Monday, October 4, 2010

The Renaissance

Although the Renaissance revived the realization that man and nature are important, it went overboard by making man the measure of all things—and by that destroyed the importance of man.

There was indeed a positive side to the proper emphasis on nature and the enjoyment of it, but we can also see that the Renaissance humanism slowly but steadily evolved into modern humanism (a value system rooted in the belief that man is his own measure, that man is autonomous, and totally independent).

The architecture and music of this time were also beginning to shift from medieval back to classical. Another way we can see the emphasis on man emerging in other ways is the fact that we know very little about who built cathedrals in the Gothic era or who composed Gregorian chants, but in this Renaissance era self portraits became a generally accepted form of art and the artist’s name was usually an essential component to his artwork, if not even contributing to the majority of a piece’s artistic worth. Now, people not only admired paintings and music compositions for their own sakes, they admired the artist himself.

It was the humanists of that time who, under the enthusiasm for the classics, spoke of what had immediately preceded them as a “Dark Age” and talked of a “rebirth” in their own era. Unfortunately, this same attitude toward medieval society carried over to the Enlightenment and lingers in our minds today.

The return of nature to its rightful place could have moved in one of two directions – biblical or non-biblical. The emphasis could have been on real people living in a real world which God had made, or humanism could take over with its emphasis on the individual things being autonomous. However, the die was cast: man tried to make himself independent.

* Excerpts from Francis Schaeffer's "How Should We Then Live"

21 comments:

  1. Hello class. Post a 2-3 sentence comment about this article. Be sure to include your name and double-check to be sure your comment posted.

    ReplyDelete
  2. In the Renaissance the music started to become classical instead of mid-evil. And there was cathedrals built. The people called it the rebirth.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The Renaissance started out wanting good things, but without Christ, man centers everything on himself. It is funny that every chance man gets, he tries to glorify his name. But there is really no point in that, for all the glory must be to God. - Donald L.

    ReplyDelete
  4. God is the center of everything,and without Christ I will center everything on me,for example,when I wake up in the morning and expect everthing to be done for me.Like the paragraph said there is a positive side,I can wake up in the morning to serve my family,but I am a sinner and there is no hope without Christ,But with Christ eveything is posible.

    ReplyDelete
  5. The artwork during the Renaissance was superb. When man takes the glory for himself he is trying to make himself god. Man is happiest when he has God as his center. God is the center of everything.-Judah

    ReplyDelete
  6. One of the things that happend in the Renaissance was man's skill improved in music and artistic paintings.God gave gifts to man but like in Deut.8 man forgets to remember the Lord.
    :Joseph Martinez

    ReplyDelete
  7. The Renaissance was the era where the glorification of God was first cast into the dirt. People thought more than well of themselves and accomplished outstanding things for their time without acknowledging, knowing, or even thinking that God had helped them to achieve their accomplishments.
    - Laura Swanzy

    ReplyDelete
  8. There is nothing wrong with making a good painting or being a good arcitect. But men started to give glory to themselves instead of to God. It led to them eventually losing their fear of God they once had during the "dark ages".Lenard Caputo

    ReplyDelete
  9. During the Renaissance architecture and music changed from medieval to classical. Unlike the Middle ages, during the Renaissance men lost their fear of God because they wanted glory for themselves.-Joel Frost

    ReplyDelete
  10. When the Renaissance began to change from medeval to classical, at first they were giving glory to God but when they saw how good they had gotten at painting & music they got proud & didn't fear God any more. One thing Pastor O'Conner said was that when you give yourself the glory you're stealing because all the glory is God's. - Leanna Haynes

    ReplyDelete
  11. The people during the time of the Rennaisance became very proud. At first the gave the glory to God in their paintings, and did not care if they got recognition; they were trying to glorify God. Then things changed. They looked down on the people of the medeivel times with disgust and disregard. They thought the creation more important the Creator. Although some great discoveries and ideas came from the Rennaisance, a great deal of people lost the fear of God. -- John Williams

    ReplyDelete
  12. As the Renaissance took place the art work was quite beautiful but the people became more into how great man was and less on how God was the center. This only resulted in man wanting more glory for the what they did.

    - Ruth D. Hill

    ReplyDelete
  13. When the Renaissance first began, men gave God all the glory for their amazing pieces of music, or their paintings, but that did not last. Soon men glorified themselves and esteemed creation more than the Creator. Man soon became independent and turned farther away from the Lord. - Ann Marie

    ReplyDelete
  14. Without people who have gone before us we wouldn't be where we are now.During the renaissance people began trying to get glory for the things they created or did.It's okay to create or do things but all the glory should be to the lord, because he gave you the skill and talent to do the things you do.
    *Breia Pope*

    ReplyDelete
  15. Although the Renaissance improved art, men’s love for God decreased and the love for man increased an example of this was that self-portraits became a generally accepted form of art and the artists name was seen on the portrait. David hill

    ReplyDelete
  16. As man entered into the Renaissance period, he no longer feared God. This showed when man, instead of giving God the credit for his beautiful artworks, he gave it to himself.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I think that the renaissance started of on the right foot but man soon started taking glory for himself.Also the renaissance produced some of the best art work ever but they also strarted taking glory for that to.
    Paul W.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Here is my revised version
    The Renaissance helped lay the foundation of what we have today; exalted sport's players,musicians,and politicians. We should continually remembr to keep God in the center, not people. But how refreshing it was to have men like Luther and Bach that realized that God has made a desicion about us and by His grace we can live by His glory and be a joy to our neighbors rather than exalting ourselves. Josh M

    ReplyDelete
  19. When men try to live completely independent, it is like a baby trying to live without his/her parents. The Bible sais "man makes his plans, and the Lord directs his paths.

    Jim

    ReplyDelete
  20. When men try to live completely independent, it is like a baby trying to live without his/her parents. The Bible does say "Man makes his plans, and the Lord directs his paths.

    Jim

    ReplyDelete
  21. When man tries to be independent, he will find that apart from Christ he is nothing. I and everyone around me need the Lord. When people started calling the Middle Ages the Dark Ages they were completly backward, because during that period the Gospel was spread throughout the known world.
    - Emily Hier

    ReplyDelete