REFORMATION

The Beginning of Protestant Christianity

Define Reformation and Protestant

Cause of the Reformation

• Roman Catholic Church was too powerful• After the fall of Roman Empire (470s AD),

Europe was lawless and the Church provided only source of stability

• After hundreds of years of being the only ones enforcing order, the Church was being led by people more interested in power and wealth than God– Absolute power corrupts absolutely

Cause of the Reformation

• Roman Catholic Church controlled the social life of Europeans.

• Roman Catholic Church controlled the economy through land ownership and taxes.

• Roman Catholic Church controlled governments and was the enforcer of law.

What was the problem?• Political– Rulers resented the Pope’s power and control

over their countries• power of excommunication• Definition?

– Rulers wanted to feel free to rule their countries without interference from the Pope

What’s the problem?• Economic– Church controlled lots of land and wealth– Rulers wanted to confiscate the large

amount of Church property in their country• Definition of confiscate?

– Some merchants resented the Church’s policy concerning money • Taxes had to be paid to the Church (tithe)

– Definition of tithe?• Church policy on usury limited their business

– Definition of usury?

What’s the problem?

• Intellectual– Renaissance’s questioning attitude

• Led some to doubt Church’s authority• Some will challenged Church teachings on

astronomy, history, and Biblical interpretation– Renaissance’s emphasis on individual

expression• Encouraged people to seek a direct

relationship with God– Do people need a priest to speak to God?

What’s the problem?

• Church abuses– Many Church leaders seemed

too concerned with material wealth, not spiritual wealth

– Nepotism • Definition?

– Simony• Definition?

– Selling indulgences• Definition?

What’s the problem?

• Decline of Church prestige– People had lost respect for the

Church and its leadership because of corruption and political battles between Church leaders

Why were people ready to rebel

against the Pope ?

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forgiveness

M_____________ want __________;

Pope doesn’tA__________power of the _________

hated

D____________ of Church by

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omination

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Church

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Latin BibleLatin servicesForced tithing

Forced attendanceExecution for heresy

Early reformers

• Early reformers unsuccessful, but helped to pave way for Martin Luther– How can this happen?

• Knowledge of these reformers and the problems within the Catholic Church was well known because of the invention of the movable type printing press

Unsuccessful attempts to reform the Catholic Church

• John Wycliffe (1328-1384)– English priest who translated Bible into English– His followers heavily persecuted

• John (Jon) Huss (1369-1415)– Czech reformer who tried similar ideas but was

tried as heretic and burned at the stake• Erasmus (1466-1536)

– Dutch humanist who criticized the Church (The Praise of Folly)

– Plea for reform ignored by Church

How did it start?

• Martin Luther was a Catholic priest (German)teaching at the University of Wittenberg (German state)

• Was concerned about Church abuses of power

• Johann Tetzel’s tactics selling indulgences pushed Luther into action

Church is unfair!!

What did he do?

• Wrote the Ninety-Five Theses– Definition?

• Luther nailed them to the door of the church in Wittenberg (1517) starting the Reformation

• His beliefs became the basis for the Lutheran Church

Why was Luther successful?

• Luther was excommunicated, but received support from northern German princes who hid him from the Church

• Why?– Rulers wanted Church property

• More wealth for themselves

– Rulers wanted to weaken the Holy Roman Empire • Hapsburg Dynasty ruled the HRE and controlled the German states

– Rulers wanted to end the control of the Pope over their country

Luther’s view on religion• Bible is the final authority on religion, not

the Pope– Simplified church services and policy– Services held in local language, not Latin

• Justification by faith (faith alone is enough for salvation)– Good works not enough to save you

• Translated Bible into German so everyone could read it– It is your responsibility to read and understand the

Bible (increased literacy)

• Saw church as a community– Saw value in all occupations, not just the

priesthood

Others split from Church

• Calvinism• John Calvin (1509-1564) set up a

theocracy in Switzerland (Geneva)– Definition of theocracy?– Also favored a simple form of worship

• Only those chosen by God before birth would achieve salvation– Predestination– Definition?

Calvinist ideas spread

• Protestant work ethic– Definition?

– Serious, moral, hard-working lifestyle– Became part of American (U.S.) culture• Idea that if you work hard, you will succeed

Calvinism spreads

• John Knox introduces Calvinism to Scotland (Presbyterian Church)

• Huguenots (French Calvinists)• American Puritans (Congregational Church)

Others split from Church

• Henry VIII of England wanted a divorce from his wife but Pope refused to grant it– Wanted a son– Wanted Church land in England

and its wealth • Act of Supremacy made Henry

the head of the Church of England– Definition of Act of Supremacy?– Granted himself a divorce and

married Anne Boleyn

Henry and his wives

Anglican Church

• Movement out of the Catholic Church caused split in England

• Catholic and Protestants in England will continue to fight over religion for several hundred years (off and on)

http://youtu.be/3m6iSe_xsPM

Anglican Church

• Henry’s daughter, Elizabeth I, will create the Anglican Church of England as the state church– Anglican Church will combine Catholic practices

with Protestant beliefs• Definition of Anglican?

How does the Catholic Church react?

• Power of Catholic Church was being reduced as Protestantism spread

• Church leaders decided to take action to get rid of the Protestant movement or at least stop it from spreading further

PROTESTANTISM

Counter-Reformation AKA Catholic Reformation

• Effective leadership– Strong popes provided leadership for reform• Demanded high religious standards from all clergy

• Council of Trent– Reviewed and defined Church doctrine– Accepted some of Luther’s criticism but not all

What did the Council of Trent do?• Kept some things the same in the Church

• Salvation achieved by faith and good works• Only Latin translation of Bible was acceptable• Only the Church could interpret the Bible • Papal supremacy

– Definition?

• Made some changes• Ended church abuses (nepotism, simony, and the sale of

indulgences)• Establish seminaries to train and educate priests

– Definition of seminary?

• Created a list of forbidden books (considered heretical)– Definition of heresy?

Counter-Reformation

• Holy Inquisition– Prosecuted heretics– Helped to stop the spread of Protestantism

• The Society of Jesus (Jesuits)– Started by Ignatius of Loyola– Fight Protestantism through education,

not violence– Missionaries established schools and

universities worldwide

How does the Reformation change Europe?

• Catholic Church able to reclaim some land lost to Protestantism, but could not get rid of it

• End of religious unity in Europe– Split along religious lines

• Protestants in the north; Catholics in the South

How does the Reformation change Europe?

• Religious wars– Fought for both religious and political reasons• One of the worst was the Thirty Years War

– Fought in German states over whether areas would be Catholic or Protestant

– Will start over religion but Cardinal Richelieu of France will change the focus to a political war

– Economically and physically destroyed much of the German states

How does the Reformation change Europe?• Strengthened civil authority– The state (government) gained power at the

expense of the Church• Definition of civil authority?

• Encourage education– Protestantism stressed the importance of

individual Bible reading• Literacy increased

– Catholics stressed education with the Jesuit movement

• Creation of new art style– Baroque

• Definition?• Emphasized emotion, complexity, and exaggeration

for effect

Examples of Baroque style

Painting by Rubens

How does the Reformation affect Europe?

• Eventually, religious tolerance will increase because of the numbers of different Protestant sects– Took several centuries before religious freedom was

commonplace• Example: France is mostly Catholic so Huguenots were persecuted

until the Edict of Nantes was passed» Definition Huguenots and Edict of Nantes?

– Edict of Nantes gave Huguenots freedom of worship only in those areas of France where they were in the majority

– Edict of Nantes will later be revoked by Louis XIV—powerful French King who hated Protestants

How does the Reformation affect Europe?

• Capitalist economic system– Starts with global trade of Renaissance– Reformation encourages capitalism with ideas of

personal responsibility• You are responsible for your economic success

– Individual ownership

• Renaissance and Reformation both emphasized the individual – Responsibility for your own salvation, for your own

thoughts and education will then lead to responsibility for your economic success

– Idea that success can be achieved by anyone, not just nobility