A World Lit Only By Fire Analysis

The novel, A World Lit Only by Fire by William Manchester delves into the history of Europe’s dark ages through the early Renaissance. Three key figures constantly referred to within the novel include Erasmus, Martin Luther, and Ferdinand Magellan. All three men are responsible for Europe’s entrance into a modern era of reformation, knowledge, and discovery, and are widely considered to responsible for the development of the humanist philosophy. When Manchester begins weaving his historical tale of the middle ages, he details how the dark ages witnessed very few inventive ideas and was dominated by the Catholic Church and its papacy. As each of the three men are introduced and their accomplishments explained, the story takes a turn and leads towards a modernized era. Erasmus, Martin Luther, and Ferdinand Magellan all share a devotion to their religion which connects to their exploits, however, their overall contributions seem to somewhat differ.
The three humanists were all devout Christians. Luther and Erasmas focused their philosophies around the Church and its reformation while Magellan pursued the more adventurous route. The novel even mentions, “What sets Magellan apart is his unswerving determination to match them and thus become a hero himself. Erasmus and his colleagues are admirable, but they are writers and talkers; Magellan believes that
The text details how the Church had become corrupt and far too powerful. Popes, who were not supposed to be married or engage in sexual intercourse had mistresses and held parties devoted to sex. Pope Alexander VI, otherwise known as the Borgia pope, was rumored to even have had sex with his own daughter, Lucrezia, and had fathered a son with her. Nepotism, overspending, and indulgences were additional things the church was guilty of. To combat this, Erasmas and Luther both spoke against the corruption. The text