lives of the apostles, to a more “doctrinal” format, which focused on Christlike principles and often personified qualities including faith and virtue. In true ad fontes style, theatre went back to the basics and emphasized core values over narrative tales.

Successive periods in history were based upon the same “back to basics” attitude. The whole Reformation was founded upon an ad fontes approach to religion itself, trying to restore the purity of Christ’s ministry. The Scientific Revolution was often marked by attempts to understand nature according to new discovery, and not by previous learning. As communication expanded via printing press, the Bible was the first work to be widely circulated.

With this in mind, it is interesting – even enlightening – to see how current movements are influenced by the same ad fontes attitude that was popularized during the 15^th, 16^th, and 17^th centuries. Movements such as Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter are characterized not by specific rights such as suffrage, but rather by a more basic principle: the establishment of basic human value among all people. 

Other aspects of life have been affected by the same principle. Canadian psychologist Bruce Hood has discussed a resurgence of homeopathy in recent years. Here in Utah, Young Living Essential Oils was founded in 1993 and the use of essential oils has become increasingly popular since then. The organic food movement has taken root – no pun intended – in America, with natural food stores becoming increasingly popular as well. After some research, I was surprised to see how my own life is affected here and there by ad fontes – a recent effort to prioritize family and a renewed effort into my personal spirituality show a desire to simplify and return to the basics. 

As societal issues become ever more complex, the desire to establish equality seems to become ever greater. If basic values are what we seek, we might learn a thing or two from our 16^th century Renaissance ancestors in returning ad fontes for a better future.

Ad Fontes and the Restoration

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was founded on the theme of “Ad Fontes” which means “going back to the sources.” Joseph Smith Jr was born on December 23, 1805 during a time of great religious contention. Joseph Smith Jr was confused about which church was the true church ordained by God. He didn’t know what to do. One day he was listening to a sermon when the pastor quoted James 1:5. It reads, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” Joseph Smith Jr went home, read the verse again, and felt inspired. He took it to heart and went to a grove of trees near his house to pray. Before he began to pray, and a darkness overwhelmed him. He couldn’t speak. Joseph prayed even harder and asked God what church he should join.

                                                     

Humanism's Growth from Renaissance to Reformation

From about 400 AD to 1400 AD, much of the European population lived in parochial and prejudiced societies. Hereditary monarchs ruled with little regard for their subjects, affluent church leaders made life—and death—altering decisions for all of “civilized” humanity, and the vast majority of the populace scraped out a living in support of the more fortunate nobility.[1] Then, in the Renaissance, that began to change. New ideas based on ancient ones crept into society, introducing the new concept of humanism, the idea that people and their decisions mattered. Although at first humanism was severely limited in its scope, this philosophy gradually spread and became foundational to later continent-shifting events.

Renaissance humanism did little to change the feudal social structure, but it paved the way for later changes. 

Boldly Going Where You Have Never Gone Before

The Renaissance was a time of discovery and pushing boundaries. With Columbus’ famous discovery of America, both Europe and the Americas engaged in an exchange that has since hardly seen its match. Both continents were opened up to entirely new worlds, previously unknown to one another. 


Magellan also took seafaring expeditions to the next level. Though he did not survive the whole journey, one of the ships in his command completed the first circumnavigation of the globe, squashing claims of a flat earth. Not only were literal worlds opened up, but also the boundaries of the world of exploration and what is possible were stretched.

Roatán, Hondúras

Recently, while discussing this events with my peers, we were struck that this Renaissance attitude of discovery has died out to some extent. While expeditions such as the "space race" have been a call-back to this age of exploration, the attitude of bravely going where no man has gone seems to have fallen out of favor. The prevailing attitude today appears to be that exploration is not worthwhile, since everything that is worth discovering has been discovered. We erroneously place exploratory barriers on ourselves because something someone else has already done what we'd hope to discover.

In reality the wonders of exploration are not limited to the select few Armstrong’s and Magellan’s of the world. You don’t need to go where no man has gone. You only need to go where you have never gone.

I recently had the opportunity to discover new worlds for myself. I went where (lots of other people) plenty of people, except for me, had gone: Roatán, Hondúras. Not once did I think to myself, “if only I could have been the one to discover an eel, a sea turtle, of this cave filled with thousands of silver-side fish.” For me, I was propelled by the drive to boldly go where I had never gone. In that way, exploration is less about introducing                                                                           previously unknown information to the world, and                                                                                   more about integrating unknown experiences into                                                                                   oneself.

Honor Each Pioneer Who Expands Our Understanding

            Pioneers are afterwards long remembered for the impact they have on future generations in expanding the horizons for us, sometimes paying great costs to further our understanding. As Dane pointed out to me, when the space shuttle Challenger exploded that fateful January day in 1986 while in flight, President Ronald Reagan honored the seven who were killed in the explosion and the sacrifices they and their families made to expand our horizons into the vast unknown that is space. I was deeply moved as I viewed his speech, as the virtues of sacrifice for expanding our understanding and learning for ourselves echoed generations ago with the Renaissance thinkers and the explorers of their day.

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.

Still Pioneers

Known as a pirate to the Spanish, and knighted as an English hero, Sir Francis Drake was one of the premier explorers of the 16th century. His exploration and efforts, along with those of many others, marked the beginning of global trade and the foundation of the world as we know it. (See here and here for more details and thoughts on exploration). This major historical figure died of dysentery in Portobelo, Panama, over 5000 miles from the city where he was born. I wonder, in that moment, if he believed it was worth it.

Sir Francis Drake, 16th Century Explorer

Pressing Uncomfortably Forward

"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."

Martin Luther King Jr.

Take a moment and imagine yourself in a comfortable position. Perhaps it is a winter day and you have decided to engulf yourself with warm blankets and enjoy a mug full of hot cocoa to hide from the snow. It is not difficult to find comfort in this position, but you realize that it could be better. You see reports on the television of a distant tropical island that remains unconquered by the chilling cold and blankets of snow. You realize that you would be much more comfortable if you were there rather than remaining here, but for you to reach this comfort it would require unbundling from your current comfortable position. Is facing a temporary discomfort worth the higher level of comfort you may receive in this new location?

Many brave souls in the Renaissance and Reformation had to answer similar, yet more impactful questions. These stages of world history ushered in the discovery of many brave new worlds, be they physical, intellectual, artistic, or spiritual. My fellow classmates and I concluded that these worlds were discovered by those who were willing to leave their comfortable positions in pursuit of new ones.

Renaissance artists broke tradition to study cadavers to better understand the human body.

Renaissance humanists pictured God saying to man, "I have placed you at the very center of the world, so that from that vantage point you may with greater ease glance round about you on all that the world contains" (Pico de Mirandoa). European explorers, Renaissance thinkers, and Reformation leaders used this vantage point to realize that the world could be better. Explorers and colonists discovered that there was more to the world than originally thought, and uncomfortably sailed stormy seas and faced severe conditions to build new civilizations based off of hopes of economic mobility or religious freedom. Many great thinkers realized humanity in itself is beautiful and acted against common tradition to prove their points. Reformation leaders recognized that God is closer to man than they had previously supposed and were persecuted for practicing what they believed in.

Reformation leaders being burnt for their new & different ideas

All of these extraordinary people needed to take a step into discomfort before they could reach the brave new worlds they were hoping to find. Many others around them criticized and persecuted those who were in pursuit of these new worlds because they themselves were unwilling to give up their positions of comfort in pursuit of a newer, and possibly better, world.

Today, in order for us to discover our brave new worlds, we must be able to walk forward into discomfort as well. History adores those who remove themselves from comfort and have the courage to stand for, experiment, or discover what they know is right, regardless of the commonly held beliefs or traditions. Our brave new world remains to be discovered, we only need to be bold enough to take the first step into discomfort.

Braving the Wilderness: The Quest to Expand Man's Horizons

“For God, Glory, and Gold!“

Upon hearing the excitement of the great natural resources, outlandish rumors, and vast uncharted territory in North America, many European countries sought out their own expedition to discover and claim the ‘New World’ for themselves. It was the Age of Discovery; it was the Renaissance; it was the chance to change the world.

During our salon, my classmates and I were able to identify ‘New Worlds’—worlds that weren’t focused on discovering the unfamiliar terrain, but the sphere of the 'unknown' during the Renaissance, Reformation, and other eras throughout history.

New Discoveries in an Old World

Almost every time I go hiking or immerse myself in nature, I find myself having the thought: every place I have ever set foot, someone has already been there before. I find it a bit disheartening that no matter how far I journey and how removed from society I travel, I will never discover an undiscovered place. (This is knowing that my fear of heights and tight spaces will prevent me from becoming an astronaut or traveling to the depths of the ocean.) It’s virtually impossible that any of us will see the discovery of a whole new world, but at the same time, it’s quite likely we will.

Past Journeys

In the Renaissance era there were countless explorers who traveled to faraway lands. Explorers such as Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, and Jacques Cartier stumbled upon lands the European world had no idea even existed. The explorers of this era left Europe in search of trade routes, missionary opportunities, and personal fame and glory. I think it is fair to say that such goals were accomplished and even exceeded.

Past Discoveries

While explorers were discovering new lands, other discoveries that changed the course of history were also being made. In the 15^th century, Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. This invention made access to printed books, most notably the bible, widespread and common. Widespread access to printed literature gave a greater number of people the opportunity for personal learning. Additionally, knowledge could now be spread further and more reliably. This invention opened up a whole new world of communication. So even though no new land was discovered with the invention of the printing press, a new world was still unearthed.

New Religious Worlds

Another example of a new world that is not necessarily a physical discovery was that of Protestantism. Martin Luther posted his 95 theses in references to the practices of the Catholic church, and everything changed. Because of this act, new streams of thought took placed and whole new religions were formed. A new world of religion was discovered with the act of questioning, changing the course of religious history.

New Worlds Today

When it comes to discovering new worlds today, it is difficult to see any new lands that will be discovered. But aside from discovery of new physical areas, there is still room for new inventions to open up new worlds at any time. One example mentioned by my friend Amelia is that of social media. The way social media has changed communication is very comparable to the way the printing press changed communication of the 15^th century. Social media opened up a new world in our modern day society. So whether or not we discover any brand new land masses anytime soon, there is still great opportunity for new worlds to be opened to us at any time.

Sources:

http://www.cresskillboe.k12.nj.us/cresskill/Schools/Cresskill%20High%20School/Teacher%20Websites/Kline,%20Stephen/World%20History/Age%20of%20Exploration/CH%2016.1%20Voyages%20of%20Discovery.pdf 

https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/printing-press

Class Discussion with Peers

Image: https://www.historyextra.com/period/modern/age-of-exploration-bring-more-harm-than-good-americas-australia-columbus-captain-cook/