Essential Question:
How did Luther’s
religious reforms lead to
Protestantism, a new
branch of Christianity,
and how did
Protestantism spread?
MARTIN LUTHER
Reformer or Revolutionary?
Medieval Europe

Medieval Europe
Daily Life of the peasants
Death and Disease
Fear of Authority and God
Church Authority
–The Catholic Church , was the only Church in
Western Europe.
–The Bible was only to be read by Priests
– Church services were only in Latin
Life of a Monk

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Community Work
Prayer
Rest
Penance
Work in the Monastery
Prior to the Reformation all Christians
were Roman Catholic
The REFORMation was an attempt to
REFORM the Catholic Church
People like Martin Luther wanted to
get rid of the corruption and restore the
people’s faith in the church
In the end the reformers, like Luther,
established their own religions
The Reformation caused a split in
Christianity with the formation of these
new Protestant religions
Martin Luther
John Calvin
Henry VIII
Martin Luther


Peasant Father worked as miner, then was
able to buy several small mines
Parents practiced “tough love” and abused
Luther and siblings growing up

Father wanted Luther to be a lawyer

Father disliked the priesthood

Luther studied law but wanted to become
a priest
Luther’s Life changing
experiences


He almost dies in 1503
Caught in a Severe thunderstorm in 1505
 Vowed to become a monk if he survived

1506 Luther takes his vows

1507 he is ordained a priest

1508 is sent to Wittenberg, Germany for advanced theological
study
He became troubled over the possibility
of not going to heaven
He turned to the Bible, and confession
for comfort
In the Bible he found the answer he was
looking for
Wanted to be a good Christian, not lead
a revolution.
Causes of the Reformation

Social
Renaissance secular (worldly) values
 People began to question the Church (Scientific Revolution)
 Printing press spreads these ideas


Political
Rulers challenge the Church / pope as supreme ruler of Europe
 European princes / kings were jealous of the church’s wealth
 Church Corruption

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Economic

Merchants resented paying Church taxes
Criticisms of the Catholic Church

Corrupt Leaders

Spent $$ on personal pleasures

Pope Alexander VI fathered several
children
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Priests and monks poorly educated,
married, drank, gambled

Selling of Indulgences
Selling of Indulgences
John Tetzel, sold indulgences in northern Germany
Inspired popular jingle of the time:
“Once you hear the money’s ring, the soul from
purgatory is free to spring”

What do you think the jingle is trying to say?
Luther’s Main Ideas

Took public stand against Friar Tetzel

People could win salvation “by faith in God’s forgiveness alone” / ( NO GOOD DEEDS NECESSARY)

All church teachings should be based on words of the Bible

All people with faith were equal, people did not need priests to interpret the Bible for them

Rejected the idea that the Pope and Priest had special powers (EQUAL ACCESS TO GOD)

He banned indulgences, confessions, pilgrimages and prayers to saints
 Abolished the elaborate mass / emphasized the sermon
 Allowed the clergy to marry
•
BEGINNING OF THE LUTHERAN CHURCH / CALLED PROTESTANTS FOR PROTEST
“The righteous shall by his faith.”
Luther realized that only faith (in
the ultimate goodness of Jesus), not
good deeds, could save a person. No
good works, rituals, etc. would save a
person if they did not believe.
October 31, 1517 Luther nailed this on
the door of the Wittenberg church
A list of things he thought were wrong
with the Catholic Church (95 Complaints)
He criticized:
The Power of the Pope
The Extreme Wealth of the Church
Indulgences
Gutenberg’s
Printing Press made
it possible for Luther
to spread his beliefs
Gained support
from people and
criticism from
Church
The Diet of Worms
1520 Pope Leo X order Luther to give up
his beliefs
The Emperor’s opposition /Holy Roman
Emperor Charles V
Luther burned the order and was
excommunicated
Luther declared an outlaw & heretic, went
into hiding where he translated the New
Testament into German – spreading his
beliefs even further
No one was to give Luther shelter or food,
all his books burned
Luther and followers became the
Lutherans
He was the Pope
during the height of
the corruption
Why Do People Support The Reformation?
1.
2.
3.
IT REFORMS THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
GERMAN PRINCES WANTED TO GAIN
SOME POWER.
SOME PEOPLE TRIED TO GRAB SOME
CHURCH PROPERTY.
4.
GERMAN SUPPORTED IT BECAUSE OF
NATIONAL LOYALTY. GERMAN $ WAS
GOING FOR ITALIAN PROJECTS.
**
PEACE OF AUGSBURG- PRINCES DECIDE
ON THE RELIGION FOR THEIR AREA.
NORTH- PROTESTANT
SOUTH- CATHOLIC
Catholic
Teachings
• Faith and good works =
salvation
• Church teachings and
bible are sources of truth
• Priests interpret Bible for
believers
Luther’s
Teachings
• Faith only = salvation
• Bible is the sole source of
truth
• Believers interpret bible for
themselves (all people of
faith are equal)
Map of Europe in 1560
1560
Protestantism Orthodox Christianity
Roman Catholicism Sunni Islam Shi'a Islam