«The Simplicity of Christian Life» and the Renewal of the Church in the Sermons of Girolamo Savonarola on the Book of Ruth

Abstract

In May 1496 Girolamo Savonarola, continuing to develop the theme of the Church renewal, turned to the interpretation of the Old Testament Book of Ruth in his sermons. According to the monk, the transformation of the united mystical body of the Church can take place if every Christian turns to God, getting rid of «indifference (lukewarmness)» and reviving spiritual fervor and zeal in the matters of faith. The Dominican proclaims «simplicity» - the absence of duality in thoughts and deeds as well as the ability to experience divine truths and make them the essence of one's existence, the conceptual basis of the reform. He declares the main actors of the reform the «indifferent» «simpletons» (ordinary men, women and children) remaining in the Church. All this may indicate Savonarola's focus on bringing about changes from below. However, the analysis of the sermons indicates, if not the duality, then the moderation of the Florentine reformer in this matter: calling on the clergy for their own renewal, he declared that the «order» established by God presupposes changes coming from the «superiors» to the subordinates. To summarize, Savonarola's sermons on the Book of Ruth reveal both a desire to give the reform a universal character by encouraging the actions of ordinary believers in the matters of individual piety as well as a desire to keep them from both spontaneous radicalization and going beyond the orthodox doctrine and the bosom of the official Church.