The Developmental Impact of Scholasticism

Scholasticism, which experienced its height around 1250, was the conjunction of faith and reason directed toward understanding the contradictions in the bible and Church teachings. The goal was to strengthen the Church’s teachings by validating them against argument and critical analysis (at least more critically than previously had been allowed with the sole goal of producing results positive toward the Church.) There were warnings made by Anselm of Canterbury that reason and religious studies don’t blend well since religious studies should be based on faith and not reason. It is important to note that the majority of scholars, philosophers and thinkers were theologians ecclesiastically employed, and that the educational institutions available were under the control of the Church.

With a new focus on rational thinking came a new perspective in which to look at the world. Obtaining knowledge from direct observation and study of the natural was no longer frowned upon and was even encouraged by the Church. Development and progress was encouraged. With this inquiry a veil was uncovered and thinkers of the time wanted to understand why things are the way they are, and sought order through knowledge and not supernatural explanations prescribed by the Church.

With the start of the Humanism movement Pre-Christian western society was tolerated and looked at anew without the previously held belief that the past has no merit due to its pagan connections. Early Christian Reformers felt there was nothing wrong with questioning Church doctrine or seeking validity of papal authority, that secular matters and religious matters can coexist. Petrarch the father of Humanism came into the spotlight during the time when Scholasticism wielded a lot ...

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... sense of individual power to understand formally forbidden information.

In this era of discovery, we begin to see a rise in secularism as the Church lost control of the access of knowledge. With this rise we see the birth of the state, the Protestant Reformation, the Puritans and the founding of America and her government. Americans hold fast to the core democratic belief of peaceful dissent and freedom of speech and expression, of analyzing of government’s actions and publicly opposing what we are against with the phrase “that’s the American way.” Is it the American way or the Renaissance way?

Works Cited http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/glo/renaissance/it.html http://www.masaccio.it/html_eng/works.htm#

http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/b/botticel/22/83cestel.html

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/glo/renaissance/

http://www.masaccio.it/html_eng/home.htm