The Renaissance and Humanism

Humanism and the Renaissance

During the 13th and 14th centuries in Northern Italy originated a mode of inquiry and system of education know as humanism and later spread through Europe. The philosophies, western beliefs, and methods that have a key prominence on the human realm, the term humanism is alternatively applied. The main reasons the renaissance is regarded as a diverse historical period is the Renaissance humanism a historical program which was profoundly and broadly influential. The ultimate idea of that era as one of rebirth and renewal is the humanistic origin. Humanism had its philosophical base in earlier times and applied its power long after the end of the Renaissance. Religious aspects of society cannot be ignored by any movement touches the education of a society and the art. All aspects of the medieval world have religion in it; it dictated the political realm, morals, and economy. People in the secular power of an area and the Roman Catholic Church had a fine line between them. As humanism rose, some popes welcomed it to use it to their advantage, and it was not pushed from the church or barred as heresy. Humanism religious paint that encouraged the heart and soul to rejoin and conveyed saint and the Lord to life was embraced by the church. Humanism greatly impacted the political realm. Parties in political plotting did not oppose the use of the arts to push their agenda (Charles, 205).

Reformation/Counter-Reformation

In Western Europe, a 16th-century campaign intended at reforming certain practices and doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church leading to the formation of the Protestant churches is known as the Reformation. Malpractices that were done by the church were believed by numerous Christians to not keeping with what they believed, such as appointment to authority in the church to those who made contributions, the sale of indulgences, or relief of punishment to committed sins. In the 16th and early 17th century, the Roman Catholic directed efforts against the Protestants reformation and towards internal renewal which is referred to as counter-reformation. Starting shortly in 1517, before Martin Luther’s act of nailing the ninety-five theses to the door of the castle church, the counter-reformation happened roughly in the same period as reformation.

Power of Music

A comparatively young civilization, the Egyptian and Mesopotamian culture were the key sources of learning by the Greeks. Indeed, these elder cultures had developed all the key instrument families such as drums, strings, brass, flutes, and reeds. Since the origin of civilization music had two main roles in mankind society; entertainment and ceremony that are civic, or religious, and social. A set of eight Greek modes was the basis of ancient Greek music, the texture was homophonic. The aulos an oboe-like instrument and the lyre were the common Greek instruments (Hollingsworth, 189).

The Dark Ages and the Transition to the Renaissance

The medieval era of European history between the fall of the Roman Empire, the middle ages, and the start of the renaissance are occasionally referred to as the dark ages. Other beliefs including other forms of Christianity were repressed as Christians gained political power. The forms of music linked to several religions of the older Roman Empire were also repressed. Mass was the principal religious ritual culminating in the Eucharist, and music written for each part of the ritual or ceremony can also be referred to as mass. In the medieval period earliest music was monophonic and improvised based on modes and also words of the songs could be written lacking accuracy in pitch which made church not to have a completely uniform liturgy in music. The transition to renaissance had musical developments and social and political reforms such as European kingdoms increasing power and stability, improving communication and trade between kingdoms and colonization and exploration of the world. The period 1483-1546, Martin Luther posts ninety-five theses on the door of the castle church which were projected as topics for discussions. To reform the Catholic Church and to end corruption practices of previous centuries were his ultimate goal. The establishment of Protestant churches was as a result of Luther’s failure to reform the Catholic Church.

Works Cited

Charles, Victoria. Renaissance Art: Art of Century. New York: Confidential Concepts, 2014. Print.

Hollingsworth, Tamara. The Renaissance: A Rebirth of Culture. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials, 2013. Print.