Martin Luther

&The

Reformation

Church Abuses• Pope Boniface VIII (1294-1303)– Declared that all temporal matters & even rulers

were ultimately subjects to the spiritual power wielded by the pope

• Nationalism– England and France• Each attempted to tax the church and limit papal

authority. King Philip IV of France tried to have Boniface arrested and brought to trial.

The Avignon Papacy• After Boniface VIII – French archbishop chosen

pope and moves headquarters to Avignon

• Babylon Captivity– 1305 - 1377

Wycliffe & Hus• John Wycliffe (1320-1384)

– Translated the Bible into English– Believed that monarchs and

believers were only accountable to God not the pope

– Questioned validity of Sacraments

– Believed church was community of believers not Catholic hierarchy

– Declared heretic after death 1428

• John Hus (1369 - 1415)– Teacher in Prague, Czech.– Began preaching in Czech

language– Believed Bible was the only

source of faith– Excommunicated at Council

of Constance in 1415– Burned at the stake and

ashes thrown in to the Rhine

The Great Schism• 1378 – 1417

– Avignon Pope goes to Italy to confer with colleagues

• 1378 Italian Pope elected by College of Cardinals– French Pope elected by

French Cardinals & returns Avignon

• 1417 Council of Constance deposes all popes and elects Martin V

Indulgences & other Abuses

• Church began selling indulgences for the forgiveness of sins– Mostly to finance the

rebuilding of St. Peter’s Basilica

– Church had more good deeds than they would ever need

• Absenteeism• Simony - buying and selling

of Church offices– Expectatives

• Pluralism

St Peter’s Basilica

Pope Leo X• “God has given us the

papacy- let us enjoy it”– Lived a lavish lifestyle

• Commissioned a Dominican monk John Tetzel to sell indulgences– Pope Leo X & Archbishop

Albert Mainz 50/50 split

John Tetzel

Martin Luther• Born 1483 – 1546– Father was a miner and

small business man– Was obsessed with his

own salvation and feared satan and eternal damnation

– Thunderstorm at age 22

The 95 Theses• Nailed to church door in Wittenberg– October 31, 1517

• 3 Major Claims– Faith alone leads to salvation– The Bible is the sole authority– The priesthood of all believers

• Claimed that Indulgences were a fraud and against the teachings of Jesus

• Printing Press spread Luther’s theses’ rapidly

Holy Roman EmperorCharles V

• Imperial Diet at Worms 1521– Excommunicated by the

Pope in 1520 and deemed a heretic

• Declared an outlaw by the Emperor– Given refuge by Prince

Frederick of Saxony

Luther’s Defense• Your Lordships demands a simple answer. Here it is,

plain and unvarnished. Unless I am convicted of error by the testimony of Scripture or (since I put no trust in the unsupported authority of Pope or of councils, since it is plain that they have often erred and often contradicted themselves) by manifest reasoning I stand convicted by the Scriptures to which I have appealed, and my conscience is taken captive by God’s word, I cannot and will not recant anything, for to act against our conscience is neither safe for us, nor open to us. On this I take my stand, I can do no other. God help me. Amen.

Martin Luther

Europe after the Reformation