Up or Down: Change Isn't Easy

How does change happen?

Maybe this sounds like a question you would find on a self-help blog, or perhaps in a scientific journal talking about some shift in nature. But on a societal level if we look at change there seems to be two different methods that change sweeps nations. There is a level of change that takes place from the top and trickles down, new laws, new ways to learn and accumulate new ideas, often these top-down movements are marked by the fact that the people who come up with this type of change are those with money. The renaissance couldn’t happen all at once but the chance for people to start exploring more began with those who had the money to do so.

Another method of change is from the bottom and works it's way up until it becomes a part of the general culture. While Martain Luther was wealthy enough to have gone to college the reformation spread like a wildfire primarily due to the everyday people.

This might be a bit of a simplification but overall the reformation took on a life of its own. One that could be influenced by those in power but moved to swiftly and too spread out to completely be reigned in.

Even Luther himself with the words: “I, Martin Luther, have during the rebellion slain all the peasants, for it was I who ordered them to be struck dead.” disavowed many who were moving outside of his influence.

But as stated there were more people that wanted change. And rapid change affected all of Europe to the point where within a handful of decades there were hundreds of churches that had been born in this time period

This is not to say that the reformation was more impactful than the renisance for it wouldn’t have happened at all if the renaissance hadn’t started first. But if comparing how the two movements changed life then it can be said that one was swift and decisive while the other was slower but built a stage for the world to continue to move forward with.

To see the differences in the types of people that two movements affected during their peaks and then comparing how both changes took place we can potentially point out that the faster change was the one that the more common people took a hold of.

So how does society change? Top-down or bottom-up the movements have pros and cons but the renaissance and reformation suggest that the faster change comes from bottom-up rather than top-down. 

Psychology of Humanism

I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of “nature versus nurture,” and how we are shaped by and shape our culture. Examining movements such as the Renaissance through the lens of psychology yields some interesting ideas about how exactly changes in prevailing ideologies shape the future. 

photo by "Pere" on flickr (text added) 

According to Freud’s model of the mind, our consciousness is divided into 2 parts: the conscious mind and the subconscious mind. The conscious mind takes up only 10 percent; and our much larger subconscious is a blank slate when we are born. Throughout our lifetime, that slate is filled with patterns derived from our conscious thought and knowledge absorbed from others and the environment. Since the subconscious mind is 90% of our overall mind, whatever is in our subconscious forms our character, which then determines what we will accomplish in life.


The strong influence of external stimuli on the development of the subconscious means that changes in general attitudes, ideals, or prevailing wisdom (the “environment”) have significant impacts on the character, and therefore the actions and achievements, of individuals living in those times. The Renaissance and Reformation were absolutely crammed with such changes to the intellectual environment, and the rise of Humanism specifically may have altered attitudes about human nature and influenced the general psyche in a way that was key to later development and progress.

One of the fundamental tenets of Renaissance Humanism, as expressed by Petrarch, is that God gave humans intellectual and creative potential that was meant to be used. Humanism in that era also emphasized the responsibility of humans in developing themselves and promoting the race as a whole. Finally, as part of the “ad fontes” movement, the ancient Greek concept of Eudaimonia was probably becoming prominent, convincing people that the search for and creation of happiness and well-being was an important purpose of life. The spread of these ideologies would have significantly impacted the minds and characters of those who learned them, especially younger people whose subconscious minds were still being filled and developed.

Consider the impact this type of teaching would have on a person, in contrast with the previously dominant church doctrines. Rather than being told their individual life didn’t matter and salvation in the next life is the only thing for which they had to hope and work, someone growing up in the high Renaissance would start to internalize feelings of self-worth and agency. During the Reformation, things got even better: rather than the dogma that having wealth is a sin, Calvinists taught that material prosperity is evidence of God’s favor, motivating people to work hard and advance themselves financially.

In a discussion during the salon activity about how Renaissance and Reformation ideologies laid the foundation for the spectacular economic growth of later centuries, Joe pointed out how, in many cases, it’s not circumstances that change our mindset but rather our mindset that allows us to change our circumstances. I think the rise of Humanism during the Renaissance is a history-altering example of this. Humanism changed people, and people changed the world.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrarch

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanism#Humanistic_psychology

Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pere/523019984

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.