The Renaissance and Challenges to Church Authority

What major event weakened the authority of the church by demonstrating the existence of strange peoples with unique customs?

What key contribution did Johannes Gutenberg's printing press make to society during the Renaissance?

Which civilization was significantly advanced in scientific knowledge compared to the West during the Renaissance?

What major theme of Renaissance Humanism involves treating fellow humans with sensitivity and respect?

Which technological advancement played a crucial role in paving the way for the Reformation during the Renaissance?

What key aspect of humanism during the Renaissance involves an intense interest in discovering human beings as if for the first time?

What does the term 'Renaissance' mean?

During the Renaissance, what was the shift in focus from?

What was one reason for the reawakening of objective inquiry during the Renaissance?

How did church dogma change during the Renaissance?

What was one way in which church dogma was challenged during the Renaissance?

What led to the application of human reason on church dogma in the Renaissance?

The Renaissance

The Renaissance is dated from 1450 to 1600 and means "rebirth" or "renewal".
It was a period of open-minded inquiry, similar to early Greek philosophy, and marked a shift from a God-centered to a human-centered Europe.

Challenges to Church Authority

The Renaissance era saw a breakdown of church authority, with the challenging of church dogma, such as the number of heavenly bodies in the solar system and the Earth's position in the universe.
The questioning of church dogma led to its gradual replacement with direct observation of nature without theological considerations.

Factors Contributing to the Renaissance

The acceptance of reason and the examination of nature as ways of knowing God, as sanctioned by the church, contributed to the Renaissance.
Humanist philosophy, which recaptured the spirit of open inquiry reflected in the Greeks, and stressed the human potential to act upon the world and change it for the better.
Exploration and contact with other peoples, such as Marco Polo's travels and Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World, weakened the authority of the church.
Johannes Gutenberg's development of metal movable type and modern printing techniques facilitated the exchange of ideas and spread of knowledge.

Renaissance Humanism

Renaissance humanism denotes an intense interest in human beings, as if they were discovering themselves for the first time.
Four major themes of Renaissance humanism are:
- Individualism
- Personal religion
- Intense interest in the past
- Anti-Aristotelianism

Influence of the East

Many key discoveries that shaped the Renaissance were first made in the East, such as Islamic science, which was far ahead of Western science at the time.
The West borrowed numerals, math, timekeeping, navigational devices, papermaking, printing, and explosives from the Islamic world and China.

Learn about the Renaissance period from 1450 to 1600, characterized by open-minded inquiry, human-centered views, and challenges to Church authority. Explore the shift from a God-centered to a more human-centered perspective during this era.