How is humanism different from what people cared about during the Middle Ages?

In the late 1300's early 1400's the church found itself challenged by the men returning from the crusades with new ideas. One of these was Neoplatonic thinking that said man could communicate with God without the church. This idea took all the power away from the church and they did everything they could to hold on to the power they had for a 1000 years. Michelangelo's painting in the Sistine chapel reflects the new thinking with man touching the hand of God. This resulted in a turning away from the divine to the importance of human needs and to Humanism that affirms the ability of man to lead ethical lives and to aspire for a greater good without the church telling them they had to do what they were told or else be in sin.