The Protestant
Reformation
Early Reformers
John Wycliffe (1324-1384)
– People should be able to
interpret and read the Bible
on their own.
– Lived during Western
Schism (more than one
pope).
• This caused questioning about
Papal Authority.
Early Reformers Cont…
Jan Hus (1369-1415)
– He wanted Bishops
elected and not
appointed by Pope.
– At the Council of
Constance, he made his
case but he was burned
at the stake for his
beliefs.
– Spiritual leader of the
Moravian Church.
Early Reformers Cont…
Erasmus (1466-1536)
– “Erasmus laid the egg that Luther
hatched.”
– Erasmus remained committed to
reforming the Church from within.
– He also held to Catholic doctrines
such as that of free will.
• Which some Protestant Reformers
rejected in favor of the doctrine of
predestination.
Important Developments that aid the process
to Reformation!
The Printing Press!!!!
– Books are now available to
the masses not just the rich!
(Faster production=cheaper
books)
– People have access to
books whenever they
want them.
Printing Press = 3,600 pages per workday
Hand Printing = 40 pages per workday
• How does this relate to the
Reformation? Explain your
answer?
What is the Protestant Reformation?
Protestant Reformation- a religious
movement in the 1500’s that split the
Christian church in western Europe and led
to the establishment of a number of new
churches.
– People grew displeased with the churches…
• Financial Corruption
• Abuse of Power
• Immorality
What happens to spark the Reformation?
Pope Leo X needs money
to build St. Peter’s
Basilica…so he sells
indulgences!
– Indulgences- were pardons
issued by the pope that
people could buy to reduce
a soul’s time in purgatory
= (People could buy
forgiveness)
Weakening of the Church:
Buying Indulgences
An indulgence was a release
from punishment for sins, in
return for good works.
The church would sell
indulgences to people to raise
money, but only rich people
were able to afford them.
People who received
indulgences did not have to
perform good deeds to make up
for their sins and would spend
less time in purgatory.
Weakening of the Church:
Conflict with Rulers
The church became
wealthy and powerful.
King Philip IV tried to tax
the French clergy. When
the pope threatened to
excommunicate him, he
had soldiers kidnap the
pope. Although they
released him, the pope
died soon afterward.
Weakening of the Church: Two (or more!) Popes
Pope Clement V moved headquarters from
Rome to the French city of Avignon, and
the next 6 popes lived there.
Pope Gregory XI moved the papacy back to
Rome in 1377. When he died, the new pope
refused to move back to France.
French cardinals elected a rival pope. There
were now two popes, and a third one was
elected by a church council. Each claimed
to be the true head of the church. This was
the case for about 30 years.
Language Barriers
Most uneducated people didn’t understand
Latin, but knew the local common language
or “vernacular”.
– Almost all Bibles were written in LATIN
before the Reformation.
It was the job of the church clergy to
translate the Bible to lay people.
Martin Luther
Luther was a German
monk and professor of
theology (religion) at the
University of Wittenberg.
One of the many leaders
of the Protestant
Reformation.
–
Luther objected to a saying
attributed to Johann Tetzel
that "As soon as the coin
in the coffer rings, the soul
from purgatory springs."
6.Martin Luther
A German priest who
disagreed with many
Catholic beliefs, and was
especially outraged by the
selling of indulgences.
He felt that the church was
selling false salvation to
uneducated people.
7.Martin Luther
In response, Luther posted a list of 95 theses (arguments)
against indulgences and church abuses on the church door
in the town of Wittenberg. He also sent the list to church
leaders.
Luther argued that the Bible – not the pope or church
leaders – was the ultimate source of religious authority.
Luther was excommunicated in 1521, but then later started
his own church called the Lutheran Church. Many people
followed him because they were also unhappy with church
practices.
He also translated the Bible into German.
This is how the Protestant Reformation began.
Luther’s 95 Theses
In 1517, the 95 Theses were nailed to a
church door. They were written in Latin.
– Luther’s intention: NOT TO BREAK WITH
CHURCH, BUT REFORM IT!
– Criticized:
1.Indulgences
2.Power of Pope
3.Wealth of Church
God’s Grace won by FAITH ALONE!
– Catholic View: Good Works
Excommunication
In 1520 Pope Leo X excommunicated
Luther.
– Excommunication- expelled him from the
church.
– Holy Roman Emperor Charles V passed
measures to suppress Luther’s writings.
– Lutheran princes in Germany issued a
protestatio or protest.
• Hence the term Protestant!
8.Luther’s 95 Theses
9.John Calvin (1509-1564)
A French humanist who started
a Protestant branch in Geneva,
Switzerland.
He believed that salvation came
only from God’s grace, and that
the “saved” were chosen by
God and lived according to
strict standards
(“predestination”). There was
nothing people could do to
change their destiny. Success in
business was a sign of God’s
grace.
He influenced many other
reformers.
10.The Puritans were Calvinists!
15.William Tyndale (~14911536)
An English priest, scholar,
and writer.
Tyndale translated the
Bible into English. His
translation was famed for
its beautiful language and
later became known as the
King James version of the
Bible.
Tyndale was burned at the
stake for translating the
Bible.
11.King Henry VIII (1491-1547)
In 1534, King Henry VIII
formed the Church of
England (Anglican
Church) with himself as
its head.
He did this because the
Catholic church would not
allow him to divorce his
wife.
In England, the Reformation began
with the King!
King Henry VIII
– The king who had six wives…
• He wants a SON!
Lines provided in notes to write down
story of King Henry VIII.
The Reformation Parliament
Was a gathering that led to the decision that
England was no longer under the authority
of the pope.
Act of Supremacy
– Subjects were required to take an oath declaring
Henry VIII to be “Supreme Head of the Church
of England”
Longstanding Effects of Henry VIII
His legitimate children: Mary, Elizabeth,
and Edward (dies).
– Queen Mary I or “Bloody Mary”
• Raised Catholic like her mother Catherine of
Aragon; she reestablished the Catholic Church in
England. She killed many protestants and had
approximately 300 heretics burned at the stake.
– Queen Elizabeth I (Ends the House of Tudor)
• Raised Protestant and ruled England for 44 years.
Ruled during the Spanish Armada, and never
married…known as the Virgin Queen.
13.Weaknesses of the Catholic Church
Breaking of
vows
Two popes
Indulgences
The
Catholic
Church
Disagreements
with rulers
14. Reformation Flow Chart
Catholic Church
Catholic Church
Protestant Churches
Lutheranism
(Martin Luther
Calvinism
(John Calvin)
Anglicanism
(King Henry VIII)
Martin
Luther’s
95
Theses
15. Counter-Reformation
(Discussion, Debate, and Reform!)
A Catholic reform movement where church leaders
worked to:
–
–
–
–
correct abuses
clarify and defend Catholic teachings
Condemn Protestant errors
Win back areas of Europe that had been lost by using
missionaries
The Council of Trent determined that faith, good works,
and the sacraments were all necessary for salvation. The
Latin Bible was still the only official Bible.
The church decided to no longer sell indulgences.
16.Religious Wars
Many wars were fought in Europe during
the 16th and 17th centuries.
Civil wars in France between Catholics and
Protestants left over a million people dead.
The Thirty Years War (1618-1648) in
Germany was the last major war of the
Reformation. The result was that European
rulers could decide for themselves whether
their countries would be Catholic or
Protestant, and much of northern Europe
became Protestant.
17.Christian Religions in Europe,
~1600
Other Reformations
Ulrich Zwingli in Switzerland
– Theocracy
• A government in which church and state are joined and in
which officials are considered to be divinely inspired.
John Calvin in Switzerland
– Predestination
• God knows who will be saved, even before people are born, and
therefore guides the lives of those destined fore salvation.
John Knox in Scotland
– Laid grounds for Presbyterian Church