How the Renaissance Led to the Reformation Part III

Literature

(This is the third installment of a five part series)

• Part I An Introduction and Overview of the Renaissance
• Part II Political and Social Changes
• Part III Literature
• Part IV Art, Inventions, & Explorations
• Part V Conclusion
  

Any discussion about literature of the Renaissance Age must
include the Council of Ferrara. In 1439 a large delegation from the Eastern Church held discussions with the Western Church over the doctrinal differences of Christendom. While every agreement made at this council was eventually disregarded, the effect that it had on literature was profound and since the proceedings were in Latin and Greek, a renewed appetite for Greek studies and classical writings followed. The original manuscripts of the articles from this council are preserved to this day at the Laurentian library in Florence. At the conclusion of this council, many of the more than 700 men from the eastern delegation stayed in the west giving lectures and teaching Greek.

One of these Eastern theologians was Georgios Gemistos, better known as Plethon. (1355-1450) Plethon remained in the West giving lectures on Plato and other Greek philosophers while helping the Catholic theologians better understand the ancient Greek manuscripts. Led by Plethon’s lectures on Plato, the politically powerful banker Cosimo de’ Medici was moved to fund the Platonic Academy in Florence, which was very influential in advancing the philosophy of humanism. By the turn of the century the antiquities bug was so prevalent that the church, monarchs, lords, bankers, and wealthy merchants would all compete to be the first to find any antiquities connected to the apostles. These antiquities ranged from letters they wrote to even the possible skulls of the Lords disciples. The funds to pay for these antiquities, as well as the scholars and artists of the Renaissance period, not only drained the church coffers, but nearly bankrupted the Medici family. To replace the money spent, the church prayed on the citizens by selling indulgences that they claimed would release dead relatives from purgatory.

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Part III

Literature

"How the Renaissance Led

to the Reformation"

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