However, the Renaissance also gave birth to Liberal Theology. A dangerous approach to interpreting Scripture and the events therein as merely symbolic and allegorical. The Renaissance which is esteemed as the epitome of culture and classicalism issued forth the greatest apostasy. The Classical Revival of Greek and Roman Pagan cultures led Michelangelo to create a famous statue called, "Moses/Zeus." Universalism was birthed, allowing all religions to be one. But the utopian dream gave rise to debauchery, depravity, and a spiritual darkness. Author Alexander Lee has written a very poignant and unique book on Renaissance with the title, "The Ugly Renaissance: Sex, Geed, Violence, and Depravity in an Age of Beauty." Mr. Lee lays out how this time heralded for open minded thinking and return to the Greco-Roman philosophies was really a return to the debauchery and darkness of those earlier Greek and Roman times without God. from Alexander's own work, I make the claim that Middle Ages was really the Golden Age; the real renaissance.
The Renaissance in my opinion was indeed merely a resurgence of Greek and
Roman debauchery and pagan beliefs. It was the true dark ages, not a time of enlightenment!
It is my opinion that the Middle Ages was the Renaissance of Christianity, when
the world was called "Christendom" and most kingdoms were Christian.
I believe that Medieval Period wasn't a dark age, but when people strived to
live after Christ, but unfortunately due to illiteracy of the people, papal
supremacy and abuses, and the penitential system of trying to become holy and like
Christ from outside (never works) resulted in the Renaissance of 1453-1690
which was very Greco-Roman in the sense of depravity, debauchery, and spiritual
darkness.
In the Middle Ages people took their sin seriously. They were moved to tears over their terrible deeds and giving into temptations. Christ name or symbol was displayed in courts, castles, churches, town squares, was invoked at tournaments and temples (chapels). All of society permeated with faith in Jesus Christ; and although it is unfortunate that many were illiterate and did not have access to the Scriptures; have we really processed? Now people are intellectual and have access to the Scriptures but reject the True and Sovereign Lord. I am not advocating returning to becoming simpletons or hiding Scripture away (God forbid!). But rather making an observation that our alleged progression is perhaps not the progress we thought. For while now people have knowledge, they do not know the Immortal and True God Jesus. People can read, but they do not revere the Christ. People can think for themselves, but they think against the things of God.
The Medieval Period lasted from 400 to 1600. For more than one thousand years Europe, Asia Minor, Hungary, the Baltic Region, Russia, Greece (Byzantium) and many other countries professed to be Christian. Granted it was not perfect period, violence was rampant, for those were the days when men "lived by the sword." But it was also a time of great technological advancements! In the Middle Ages books, silverware, wheelbarrow, spectacles (glasses), mechanical locks, building techniques (Gothic cathedrals to castles), agriculture (three crop rotation), the printing press, paper, clocks, compass, silk, oars, rudder, mills (pump water, press grain, windmills, stirrups, horseshoes, high back saddle, longbow, crossbow, chainmail, and much more were invented! In fact, many historians are correcting their assertions and no longer use the term "dark ages" but rather the "Renaissance of the Sciences."
I have no allusions that the Middle Ages were perfect. It was tough period of unrest, threats of invasion, plague, war, famine, and more. But in that era men and women put their trust in Christ; and through great hardships hewed the very world we know today! Much of what they created is still used by us today! In those days the knight went on Crusade to defend Christendom and the Church; successfully routing the Turkish conquests and keeping enemies occupied in Outremer (Crusader Kingdoms of Palestine). Then later when Ottoman Empire rose, knights and militia stood against the invasions a Lepanto, Malta, Rhodes, and routed the enemy once more. Had it not been for their efforts the West would be Islamic and different world altogether. One merely has to see how ISIS treats any culture outside their caliphate; they destroy artifacts and kill people, to see that all other cultures would have been burned beneath the crescent. But thanks to the brave Crusaders, Milites Christi (Soldiers of Christ), Holy Leagues, and the Orthodox Russians who fought the Mongolian Conquerors; Western Christian Civilization was saved and Christ is still freely proclaimed!
The Middle Ages gave us art, technology, and most importantly the preservation of our Christian beliefs in scrolls and books; examples being the Scriptures themselves and histories of Eusebius and Venerable Bede. We should be thankful for those people who suffered much hardships, horrors, and harm; but pressed on and made it possible for us to have access to Scripture and the works of the saints! While yes there were Popes who abused their power, kings who were less than Christian in their conquering and knights who did some cognitive dissonance when it came to their code of Chivalry. However, there will always be wicked people and compromising men and women in any age of history. We merely need to look at our own world today and we will see the same wickedness and even greater evils.
The True Renaissance was the Medieval Period. It was Christians of every culture, tribe, and people who obeying the Lord Jesus gave us a future and provided us comforts like silverware and kept the Scriptures preserved. Just as the Jew kept the Old Testament protected, so the Catholics (and Orthodox) of the Middle Ages preserved and protected the New & Old Testaments! Let us not forget them, nor fail to thank Jesus Christ that those people choose to preserve the Christian faith, culture, and church. They fought and died to protect what we now have, and they even protected unconsciously other cultures than the West from being annihilated by totalitarian empires.
Take note is was the descendants of the Medievalists: Americans, British, French, Russians, and more who fought the Third Reich and defeated the Nazis and saved the Jewish People and other cultures from total annihilation. Had it not been for the ancestors, the Christian Medievalists who defeated other empires like the Third Reich, then the West of 1940s would not have existed and defeated another evil regime. Remember that. God is good. Jesus has worked through the Medieval to Modern Periods. He is still working today, but let us not forget those who paved the way for the life we now have.
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