When you think of the historical Renaissance, what comes to mind?
For all the improvements wrought for humanity during this period of history, there are still some fairly negative connotations associated with the Renaissance.
But lost in these negative connotations is the true definition, or meaning, of the small ‘r’ renaissance.
Guinness
Esteemed author and theologian, Os Guinness, has written a new book about the true meaning of renaissance — and how the Church can create its own Christian renaissance.
In , Guinness describes how the Christian faith has molded and shaped cultures over the last centuries. Guinness points to the fact that Christians have established universities, built great cathedrals, brought literacy to cultures, and have displayed God’s goodness through art, literature and science.
In his appearance on Dr. Bill Maier Live!, Guinness said,
“Well, of course the basic meaning of ‘renaissance’ originally and today is ‘rebirth’ — the French word for rebirth. And the idea goes back to our Lord in John 3 about being reborn. So the root is actually theological.”
Guinness says he’s not calling for what he calls a “pagan” or capital ‘r’ renaissance — instead, he points to periods throughout history of spiritual renaissance:
“Before [the capital ‘r’ renaissance], there were various other renaissances which were directly spiritual and theological such as the time of Francis of Assisi. And we’ve got to remember the great reformers, the great leaders of the reformation, they were renaissance people in the sense that…they knew Latin, they knew Greek, and they were close to the renaissance.”
Highlight: the true meaning of renaissance
On America, Os says,
“Why is the church in America weak? Well, it’s clearly weak because it’s worldly. And if we go back to our Lord’s call for us to be in the world but not of the world, there are two extremes that are wrong. We can be not in the world, in other words our faith can be privatized, so pietistic and pietism is wonderful — but when it’s also privatized, it’s ineffectual.
“The other extreme is to be in the world and of the world, in other words, worldly. And we’re ineffectual again…take the fact that [Christians] are a huge majority of Americans and yet a tiny group like, say, gays and lesbians, who are under 3% of America, have far more cultural influence.”
The future, however, is not bleak according to Guinness.
He shared some of his thoughts on specific ways the church can spark a new, spiritual renaissance below:
