The Protestant Reformation

Causes

• Abuses by Church Officials–sale of indulgences

–corruption

–uneducated clergy

–clergy does not follow church rules

Causes• Secularism and humanism

challenge church authority

• Kings challenge power of Pope

• Printing Press spreads new ideas rapidly

Events• Church Reformers in the 15th

century (Jan Hus, John Wycliffe, Savonarola)

• Martin Luther´s “95 Theses” 1517 in Wittenberg–critizes sale of indulgences

• Jan Hus (1369-1415)

• Martin Luther (1483-1546)

Events• Luther asks for full reform of

Catholic Church

• Pope Leo X bans Luther’s works

• Luther declared outlaw by German Emperor Charles V.

• Luther goes into hiding and translates the Bible into German

• Charles V. (1500-1558)

Luther’s Main Ideas

• Salvation achieved only through Grace of God

• Truth only in Bible - People have to read Bible themselves

• Church can’t forgive sins based on money contributions

Effects

• End of religious unity

• New protestant churches

• Kings increase power over church

• Religious wars and persecution

• Education becomes more important

The Holy Roman Empire

• German Peasants revolt to end serfdom

• German Princes split between Lutheran and Catholic doctrines

• Charles V. fights war against Protestant princes

The Holy Roman Empire

• Peace of Augsburg in 1555 gives Germany an uneasy 60 year peace

• Subjects have to follow the religion of their ruler

• Conflicts between Protestant and Catholics lead to 30-Years-War (1618-1648)

Holy Roman Empire

• Peace of Westphalia (1648):

- Protestant Princes are fully accepted, have hegemony over their territory

- Power of Holy Roman Emperor effectively weakened, no common foreign policy

- France, England become more influential than Holy Roman Empire

England

• Pope refuses to annul Henry VIII. marriage with Catherine of Aragon

• Henry VIII breaks away from Catholicism and founds Anglican Church

England

Henry confiscates lands of the church

King of England Head of Church

Power of Kings increases in England

Wars of Religion in England

Protestantism becomes dominant under Elizabeth I.

France

• Protestant Minority: Hugeonots

• Civil War between Hugenots and Catholics

• Hugenot leader converts to Catholicism („Paris is worth a mass“.), grants protestanst limited religious freedom (Edict of Nantes)

Massacre of St. Bartholemew´s Day

Other Reformers

• John Calvin

• John Knox: Presbyterian Church

• Huguenots: in France

• Anabaptists: Radical Community that believes in equal property for everybody

Reaction of the Church

Luther excommunicated

Counterreformation

Council of Trent

Inquisition

Jesuit Order: Establishes Catholic schools all over the World