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===Writers===

===Writers===

'''Dante (1265-1321) was an early Renaissance poet, born to a prominent family in Florence'''.  (The Italian town of Florence was considered the cradle of the Renaissance by 1425, but Venice and Rome became just as successful by the early 1500s.)  Rather than writing in Latin, Dante wrote in his local Italian language (a local language is known as "the vernacular").  Dante described the path of a soul to salvation in ''The Divine Comedy'', in which Dante travels through Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio), and Paradise (Paradiso).  In this journey, Dante is first guided by the Roman epic poet Virgil, and then he is later guided by a girl he loved as a youth, named Beatrice, who had tragically died in real life.  The account of Hell is known as ''Dante’s Inferno'', and it is frightful.  Throughout Christian history Hell was emphasized far more than it is today.

'''Dante (1265-1321) was an early Renaissance poet, born to a prominent family in Florence'''.  (The Italian town of Florence was considered the cradle of the Renaissance by 1425, but Venice and Rome became just as successful by the early 1500s.)  Rather than writing in Latin, the common language throughout Europe, Dante wrote in his local Italian language (a local language is known as "the vernacular").  Dante described the path of a soul to salvation in ''The Divine Comedy'', in which Dante travels through Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio), and Paradise (Paradiso).  In this journey, Dante is first guided by the Roman epic poet Virgil, and then he is later guided by a girl he loved as a youth, named Beatrice, who had tragically died in real life.  The account of Hell is known as ''Dante’s Inferno'', and it is frightful.  Throughout Christian history Hell was emphasized far more than it is today.

'''Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) wrote ''The Prince'', which is an account of government by which the "end justifies the means" (such that a politician uses any means, even dishonesty, to gain power)'''.  Even today the term "Machiavellian" is used to criticize a politician who spends all his time and effort on getting ahead and manipulating other people for his own gain.  A "Machiavellian" politician is a cunning person who will say or do anything if he thinks it brings him political benefit.  For centuries the reputation of Machiavelli was that he had been inspired by the devil.  Like other Renaissance artists and thinkers, Machiavelli lived in Florence.

'''Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) wrote ''The Prince'', which is an account of government by which the "end justifies the means" (such that a politician uses any means, even dishonesty, to gain power)'''.  Even today the term "Machiavellian" is used to criticize a politician who spends all his time and effort on getting ahead and manipulating other people for his own gain.  A "Machiavellian" politician is a cunning person who will say or do anything if he thinks it brings him political benefit.  For centuries the reputation of Machiavelli was that he had been inspired by the devil.  Like other Renaissance artists and thinkers, Machiavelli lived in Florence.

The Renaissance was led by devout Christians who looked to Jesus for inspiration.  None of the leading Renaissance artists or writers were atheists or anti-Christians.  Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci were as Christian as anyone.  Their Christian faith was the wellspring for their creativity and intellectual achievements.

The Renaissance was led by devout Christians who looked to Jesus for inspiration.  None of the leading Renaissance artists or writers were atheists or anti-Christians.  Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci were as Christian as anyone.  Their Christian faith was the wellspring for their creativity and intellectual achievements.

Under an anti-Christian view of history, the Renaissance consisted of moving away from a spiritual view that characterized the Middle Ages, to a focus on material, earthly things ("humanism").  It is true that the Renaissance men wrote about and painted everyday things, such as the woman depicted in the Mona Lisa.  It is also true that the study of nature and science began to become fields of endeavor of their own, and art and literature focused more on the present life than the afterlife.  But the great artists and thinkers of the Renaissance were inspired by Christianity in performing their works, and the objects of their work were men and women created in the image of God (in contrast with paintings of nature, which were rare at this time).  There was nothing anti-religious about the Renaissance.  Perhaps 90% or more of its achievements were inspired by Christian beliefs and faith.

Some historians attempt to de-emphasize the Christian foundation of the Renaissance, and claim that it shifted away from spirituality in order to focus material, earthly things ("humanism").  Renaissance artists did paint focusing more on human beings, such as the Mona Lisa, rather than about the afterlife.  But the great artists and thinkers of the Renaissance were inspired by Christianity in performing their works, and the objects of their work were men and women created in the image of God.  There was nothing anti-religious about the Renaissance.  Perhaps 90% or more of its achievements were inspired by Christian beliefs and faith.

Centuries after the Renaissance, secularism did creep in.  Secularism is defined as preoccupation with the material world at the expense of the heavenly one.  This caused people to become increasingly materialistic.  The teachings of the Bible lost importance to some.  Some people rejected religion altogether, becoming “secular humanists.”  But even later, the greatest scientific works were by devout Christians like Isaac Newton and Louis Pasteur.

Centuries after the Renaissance, secularism did creep in.  Secularism is defined as preoccupation with the material world at the expense of the heavenly one.  This caused people to become increasingly materialistic.  The teachings of the Bible lost importance to some.  Some people rejected religion altogether, becoming “secular humanists.”  But even later, the greatest scientific works were by devout Christians like Isaac Newton and Louis Pasteur.