Humanities of the Christian Approach

Christianity in the Humanities

There are some very positive things to be learned from medieval culture. Christianity was on the rise, as the growth of medieval cathedrals and churches clearly shows. In addition, monasteries became centers of learning and helped spread the written word. Monks learned ancient languages like Greek and Latin, and illustrated manuscripts, leaving some of the history and social aspects of the time, along with spreading the word of God in the Bible. As society grew, an urban lifestyle, with cities and towns at the center of the culture, began to grow, and as industry began to flourish, agriculture began to be less of a societal trend, and more people began to live and work together in an urban culture. Trade, both foreign and domestic, began to grow too, and the world grew smaller even though more discoveries made it clear the world was a very diverse place.

The secular worldview today seems more optimistic in some senses, and more pessimistic in others. In many parts of the world, there is more diversity in religion and religious beliefs. For example, in America, Buddhists flourish alongside Catholics and Bah'a'i, and that is acceptable, and yet, there remains a secular presence in the country that views the world without emotion and without Christian values. This is true in many areas of the world, which have turned away from Christian values to a more secular outlook. The worldview today seems more pessimistic largely because there is still the reality of war in the 21st century, and there are still so many threats to the world, such as Iran, North Korea, and others, who threaten life, as well as the Christian viewpoint. There is much hatred and misunderstanding in the world, and this leads to a secular and negative outlook, creating fear and anger instead of understanding and hope. To change this worldview, it seems as if Christianity does have a role, but only if it can create a positive, upbeat presence throughout the world, through harmony and forgiveness.