The Attitude of the German Humanists of the XVI Century to the Catholic Church

Abstract

The article examines the works of German humanists of the XVI century. The author studies the attitude of the German humanists of the XVI century to the Catholic Church. The analysis of the historical context and characteristic features of German humanistic thought in the XVI century is made, as well as the positions of the leaders of the humanistic and reformation movement in relation to the Catholic Church are considered. The article emphasizes that German humanists showed a critical attitude towards the church, condemning its theological errors and shortcomings in practice. At the same time, the author points out, that humanists did not deny the importance of the church and its role in society, but tried to achieve its reformation and improvement. The article shows that humanists treated the Catholic Church ambiguously, their views on its role and significance in society were peculiar. German humanists in the XVI century were critical of the Catholic Church, but did not reject its teachings as a whole. They sought to identify and rid the church of vicious practices. Overall, the article is of interest to anyone studying the history of the church and humanistic thought in the XVI century.