Chapter 30:The
Reformation Begins
Essential question: What factors
led to the weakening of the Catholic
Church and the beginning of the
Reformation.
Jimmy Rettenmeier,Keith Everette, John
Pitzer,CJ Hoffman, Hannah Burke, and
Laura Angulo
Learning Targets:
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I can summarize corrupt practices and key events
that weakened The Catholic Church.
I can describe the theological, political, and
religious ideas of major figures during the
Reformation.
I can understand Martin Luther's theological and
political ideas and how they led to the Reformation.
I can examine factors that contributed to the spread
of Protestant ideas throughout Europe.
The Reformation was a religious reform
movement from the early 1500s to the
1600s that led to the formation of new
Christian groups. The Reformation
took place in western Europe. The
main factor that weakened the
Church and led to the beginning of
the Reformation was the humanism of
the Renaissance.
The Church hadn't always live up to their values in the
following ways: many people were breaking their vows,
people weren't following Christian values, Church
officials were acting like royalty rather than God's
servants, Popes were selling indulgences to raise money
for the Church, Church positions were being sold,
pilgrims were charged by the clergy to see holy objects,
and people didn't like paying taxes to Rome and the
Church. The Church came into conflicts with European
leaders because the clergy claimed that they were free
of the of political leader's control. Popes also argued
with monarchs over land for the Church. The French
king had more power over the papacy and anything that
involved politics.
30.2 Vocab
Indulgence- a grant by the Catholic Church that
released a person from punishment for sins.
Simony- the selling and buying of positions in
the Catholic Church.
John Wycliffe lived for 54 years(1330-1384).
John Wycliffe had many life events
including:being a London scholar, he was
bold, he stood up for what he believed in
when the Church was taking money from
England, he still believed that the bible was
over the Church officials, his followers were
burned with his writings, the pope accused
him of heresy, and his ideas influenced many
people. H affected the church by standing up
to the Church when it was taking money from
Jan Hus
Jan Hus lived for 45 years(1370-1415). Jan
Hus was burned at the stake in 1415.45. He
was also a follower of John Wycliffe, was a
priest in bohemia, he lived in Czech Republic,
and he thought that the Church was
becoming a for-profit business, rather than
what it should be. He was quoted saying
"The true head of the Church is Jesus
Christ". Jan Hus affected the church by
going by John Wycliffe's beliefs and telling
everyone that Jesus Christ was the head of
Catherine of Siena
Catherine of Siena lived to be 33(1347-1380).
She was devoted to religion, she was born in
Siena, Italy, she started having visions of
Jesus when she was a child, she was very
involved in church affairs, in 1461 she was
declared a saint by the Church, she helped
people with the Reformation, and she wrote
many letters about spiritual life. She affected
the Church by showing people that they could
live spiritual lives that went farther than the
customs of the Church. She also
Desiderius Erasmus
Erasmus lived up to 70(1466-1536). Erasmus
was a humanist from Holland, priest and
devoted catholic, in 1506 he wrote "The
Praise of Folly", a document satirically
mocking the Church. He argued for a return
to simple christian goddess. He wished to
reform the Church and angrily battled
accusations that he was a protestant. Many
people left the Church because of him and
his opposing of catholic corruption. He
caused Luther to become an opponent of the
30.3 Vocab
Reformation- a religious reform movement from
the early 1500s to the 1600s that led to the
formation of new Christian groups.
Protestant- a Christian who separated from the
Roman Catholic Church during the
Reformation; today, any member of a
Christian church founded on the principles of
the Reformation.
Martin Luther was born in Germany in the early
1500s. Martin Luther became a monk
because when he was a small boy he was
caught in a bad thunderstorm and promised
God if he made it out alive he would become
a monk. Luther also thought that the only
way to reach salvation was through faith in
God, this was a conflict with the Church
though. In 1517 Pope Leo had gone to
London's citizens to get money to build a new
cathedral. Luther had also thought that God
30.4 Vocab
Martin Luther- a German priest who broke
away from the Catholic Church to start his
own religion, Lutheranism. His posting of the
Ninety-Five Theses started the Reformation.
Denomination- a particular religious group
within a larger faith; for example, Lutheranism
is one denomination within Christianity.
30.5 Other Leaders of
the Reformation
The five leaders of the Reformation were: Huldrych Zwingli,
John Calvin, King Henry VIII, William Tyndale, and
Martin Luther. Zwingli was influenced by Erasmus and
Luther. John Calvin emphasized that salvation came
only from God's grace. King Henry VIII broke away from
the Catholic Church for two reasons. One- He wanted to
end his first marriage, but the pope denied him a divorce.
Two- He didn't want to share power with and wealth with
the Church anymore. Tyndale converted because his
views became more and more protestant, so he attacked
corruption at the Catholic Church and defended the
English Reformation. He was punished by being
arrested, spending over a year in prison, and finally
being burned at the stake in 1536.
Other Vocab
Saints- someone officially recognized as holy
by the Catholic Church.
Doctrine- a belief or set of beliefs, especially
relating to religion.
Treaty- a written agreement between two or
more nations.