Modern European History: The Reformation I believe the statement "The reformation was a rejection of the secular spirit of the Italian Renaissance" is false because in the long term of European history, the reformation was able to create a more humanistic view of the world than that of the Renaissance humanism. There are three major changes and philosophies that the Protestants of the reformation incorporated which led to the long term advancement of Humanism. These are the beginnings of "free thought" away church dogma, the development of Capitalism, and the questioning of religious and Governme