The Protestant
Reformation
Compass
Sphere
polyhedron
Magic Square
Set of Scales
timepiece
hammer
Nails
Pincers
Saw
Ladder
Pot on a fire
Millstone
Telescope
Plane
Comet
Causes of the Reformation:
The renaissance caused people to think for
themselves.
People wanted to read and understand the bible
however they wanted.
The founder, Martin Luther, felt that the Catholic
Church wasn’t interpreting the bible correctly.
People started understanding Luther’s point of
view.
About the Reformation:
The Protestant
Reformation was a 16th
century movement for
religious reform.
Was founded by Martin
Luther, a German monk.
Started in 1517, when
Luther posted the 95
theses.
In the picture at the right,
people are paying
indulgences, to the
catholic Church.
The 95 theses:
The ‘95 theses’ was a decree that
stated certain practices of the
Roman Catholic Church and
Luther's beliefs.
The 95 Theses were posted on
Oct. 31, 1517.
They were posted on the church
door in Wittenberg, Germany.
Said that, People could win
salvation only by faith in god’s
gift of forgiveness.
Said, all church teachings should
be clearly based on the words of
the bible. Pope’s church
traditions were false authorities.
Said, all people’s faith was equal,
therefore, people did not need
priests.
Some Background
At the time, in Germany, it was common to
publicly debate political and social issues.
People were becoming angry at the wealth of the
Church and at it’s seeming lack of care for the
‘regular’ person.
Linked to this were the questions, “How do we
know that what the Church teaches is correct? Is
Holy Scripture (the bible) the only thing we can
truly rely on?’
There was also a desire to have the bible in
everyday language (the vernacular) not just Latin.
(Of course for these people that was German.)
Martin Luther:
Martin Luther was the one
that gave birth to
Protestantism.
He was born in Germany.
He was a German monk that
felt that the Catholic church
was practicing illegal things.
Although he was a monk he
had a guilty conscience.
Luther’s beliefs said that
Faith+good works= Earth
instead of the Catholic
Church teachings that said
that
Faith+ good works=heaven
Indulgences
The church taught that it could give indulgences
(time off in Purgatory) from ‘the treasury of
merits, or graces, left from the sacrifice of
Christ and the saints.’
In Luther’s time abuses had crept in.
Indulgences were being sold to make money for
the re-building of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome,
and for paying the debts of some Bishops.
His disgust at this practice was one of the main
reasons behind Luther’s 95 theses.
AUTHORITY - POPE & BISHOPS
Hierarchical priesthood
Religious Life
Celibacy
Authority of Pope and Bishops
A Universal Church
7 Sacraments
FAITH & WORKS
SCRIPTURE ALONE
GRACE ALONE
FAITH ALONE
Priesthood of all
No ‘Religious Life’
Married clergy
No Pope
A ‘National’ Church
2 Sacraments
Baptism/Eucharist
No ‘Mass’
Different view of ‘Real
Presence”
Vernacular Bible and Worship
Stress on Preaching
Good Works – rejected
(eg. Fasting, pilgrimages,
indulgences, etc.)
Catholic Church
SCRIPTURE & TRADITION
Lutheran Church
Mass
Christ actually present in the
Eucharist
Latin (until 1960s)
Stress on Tradition & Authority
Value of faith and working out
your salvation through ‘good
works’
Edict of Worms
The Edict of worms was an
issued imperial order that
threatened Martin Luther with
excommunication unless he took
his statements back.
In 1520, Pope Leo X threatened
Martin Luther with
excommunication.
Martin Luther did not take his
statements back.
A month later, King Charles
issued an imperial order (Edict of
Worms) that declared Luther an
outlaw and heretic.
According to this Edict, no one in
the empire was to give Luther
food or shelter.
All his books were burned.
In this picture we can see the confession
That was presented to Charles V, the Holy
Roman Emperor, of the Edict of Augsburg
In 1530.
Germany at war:
Peasants revolt against
Luther’s beliefs.
Bands of angry peasants went
about the country side
vandalising monasteries,
pillaging and burning.
(Against protestants).
Many northern German
princes supported
Lutheranism.
Other princes didn’t support
Luther for selfish reasons.
1529, German princes
who remained loyal to
the pope, agreed to join
forces against Luther's
ideas and followers.
Each day, more and
more became followers
of Martin Luther.
Princes who supported
Martin Luther signed a
protest against that
agreement.
The Holy Roman
Emperor Charles was
against the war.
After many years of
fighting, the Roman
Catholic Church won the
war.
Despite the fact that
Protestantism lost the
war, there were still
many protestants.
English Reformation:
The protestant Reformation led
to the English reformation.
While all the protestant
reformation was going on in
Germany, in England King
Henry VIII was trying to
divorce his first wife, Catherine
of Aragon. Since the Pope of the
Roman Catholic Church
wouldn’t divorce Henry and his
first wife, he decided to form his
own church and become
Protestant. In other words, he
broke away from the Roman
Catholic Church.
Consequences of English
Reformation:
The English
Reformation caused a
big fuss in England since
a lot of people had their
own religion, which was
Catholic.
The people didn’t like
the idea of having to
change religion only
because the king wanted
to divorce.