Church Organization
 Pope
 Cardinals
 Archbishops
 Bishops
 Priests
 Monks/Nuns
 Congregation
The Protestant Reformation
 A series of events in the 1500s that led to a
new form of Christianity known as
Protestantism.
 Nearly ¼ of all Christians in the world
today are Protestants.
 Most of the churches right here in
Morehead are Protestant.
Causes of the Reformation
1.) Renaissance attitude of secularism (worldiness)
-spirit of curiosity, improvement was valued.
2.) Resentment of Church power and wealth
-Political power, taxes, land ownership
3.) Church abuses (corruption)
Immorality (fornication, gambling,
drunkeness)
Ignorance (lack of education, illiteracy)
Pluralism/Absenteeism (misuse of money,
neglecting spiritual duties)
Martin Luther
1483-1546
 From Germany, son of a copper miner
 Lightning storm
 1505- entered a monastery
 1507- became an ordained priest
 1512- became a professor of theology at the University
of Wittenberg.
 Struggled with anxiety over his salvation
 “He who through faith is righteous shall live”
 Began to disagree with Catholic Church teachings
Luther writes the 95 Theses
 What prompted him?
 The sale of indulgences (pardons for sins)
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Remission, after death, of all or part of the punishment for sin
Replaced traditional act of penance (fasting, prayer, etc…)
 Johann Tetzel – “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings,
the soul from purgatory springs”
 Luther’s protests:
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Unfair to the poor
Gave people false sense of salvation
95 Theses
 Oct. 31, 1517: Luther nailed the 95 Theses on the door
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of the Church.
Wanted reform, not to break from the church.
Quickly reprinted in the vernacular ; spread quickly
due to the printing press.
Luther’s ideas were so popular because of the
environment of backlash that already existed.
His popularity and followers make him a huge threat
in the eyes of the Church.
Luther’s Teachings
 -What Luther wanted to change:
 No Indulgences
 No Confession
 No Pilgrimages
 No Prayers to saints
 Simplify ritual of the mass, instead focus on sermon
 Clergy should be able to marry
Martin Luther
 Church officials asked him to recant; he refused
 Summoned to appear at the Diet of Worms
 Excommunicated and declared an outlaw
 Protected by Frederic the Wise
 Translated the New Testament into German during his
year of hiding.
 Some of his teachings had already been put into action
= Lutherans – the first Protestant church.
 1555- Peace of Augsburg