(TO CHANGE OR REORGANIZE)
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Forces that weakened the Catholic Church:
◦ New emphasis on secular (worldly) &
individuals vs. religion (Middle Ages)
◦ Merchants want to be leaders, not Church
clergy/popes
◦ Merchants did not want to pay TITHES (taxes) to
Church
◦ Printing press spreading ideas faster!
◦ Church clergy corrupt & poorly educated!
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Monk from Wittenberg, GER.
Took stand against church’s INDULGENCES:
pardon that bought your way into heaven
Posted 95 THESES on Church door attacking
this idea & “pardon merchants”, Oct. 31st,
1517
◦ Began the Reformation 
movement for religious reform
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1. Can only win salvation by faith
alone in God
2. Bible is ultimate authority & all
teachings should be based on it
3. All people with faith are
equal before God
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Pope was unhappy!
Threatened Luther with EXCOMMUNICATION
(kick out) unless he RECANT (take back) his
statements
Luther threw decree in a bonfire
& Pope excommunicated Luther
 Edict of Worms (outlaw & heretic)
Holy Roman Emperor (Charles V) was ANGRY
& sent him to Town of Worms for trial
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Luther video: Indulgences, 95 Theses,
Printing Press (5 minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZTKKjxv
BhE
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A prince sheltered Luther for 2 years
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Luther returns!
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New religious sect: LUTHERANS
◦ Luther translated New Testament into German
◦ Found priests now dressing in regular clothes
& called ministers
◦ Now leading church service in German, not
Latin!
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1524 German peasants like
Luther’s ideas  demand end to
serfdom (slavery) & started a
revolt
Luther mad! Told German
princes to crush revolt
successful
Peasants felt betrayed & rejected
Luther
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Most northern German princes supported
Lutheranism  went against Pope
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Signed a protest against the Church
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Protesting Princes  PROTESTANT
◦ term applied to Christians belonging to nonCatholic Churches
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Holy Roman Emperor CHARLES V (Hapsburg
family) went to war against Protestant
Princes & defeated them
But couldn’t make them come back to the
Catholic Church
Tired of fighting  signed PEACE OF
AUGSBURG (1555)
◦ Religion of each German state be decided by
its ruler (own Pope)
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TUDOR FAMILY: King Henry VIII wants a son,
but wife too old!
Divorce not allowed (Pope’s rule)
Henry calls Parliament (government) to pass
laws that end Pope’s power in England 
REFORMATION PARLIAMENT
Henry marries Anne Boleyn
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ACT OF SUPREMACY: Made English King—not
the pope—the head of England’s Church
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Henry’s 3 kids: Mary, Elizabeth, & Edward
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Edward ruled for 6 years, then died
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Mary took over & was Catholic, so turned
Church back over to the pope!
Mary pushed out, and Elizabeth restores
Protestantism
 She becomes head of the Church of England,
or ANGLICAN CHURCH
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Mary’s husband, King Philip II of Spain
(Catholic), was angry & planned attack
on England
Sent 130 ships, 8,000 sailors, &
19,000 soldiers
England defeated the Spanish (under
Elizabeth’s rule)
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Word spreads to France to
JOHN CALVIN
Writes book that says all humans are sinful &
CAN’T EARN salvation  only a few are
already CHOSEN
PREDESTINATION = God has already chosen
those to save (predetermined)
New religion, CALVINISM (Protestant sect);
based out of Geneva, Switz.  STRICT!
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Princes in North Germany converting to
Protestantism (no more Pope)
Hapsburg Family & Holy Roman
Empire in South Germany still
support Roman Catholic Church
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Begins war  Charles V defeats Protestant
Princes, but can’t get them to convert back
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In France, Catholics vs. Huguenots (Fr.
Protestants) went to war frequently
DON’T WRITE THIS DOWN , you already have
this information!
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PEACE OF AUGSBURG= says each state’s ruler
free to choose religion
Peace short-lived  Small states around Holy
Roman Empire converting to Protestantism;
tensions high
Leads to THIRTY YEARS’ WAR
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Movement to help keep Catholics stay loyal
COUNTER-REFORMATION: Catholic church
has lost so many people
 Ignatius of Loyola creates Society of
Jesus (JESUITS) to spread Catholic word
again & stop Protestantism
 Sent out INDEX OF FORBIDDEN BOOKS
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1. Protestant churches flourish
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2. Religion no longer unites Europe
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3. Individual monarchs & states gain
power (church declines)
4. Helped set stage for modern world
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Catholic bishops agreed on these doctrines:
◦ 1. Church’s interpretation of Bible was final
◦ 2. Christians need BOTH faith and good works for
salvation (opposite of Luther)
◦ 3. Bible and Church are equal authorities
◦ 4. Indulgences are valid expressions of faith (but
false selling was banned)