Here We Stand

The Florentine Forerunner: Girolamo Savonarola (1452–1498)

7 snips
Oct 3, 2024
Dive into the captivating life of Girolamo Savonarola, an early critic of papal abuses and a significant influence on Martin Luther. Explore how Savonarola’s fervent preaching transformed Florence and resonated with the public's longing for moral reform. His dramatic actions, such as the Bonfires of the Vanities, showcased his commitment to a purer society. Discover the political turmoil and millennial expectations that fueled his rise, as well as his complex relationship with Catholic doctrine and his prophetic role in foreshadowing the Reformation.
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ANECDOTE

Luther's Personal Connection To Savonarola

  • Luther carried a portrait of Savonarola when he traveled to the Diet of Worms and burned the papal bull.
  • Luther also published Savonarola's prison meditations and praised him as a godly man of Florence.
INSIGHT

Scholar Who Preached To The Masses

  • Savonarola combined deep learning in Scripture and Aquinas with powerful vernacular preaching to thousands in Florence.
  • His simple, vivid sermons made moral critique of leaders accessible and influential.
INSIGHT

Moment Meets Message

  • Political upheaval and a popular expectation of end-times events amplified Savonarola's influence in Florence.
  • He used that moment to push moral and civic reforms, calling Florence to be a new Jerusalem.
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