Richie Xie
Period 7
THE AGE OF REFORMATION 101
General Layout  This study guide will essentially consist of subtitles, covering a general area and briefly
refreshing your memory of key events, key people, what the Age of Reformation was, what
it’s foundations were, and how it originated, and also when it ended in no particular order. So
without further ado…
The Beginnings of the Reformation
 Otherwise known as the Protestant Reformation, the Age of Reformation occurred at a time
of sharp conflict between the emerging nation-states of Europe, bent of conformity and
centralization.
 Christianity had splintered into several branches, with several different leaders who preached
their perspective and spin on what Christianity should be based off of. Leaders such as:
Martin Luther, John Calvin, Gerard Groote, Zwingli, etc. led the most in/famous branches of
Christianity.
 The Reformation broke out in the free cities of Germany and Switzerland, and in each city
had its own Protestant movement, all with varying success and failures.
 When Martin Luther published his 95 Theses, a series of arguments openly criticizing the
church and the sale of indulgences, the movement peaked and was the catalyst for many other
reformers hiding in the shadows.
 The Reformation spread through the passing of the proposed church reforms from common
preachers to magistrates, who in several cases, were trying to bring about basic church reform
themselves for decades – this transformed the movement into a mere slogan, into defined
laws that the townspeople had to obey.
Significant Reformers/Leaders/Groups
 Gerard Groote – Leader of the Modern Devotion religious movement, centered in the
Netherlands. Key values in the Modern Devotion movement included: stressing individual
piety and practical religion, members of Modern Devotion were not required the wear
religious dresses or take religious vows. The Modern Devotion arguably was the basis for
humanist, Protestant, and Catholic reform movements in the 16th centuries.
 Martin Luther – The leader of the German Reformation. Raised from a wealthy family, and
received a doctorate in theology. His perspective on “justification through faith alone”,
derived God’s righteousness not from religious works and ceremonies, but from those who
believe and trust in Jesus is satisfactory to God alone. His most significant contribution
comes from his 95 Theses, which openly criticized the sale of indulgences, claiming that the
sale of indulgences made salvation like something that could be bought and sold.
 Ulrich Zwingli – The leader of the Swiss Reformation. Raised humanistically, and heavily
influenced by Erasmus. Zwingli was widely known for his opposition to the sale of
Richie Xie
Period 7





indulgences and to religious superstition. In 1519, he ran for the people’s priest position in
the main church of Zurich. He won the position and his first act was to petition for an end to
clerical celibacy and for the right of all clergy to marry. His act quickly became accepted in
all other Protestant lands.
Jan Matthys and Jan Beukelsz – Leaders of the radical Anabaptist movement. Centered in
Munster, Germany. The Anabaptists forced the Lutherans and Catholics to either convert or
to emigrate from the city. After the Lutherans and Catholics left the city, the leaders restored
Munster into an Old Testament theocracy, restoring the practice of polygamy. The movement
however was crushed by Protestant and Catholic armies, killing the radical leaders. Soon
after this incident, the Anabaptist movement transformed into a more moderate, pacifistic
movement, led by Menno Simons. They were now called Mennonites.
The Spiritualists (No single leader) - Another radical movement. The movement mostly
consisted of individuals who had disdain of all traditions and institutions. They believed that
only religious authority was God’s spirit, who “spoke to the individuals”.
The Antitrinitarians (Lead by Michael Servetus) – Another radical Protestant movement, who
believed in commonsense, rational, and ethical religion.
John Calvin – The founder of Calvinism. Born into a semi-wealthy family and received the
best possible education at Parisian colleges. Calvinism believed strongly in both divine
predestination and the individual’s responsibility to reorder society according to God’s plan.
They wanted to reform society so that men and women would act externally as they believed,
or should believe. Calvinism also was responsible for inspiring massive political resistance in
France, the Netherlands, and Scotland
King Edward VI – Lead the Protestant Reformation in England. Repeaked Six Articles and
laws against heresy were removed and clerical marriage and communion were sanctioned.
All changes were short lived however, because Edward died in his teens, and when Mary I
took the throne, she quickly converted England back to the Catholic doctrine.
Antagonists to the Reformation
 Pope Leo X – Released a papal bull Exsurge Domine which condemned Luther for heresy
and gave him 60 days to retract his statement. When Luther refused, he issued Decet
Pontificem Romanum, which excommunicated Luther.
 Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire – Placed Luther under imperial ban and thereafter
declared him “an outlaw” to secular as well as religious authority
 Martin Luther (not intentionally) – Allowed the massacre of peasants who followed his
writings and his preaching on Christian freedom. He however, was not a social revolutionist,
urged princes to crush the peasant rebellion without mercy
 Ulrich Zwingli (his refusal to cooperate with Luther) – When Philip of Hesse brought Luther
and Zwingli together to hopefully work out their differences on Transubstantiation. When
they were unable to work out their difference, Luther called Zwingli “too radical”, which
splintered the Protestant movement theologically and politically.
Richie Xie
Period 7
 King Henry VII – Overthrew the Pope, and took head of the Church of England with very
conservative religious policies. He heavily restricted marriage of clergy and threatened any
clergy caught twice would be executed
 Queen Mary I – Queen of England who restored all Catholic doctrines set forth by King
Henry VII
Counter-Reformation Leaders/Groups
 Ignatius of Loyala – Leader of the Jesuits, who made guides that contained mental and
emotional exercises designed to teach that absolute spiritual self-mastery over one’s feelings.
It taught that a person could shape his or her own behavior – even create a new religious self
– through disciplined study and regular practice. Exercises of the Jesuits were intended to
teach good Catholics to deny themselves and submit without question to higher church
authority and spiritual direction.
Foreign Reformers
 Bartolome de Las Casas – A Dominican friar and social reformer and was coined the title
“Protector of the Indians” by opposing the “Black Legend” which portrayed all Spanish
treatment of Indians as unprincipled and inhumane.
Significant Events
 Diet of Worms - Was an assembly in Worms, Germany, which addressed Martin Luther and
the Protestant reformation. It was famous for the Edict of Worms, which was to discuss the
effects of Protestant reformation. When Luther was asked to recant his statements, he stated
that he could no longer return to the old faith, and as a result, was excommunicated by Pope
Leo X
 Peasant Revolts in Germany – Influenced by Martin Luther’s writings, the peasants in
Germany conducted revolts of social revolution. Luther however had to condone this social
revolution because Lutheran’s weren’t social revolutionists, and urged the princes to crush
their revolt without mercy, which resulted in between 70,000-100,000 peasant deaths.
 The Marburg Colloquy – When Philip of Hesse sought to unite Swiss and German
Protestants in a mutual defense pact, this failed because Zwingli and Luther couldn’t settle
their differences on Transubstantiation, and Luther left the colloquy thinking that Zwingli
was a “dangerous fanatic”, which resulted in the splintering of the Protestant movement.
 Calvinist Geneva – When Calvin arrived in Geneva, which had now been taken over by the
Protestants, he planned to implement strict social guidelines intended to discipline the people.
Because of these strong measures, opponents attacked Calvin fearing that they were going
too far too fast.
 The Diet of Augsburg – Charles V met with Protestant and Catholic representatives to
impose a settlement of the religious divisions. The net result of the Diet was the blunt order
to all Lutherans to revert to Catholicism
Richie Xie
Period 7
 Formation of the Schmalkaldic League – Was the Lutherans response to the result of the Diet
of Augsburg. Instead of reverting back to Catholicism, they formed their own defensive
alliance.
 Charles reacts to the Schmalkaldic League – Charles V made an effort to enforce a
compromise between the Protestants and the Catholics. He responded using military efforts,
capturing Philip of Hesse. The emperor then established puppet rulers in Saxony and Hesse,
and issued a new order which mandated that all Protestants readopt the old Catholic beliefs
and practices
 The Peace of Augsburg – After being defeated by Protestant armies, Charles V finally
reinstated Protestant leaders and guaranteed Lutherans religious freedoms and surrender his
life long quest for European religious unity
 King Henry VII taking over Church – Henry passed the Act of Supremacy that declared
Henry “the only supreme head of the Church of England” deeming the Pope useless and
unnecessary so that Henry could get an annulment for his marriage to Anne Boleyn.
 The Council of Trent – Charles V forced Pope Paul to call a general council of the church to
reassert church doctrine. The council met three separate times, disrupted by war, plague, and
imperial and papal politics. Under the Pope’s control, the meetings reforms were aimed at
internal church discipline. It also sought to give the parish priest a brighter image by setting
higher standards
Educational Changes
 The Reformation implemented many education reforms of humanism in Protestant schools
and universities. The Protestants and humanists shared a common opposition to
Scholasticism and a belief in the unity of wisdom, eloquence, and action.
Social Changes
 The Protestant reformers took a positive stand on clerical marriage and strongly opposed
monasticism and the celibate life. They challenged the view that made women temptresses
and to exalt them as virgins, Protestants opposed popular antiwomen and antimarriage
literature of the Middle Ages. New marriage laws gave them greater security and protection
 Relief of sexual frustration and a remedy for fornication were prominent in the Protestant
argument for marriage, but they also viewed wives as indispensable companions in their
work, and this not solely because they took domestic cares off their husbands’ minds.
 Family life changed dramatically. Marriages began occurring at later stages in life, to the late
teens or early twenties. Family size usually consisted of a “nuclear family”, which consisted
of a mother and father with seven or eight children, however an estimated third of these
children will die by age five.
 Birth control has existed for centuries; however the Church restricted the use of birth control.
Thomas Aquinas stated that the use of birth control was stopping the creation of godly life
and it wasn’t right to prevent the birth of God’s children
 Wet Nursing was common. Higher-class women viewed nursing an infant as distasteful, and
frowned upon the practice
Richie Xie
Period 7
Literary Changes
 Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, a Spanish writer who wrote Don Quixote, which was a
satirize of chivalric romances then popular in Spain
 William Shakespeare – An English poet, play writer, and author that became immensely
popular because his plays connected the common folk in England so that they could relate to
the message the plays were directing