Whether we realize it or not, the European Renaissance has vast effects on the life of nearly every individual in Western civilization today, with reverberating consequences reaching across varied topics such as politics, art, science, philosophy, and even religion. The Renaissance had its goals rooted in humanism, the belief that the creation of an educated class in society with logically explainable beliefs and positions would lead to the greatest good in society. Such beliefs led to notable advances in mathematics and the sciences and also produced the groundwork of modern day Western political theory, eventually producing a historical period known as the Enlightenment, which sought to reduce all human action and thought into rational and understandable concepts. This movement produced unparalleled advances in technology and physics that has made the modern plethora of wealth possible. But perhaps the most unfortunate consequence of humanism and the Enlightenment is the advent of reductionism in every aspect of life, including Christianity.

The fundamental problem with applying humanist ideas to Christianity is that Christianity is not and cannot be reductionist. The Church does not seek to reduce human life to the lowest common denominator to be explained and rationalized. Rather, the Church takes an expansionist view, seeking to overflow each individual’s life with the uncreated grace of God so that it pours out and transforms the entire cosmos. This transformation, although gradual and often difficult and painful, is our process of theosis, or of becoming like God. It is as St. Athanasius said, “God became man so that man might become god.” Thus the goal of the Christian is to be a constantly expanding being that is being renewed day by day by the God in Who’s image and likeness he/she is made.

However, humanist ideals have so permeated modern Western society that this understanding of Christianity is often lost to our own selfishness and cultural expectations. We seek to understand and find our own benefit in everything and thus reduce the faith that sustains the universe to something more easily suitable for our own desires. Thus we try to put God in a box so that we can understand Him. We explain away the mystery of the Eucharist by saying it is either merely a symbol or a physical and scientific transformation. We reduce Christian life to something we do over the course of a couple of hours only on Sundays. We limit the Church to a cultural meeting place that makes us feel nostalgic of a certain ethnic culture or a certain atmosphere experienced in childhood. We reduce the faith that raises the dead to a set of moral codes and standards. We marginalize Christ by noting that He was simply a good teacher Who had some nice sayings.

But this is not the authentic Christian faith. God has become a man, given Himself up for the life of the world, and risen from the dead, having conquered sin and death and hell. Everything that I do should be a thankful response to the God Who has revealed Himself as love and invites us to be His eternal companions. Anything less is not Christianity.

This is not to say that there will not be struggles and temptations. We will struggle our whole lives to become like Christ and rid ourselves of the notion that we can somehow compartmentalize Christianity into only a segment of our lives. This is difficult work that cannot be accomplished overnight. May God grant us to overcome by His grace.