The term 'Twelfth-Century Renaissance' is attributed to which author?

• A. Charles Homer Haskins
• B. Peter Brown
• C. R. W. Chambers
• D. Jacob Burckhardt

Answer: (A)

The idea behind this term comes from Charles Homer Haskins, who popularized the phrase by arguing that the twelfth century in Europe saw a genuine revival of learning and culture. In his influential work The Renaissance of the Twelfth Century, he points to the growth of universities, the rise of scholastic philosophy, and extensive translations of ancient (and Arabic) texts as signs of a real intellectual renewal rather than a slow, unnoticed continuity. This framing helped historians see the high Middle Ages as a distinct period of cultural transformation, not just a bridge between antiquity and later medieval developments. The other scholars mentioned contributed important historical perspectives, but they did not coin or widely promote this specific label for the 12th-century revival. Jacob Burckhardt, for example, is famous for The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy, which discusses a later Italian Renaissance; Peter Brown focuses on late antiquity; and R. W. Chambers is known for work on medieval drama and society.