The Reformation Period

Martin LutherJohn Calvin

King Henry VIII

What led to the Reformation? • The issue of indulgences:

• What are indulgences:• The reduction or elimination of

temporal punishment for sins confessed and forgiven in the sacrament of reconciliation.

• Why was its use allowed?• To collect money to build St. Peter’s

basilica in Rome • What was the problem with the

use/abuse of indulgences?• Important church leaders used the

money to cover personal needs • Such as Prince Archbishop

Albert who used it for his own benefit because he owned money

Life after death• The places: heaven, hell,

purgatory• Purgatory means cleansing • Indulgences were sold with

the idea that people would be spending less time in purgatory

• Plenary indulgences were also sold– A plenary indulgence

removes all temporal punishment due to sin• Some of the money was also

used for the building of St. Peter’s basilica

“Reform the Church”• Martin Luther was a

Catholic priest• Belonged to an Augustinian

religious order• Wrote the 95 Thesis

– was a letter, written respectfully to Prince Archbishop Albert

– Criticizes misunderstanding caused by indulgences, Simony, Corruption in mid-level clergy, etc.

• Translated the bible into German

• Pope Leo X– Wrote Exgurge Domine

• A document excommunicating Martin Luther from the church

Diet of Worms• A gathering to put Luther in trial and make him

repent for what he wrote

• After the Diet of Worms and the excommunication of Luther, the Peasants’ revolt occurred.– Series of uprisings by

German peasants against their landowner

– However, Luther did not agree with the Peasants’ revolt because the peasants abuse the revolts to create more chaos

A new movement emerged• Protestantism emerged• Protestant means one who protests • Non-Lutheran churches were called Reformed

churches

Martin Luther’s teachings• Sola scriptura

– Means scripture alone– It affirms that whatever is needed for salvation is found in the Bible

• Faith alone is necessary for salvation• Justification by faith

– Means that faith in God/Christ justifies/saves us by being in grace with God/Christ

– There is nothing we can do or buy to be saved

Peace of Augsburg

• Was a decree indicating that the prince or king of each state could select either Catholicism or Lutheranism as the official religion for his territory

Reformation period

• Refers to the series of events such as the issue of selling indulgences – that led the church

of the West (Rome) to break into different denominations• Western schism

Western Schism Christianity

Western Churches Eastern ChurchesRoman Protestant: Non-Traditional: Orthodox: Non-Orthodox:Catholic Lutheran Mormon Greek Armenian

Anglican Christian Science Russian Coptic Calvinist Jehovah’s witnesses Serbian Ethiopian Sectarian: African Independent Other Nestorian Baptist Unitarian Other Methodist Unity Quaker Unification Pentecostal Other other

Other Reformers

John Calvin King Henry VIII