Education reform Quote by Steven Ozment
““Scholars have argued that without humanism the Reformation could not have succeeded, and it is certainly difficult to imagine the Reformation occurring without the knowledge of languages, the critical handling of sources, the satirical attacks on clerics and scholastics, and the new national feeling that a generation of humanists provided. On the other hand, the long-term success of the humanists owed something to the Reformation. In Protestant schools and universities classical culture found a permanent home. The humanist curriculum, with its stress on languages and history, became a lasting model for the arts curriculum.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Reformation: A History, 2005
Humanist scholarship provided language skills, critical source analysis, satire, and national identity that enabled the Reformation; later, the Reformation cemented humanist curricula in Protestant education.
In simple terms: Humanists helped the Reformation; the Reformation reinforced humanist teaching.
Key Takeaway
Study both movements to understand their mutual influence.
Themes
history
education
humanism
religion
culture
Mood
analytical
thoughtful
Type
historical
educational
When to use this quote
- academic research
- teaching history
- curriculum design
Key Concepts
Renaissance
Reformation
curriculum development
Questions to Reflect On
- In what ways did humanist ideas shape modern education?
- How did the Reformation alter the spread of humanist thought?
A Different Perspective
Humanist methods can be co-opted for ideological purposes.
