Catholic Reformation
1. Personal renewal.
--St. Ignatius Loyola
--St. Teresa of Avila
2. Institutional reform.
--Council of Trent
3. Joint Declaration on Justification (1999).
Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)
• Founded the Society of Jesus
(Jesuits) in 1534
– Involved in education and
missionary work
– Took a vow of absolute obedience
to the pope
• Wrote Spiritual Exercises.
Meditations in four parts:
–
–
–
–
–
On sins
On Christ’s Life
On Christ’s Passion
On Christ’s Resurrection
Rules for Thinking with the Church
St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
Reformed monastic life
Restored the ideals of
poverty and utter
dedication to God
Paul L. Gavrilyuk
Assistant Professor of Historical Theology
Council of Trent 1545-1563
• Areas in need of reform:
– Secularization of hierarchy
during Renaissance
– Crisis and abuses of papal
authority
– Ignorance and immorality
among lower clergy
– Laxity of monastic discipline
– Superstitions and abuses
(sale of indulgencies)
Decisions of the council of Trent
On doctrinal issues:
1. On scripture & tradition: p. 112, session 4, first
decree.
2. On grace & works: p. 114, chap. 5.
3. Meaning of salvation: p. 114, chap. 7.
4. Number of sacraments: p. 116, session 7.
On practical issues:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Christian life: p. 111.
Indulgencies: p. 120.
Education & discipline: pp. 112-13.
Celebration of Mass: p. 121.
Saints & relics: p. 122.
MEDIEVAL CATHOLICISM
PROTESTANTISM (16th c.)
SALVATION
Offered through the church
By grace alone through faith alone
Focus on penance & Eucharist
Focus on personal faith
Purgatory & indulgencies
Rejected p. & i.
Growth in God’s love
Trust in God’s mercy
SOURCES OF AUTHORITY
Scripture & Tradition
Scripture alone
External: church hierarchy
Internal: individual conscience
PIETY
Veneration of saints, relics
Flourishing church art
Elaborate worship services
Christocentric: Christ alone
iconoclasm (image-breaking)
Simplicity in worship
EDUCATION
Highly educated clerical minority
Educated laity, catechisms
Philosophy is handmaid of theology
Philosophy under suspicion
Rationalism, scholasticism
Anti-rationalism, anti-scholasticism
Bible in Latin only
Bible in vernacular languages
Historical Consequences of the
Reformation
• Breakdown of church authority: from one Church
to many denominations
• Religious wars
• Turning towards the Bible & individual believer
• Correction of some Medieval abuses
Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of
Justification
• Signed in Augsburg, Germany, Oct 31, 1999 (date is
symbolic)
• Mutual condemnations of former times do not apply to
the Catholic & Lutheran understanding of justification,
as presented in JDDJ
• “Together we confess: By grace alone, in faith in
Christ’s saving work and not because of any merit on
our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy
Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and
calling us to good works.” (JDDJ 15)