The Problem

Abstract

Discussion about the religious importance of Humanism and the Renaissance centred, for a long time, on the question of whether they were Christian or pagan. The answer in most cases used to be that Renaissance man was pagan in outlook, at least (or in particular) in Italy, up to the second quarter of the sixteenth century, although a Christian or biblical Humanism was recognized North of the Alps. After Jacob Burckhardt had written his famous book, the limits of the Renaissance were extended to include much of the Middle Ages. In recent times, however, most scholars have argued that Renaissance men, even in Italy, were more religious than the great Swiss historian had assumed. “Religious,” or “believing,” was then identified with “Christian,” and instead of the opposition of “Christian” and “pagan,” a contrast was drawn between “religious” and “irreligious,” or “faith” and “incredulity.” As far as the Italians were concerned, “Christian” was simply defined as “bearing allegiance to the Catholic creed,” or such general distinctions were made as between a “Christian” and a “natural” conception of the world, or “seeing the creation from the point of view of God,” and from that of man, opposing a traditional to a rational viewpoint. In particular, the period as a whole, or separate writers in it, were qualified as being individualistic by contrast to the Middle Ages.¹ Never, as far as I can see, was the question raised whether it is possible for a person to carry out his religious duties and testify his allegiance to the Church, and nevertheless to hold quite a different opinion about the meaning of these observances and dogmas. None of the scholars has shown that he had a clear view of the fact that religion is not only an attitude to life and the world, but in the first place a confession of faith in specific dogmas, sacraments and ceremonies. It is my view that the religious problem of the Renaissance is not solved by stating that the period was in the main religious or irreligious, Christian or pagan ; nor even that its outstanding authors were “Catholic” or belonged to some other “ism.” We must ask what meaning each of them attached to such conceptions as revelation, faith, grace, salvation, sanctification, etc., or what value they attached to penance, the eucharist, baptism and the other sacraments.