Lecture 3: Early
th
16
C
Ann T. Orlando
23 January 2006
Early 16th C
1
Introduction to Next Three Lectures
(3,4,5)
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All three will have Martin Luther as the main
‘player’
Lecture 3: focus on start of Reformation and
impact in Germany
Lecture 4: Martin Luther’s Life and political
impact beyond Germany
Lecture 5: focus on theology and doctrinal
issues
NB: these really are interlocking themes
Early 16th C
2
Outline Lecture 3
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Historical Review of Early 16th C
Popes of early 16th C and political situation
The Beginning of the Reformation
Political Conflicts precipitated by Luther in
Germany
Early 16th C
3
Historical Review
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th
14
–
th
15
C
Black death, Hundred Year’s War
Avignon Papacy
Great Schism: 2 Popes
Conciliar Movement: 3 Popes
Development of strong, competing nations
Fall of Constantinople, 1453
Early 16th C
4
Recap: Situation Early
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th
16
C
Byzantine Empire destroyed;
Powerful Ottoman Turks in control of Eastern
and Southern Mediterranean
Spain newly unified after expulsion of Muslims
France and England in uneasy truce
France and HRE in occasional battles over
eastern France
Popes in very weakened political situation after
Avignon papacy; reliant on sale of indulgences
and simony for funds
Early 16th C
5
Popes of Early
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Century
Alexander VI (1492-1503), most notorious Borgia Pope
Julius II (1503-1513), leads armies in battle to solidify Papal States,
decides to rebuild St. Peter’s Basilica;
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16
Old St Peter’s built by Constantine in very bad condition
What had been largest church in Christendom now a mosque
Donation of Constantine accepted as a forgery
Leo X (1513-1521), “Now that God has given us the Papacy, let us
enjoy it.”
Popular joke is ROMA = Radix Omnia Malorum Avaritia (Avarice the
Root of All Evil)
Note, however, that these same Popes were also patrons for some
of the most important artists of Renaissance and early Baroque
These same Popes were champions of learning and encouraged
establishment of major libraries, including Vatican library
Early 16th C
6
Very Strong ‘National’ Rulers Early 16th C
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Francois I of France
Charles V HRE (Spain, Germany,
Netherlands)
Henry VIII in England
Sulyman the Magnificent in Ottoman
Empire
Early 16th C
7
Martin Luther (1483-1546)
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Luther was influenced by humanism; studied
Biblical languages and the early Church
Fathers, especially Augustine
Driven by internal and external events
Internal struggle
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As a young Augustinian monk, Luther struggles to
appease God for his sins
Finally realizes that nothing he can do can
appease God; salvation must be God’s free gift
that one accepts by faith
Early 16th C
8
The Proximate Cause of the German
Reformation
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In 1517, Albert of Mainz wants to be Archbishop
Albert buys his archbishopric from Rome, with money
borrowed from Rome (Pope Leo X);
Rome needs the money in part to help pay for rebuilding
of St. Peters
Rome authorizes the preaching of a special indulgence
in Germany, with the money to go to Albrecht, so he can
repay his loan back to Leo X
Indulgence is preached by Johan Tetzel, “When the coin
in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs”
Early 16th C
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Martin Luther’s Response
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Luther is deeply offended by this corruption
Responds to this situation with 95 Theses
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Luther’s theses go far beyond denouncing sin of simony
and corruption;
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A thesis was an academic hypothesis which was ot to debated
among scholars
fundamentally calls into question Rome’s primacy,
theology of indulgences;
denounces scholasticism
German princes, especially Fredrick the Wise of Saxony,
support Luther against Rome and against Charles V
Early 16th C
10
Map Central Europe 1500
www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/08/euwc/ht08euwc.htm
Early 16th C
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Case Study: Indulgences
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The Commission of Indulgences
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Purpose is to reconstruct St. Peter’s
Indulgence remits all pain of purgatory for living and dead
Money given depends on social status; no prayer needed, just give money
95 Theses
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Pope cannot remit punishment due to sin; only God can
Certainly cannot effect dead who have already been judged by God
28 “It is certain that when the penny jingles into the money-box, gain and
avarice can be increased, but the result of the intercession of the Church is
in the power of God alone.”
Much better to give money to poor and engage in works of mercy than to buy
pardons
50 “Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the
pardon-preachers, he would rather that St. Peter's church should go to
ashes, than that it should be built up with the skin, flesh and bones of his
sheep. “
Gospel is true treasure of Church
Early 16th C
12
‘German’ Political Situation Early 16th C
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Germany (all of Central Europe) actually composed
of separate dutchies, loosely confederated into the
Holy Roman Empire
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HRE goes back to Otto I in the 10th C
Diet an assembly of more important princes, or Electors,
who administered much of ‘Germany’; also chose the HRE
By 15th C Emperor almost always chosen from Hapsburgs
who ruled Austria
Roughly three classes: nobility, knights, peasants
But a growing new class of merchants, small
business owners; Luther’s father
Early 16th C
13
German
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But recognized that Charles V was a very strong Emperor
Concerned that Pope could appoint powerful bishops and
funds leaving Germany through simony and indulgence
selling
Knights losing place in society
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C Social Unrest
Major nobility (electors) becoming increasingly
powerful
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16
Rulers using lawyers for counsel and standing armies or
mercenaries for military
Knights become mercenaries
Peasants economically oppressed by nobility and
urban merchant class
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Printing press is increasing literacy among peasants
Early 16th C
14
Luther and Politics
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Luther’s primary political supporter was Fredrick the
Wise of Saxony
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He establish University at Wittenburg
Protected Luther after Diet of Worms; taking him to
Wartburg
Battled Charles V and succeeded in getting the Peace of
Augsburg signed
But Frederick also allied with Pope Leo X against Charles
V and the Turks
Luther interpreted Rom. 13 as requiring Christians to
support their rulers, regardless of circumstances
Early 16th C
15
Luther and Peasants and Jews
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Peasant unrest throughout 16th C
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Misunderstand Luther’s call to freedom of Christian and
priesthood of all believers as call to greater social
autonomy
Publish 12 Articles of Grievances of Peasants 1525
Peasant Revolt of 1525 led by one of Luther’s supporters,
Thomas Muentzer
Luther repudiates Peasant Revolt, encourages nobility to
crush revolt in Against the Murderous and Thieving Hordes
of Peasants
Jews in 16th C
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Recall popularly blamed for plague
Competitors to rising merchant class
Luther was deeply anti-Semitic, The Jews and Their Lies
Early 16th C
16
Appeal to German Nobility, 1520
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Three walls built around Roman Church
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Popes decree that temporal powers have no jurisdiction
over them
Only Pope can interpret Scripture
Only a Pope can summon a council
Luther’s response
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No difference between laymen and priests
Scripture does not say that only Pope can interpret
Scripture
When Pope acts contrary to Scripture it is the duty of
Christians to oppose him
Early 16th C
17
Political Response Against Luther and
German Princes
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Pope Leo X did not want to cross Fredrick the Wise
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Luther appeared before Diet of Worms, 1521
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Check on Charles V power
Wanted Germans to take up arms against Turks
Luther is condemned by Charles V
‘Kidnapped’ by Fredrick the Wise and taken to Wartburg Castle to
prevent capture by Charles V
Schmalkaldic League formed in 1531 by German nobles
opposed to Charles V
Sporadic Battles between them and Charles V until 1555
Early 16th C
18
Peace of Augsburg, 1555
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Cuius regio, eius religio, “whose reign, his
religion”
Only valid for Lutheran and Catholic princes
“Final” answer to who is in charge: the prince
Note there is still no separation of Church
and State
Early 16th C
19
Assignments
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1. Bokenkotter, Chapter 18, 19
2. Archbishop Albert Mainz. The Commission of Indulgences in
The European Reformations Sourcebook. ed Carter Lindberg.
Malden: Blackwell, 2000. 29-30.
3. Martin Luther. 95 Theses, available at
http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/luther/we
b/ninetyfive.html
4. Martin Luther. Appeal to German Nobility and Babylonian
Captivity of the Church. in The European Reformations
Sourcebook. ed Carter Lindberg. Malden: Blackwell, 2000. 3639.
5. Peace of Augsburg available at
http://www.uoregon.edu/~sshoemak/323/texts/augsburg.htm
Early 16th C
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