The Theocentrism it is the doctrine where God and his teachings are at the foundation of society. This thought prevailed during the Middle Ages.
The word comes from the Greek and means:theos "God" and kentron "center". Literally "God as the center of the world".
Medieval Theocentrism represented the relationship between the divine (religion) and medieval human beings, where there would be a single truth, inspired by Christ and the precepts of the Bible.
In this way, Catholicism was influencing all the structures of society. From politics, when it was argued that the power of kings came from God, to the social calendar of festivals and holidays, including the economy.
According to theocentrism, the human being, in order to fulfill himself, must submit to the divine will, even if this goes against his wishes. An example would be the war that was subjected to a series of rules, such as the prohibition of fighting on Sundays and holy days.
The economy is also affected by theocentric thinking as work is organized according to Catholic precepts. Usury (excessive profit), for example, was condemned, as was lending at interest.
Theocentrism and Anthropocentrism
Theocentrism is questioned by the later doctrine, anthropocentrism, which was part of Renaissance humanism and whose focus is on man as the center of the world.
For humanists, the theocentric view caused a great period of artistic, intellectual and philosophical setback and for this reason, this period was called by them the “Dark Ages”.
Anthropocentrism began to gain space through scientific research developed such as Copernicus' Heliocentrism (1473-1543).
The mathematical model of the Polish astronomer Copernicus, from 1514, developed the theory in which the Earth revolved around the Sun, which in turn would be at the center of the system. This idea refuted the geocentric model advocated by the Church, thus leading to many concerns.
After all, if the Earth was not the center of the universe, then God could not be the center of human life either. This opened a series of questions in all fields of knowledge.
At the same time, the appreciation of money and not land, makes society slowly change and open up to material issues. This comes with the cultural renaissance (14th to 16th centuries) and Italian humanism (15th and 16th centuries), leaving aside the theocentric view of the world.
Another example of scientific progress and at the same time of human ambition were the Great Navigations, led by whose Iberian countries. With this, trade was expanded and the emergence of the bourgeoisie was consolidated.
Note that along with this, the Protestant Reformation (1517) of Martin Luther, refuted and questioned various actions developed by the Church such as the sale of indulgences and ecclesiastical authority.
To learn more :
- Middle Ages
- Feudalism
- Anthropocentrism
- Humanism
- Rebirth