Reformation
Europe
1500-1600
Catholic Church Hierarchy:
Background Vocabulary:
• Protestant
• Someone who protested the Catholic Church
• Reformation
• When people demand changes
• Indulgences
• Certificates that take away sin
• Church was selling forgiveness to take away sin
What is the Protestant
Reformation?
• The religious reform movement that divided
the western (European) church into Catholic
and Protestant groups.
• The Protestant Reformation had major
religious, economic, political & social effects on
Europe.
Early Attempts at Church Reform
• Major goal was to reform the
Catholic Church
• Erasmus - “philosophy of Christ”
• stressed the inwardness of religious
feeling not external practices
• The Praise of Folly (1509)
• criticized monks and popes
• Luther’s ideas based on Erasmus
Causes of the Reformation
1. “Renaissance popes” were concerned
with worldly matters more than
spiritual matters.
2. Wealthy merchants challenged the
Church (usury).
3. German & English nobility disliked
Italian domination of the Church.
Causes of the Reformation
4. The Catholic Church’s great
political power and the wealth caused
conflict.
5. Church corruption and the sale of
indulgences were widespread and caused
conflict.
Indulgences
•Sale of forgiveness of sin
Martin Luther (1483-1546)
• Monk and professor at University
of Wittenberg
• Bothered by Catholic view of salvation
• both faith & good works were
needed to get salvation
• Through his study of the Bible,
Luther came to the conclusion
that only faith was necessary:
SALVATION BY FAITH
95 Theses
• October 31, 1517
• Luther sent a list of 95 theses
(listing of abuses) in the
Catholic Church
• especially the sale of indulgences
• Nailed list to church door
95 Theses
• Thousands of copies were
printed and spread to all
parts of Germany
• Pope Leo X initially
ignored Luther’s theses
Breaking with Rome
• In 1520, Luther called for the
German princes to overthrow the
Catholic Church in Germany &
establish a reformed German church
• Christian humanists broke with
Luther
• Pope Leo X excommunicated Luther
in January 1521
Breaking with Rome
• Diet of Worms:
•
Diet – council
•
Worms – town in Germany
•
Luther refused to recant
•
Holy Roman Emperor Charles V
issued the Edict of Worms in 1521
•
Luther declared a heretic & outlaw
Breaking with Rome
• Luther was protected by
Frederick of Saxony & put into
hiding at Wartburg Castle
•
while in hiding, he translated the
New Testament into German
•
People could read in their own
language
Lutheranism
• Luther gained the support of
many German princes
• The princes converted to
Protestantism
• ended papal authority in their states
Lutheranism
• Birth of the 1st Protestant Church
• Central beliefs:
•
•
•
•
Justification/salvation by faith (NOT good works)
Bible is the ultimate authority (NOT the Pope)
All humans are equal before God (Laity = Clergy)
Community of believers, not hierarchy of clergy
The Reformation in the German States
• The success of the Protestant
Reformation was tied to
political affairs
• Charles V
•
ruled an immense empire and
wanted to keep under control of
his family, the Hapsburgs
•
he wanted to keep it Catholic
The Reformation in the German States
• War between Protestants and
Catholics resulted in
devastating wars –
•
Thirty Years Wars
Peace of Augsburg, 1555
•
Peace of Augsburg (1555)
•
•
allowed the rulers of the
German states to choose
Catholicism or
Protestantism for citizens
No religious freedom or
toleration
John Calvin (1509-1564)
• Similar beliefs as Luther
• emphasized all-powerful nature of God
• Calvin believed in predestination
• Predestination –God determines each
person’s fate
• “the elect” – those chosen for heaven
• Faith revealed by living righteous life
• Expanded Protestantism
French Wars of Religion
Calvinism and Catholicism became militant religions
French Wars of Religion
• Many powerful French
nobles became
Protestants called
Huguenots
• Edict of Nantes (1598)
• The Catholic Monarchy
granted Protestant
Huguenots freedom of
worship
French Wars of Religion
• Cardinal Richelieu
• changed the focus of the
Thirty Years War from
religious → political
Reformation in England
English Reformation was rooted in politics, not religion
Reformation in England
• Henry VIII
• Dismissed the authority of the Pope in Rome
• Wanted a male heir to throne
• Divorced and remarried; broke with the
Catholic Church
• Formed the Church of England
• Elizabeth I (1558-1603)
• ended blood shed and united the Britain
under the Anglican Church
The Catholic-Counter Reformation
• Catholic Reformation
mounted reforms to
reassert its authority
• 3 Phases –
•
•
•
Council of Trent – Reforms
Jesuits – missionaries
Inquisition – Church court
Council of Trent
•Reaffirmed traditional
Catholic teachings in
opposition to Protestant
beliefs such as:
•Salvation
•source of religious truth
•Sacraments
•Celibacy
•Indulgences
•Establishment of seminaries
The Catholic Reformation
• Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
•
founded to spread Catholic
doctrine around the world
•
Doctrine = key beliefs
The Catholic Reformation
• Inquisition
•
Established to reinforce
Catholic doctrine
•
Council of 6 Cardinals
•
Empowered to investigate, try
& execute people for heresy
• Pope Paul IV strengthened
the Inquisition