The Renaissance

Renaissance is a term used to describe a set of cultural developments beginning in Italy in the middle of the fourteenth century which introduce new conceptions of human beings and their relationship to the world in which they live . It is marked by a rediscovery of classical antiquity and the rise of humanism, exemplified by Petrarch (1304AD), who creates a new literary style centring on the selfhood of the writer, making him the first ÔÇÿhumanist'.

In painting Giotto(1267AD) pioneers three-dimensionality, making possible the creation of a separate space within the picture itself containing figures of another time than that of the viewer. The humanistic reference also extends to architecture. With printing, possibilities for the dissemination of knowledge vastly increase, and new techniques are pioneered in art, poetry and architecture. The renaissance has a great influence on Christianity, not least on the Reformation, through great figures such as Desiderius Erasmus (1469AD)and lays the foundation for a critical approach to Christianity.