THE REFORMATION

Outcome: Martin Luther and the Reformation

The Reformation
1. Setting the stage:
a. By the tenth century, the Roman Catholic Church dominated religious
life in Northern and Western Europe.
b. Many people began to criticize the Churchs practices
c. People felt that Church leaders were too interested in worldly pursuits,
such as gaining wealth and political power

The Reformation
Reformation: A movement of religious
reform.

2. Causes of The Reformation
a. Social
i. Renaissance values let to people to question the Church
ii. The printing press helped to spread ideas critical of the Church

a. Political
i. Monarchs (kings) challenged the Church as the supreme power in
Europe
ii. Many leaders viewed the pope as a foreign ruler and
challenged his authority

2. Causes of The Reformation
c. Economic
i. European princes and kings were jealous of the Churchs wealth
ii. Merchants and others resented having to pay taxes to the Church

c. Religious
i. Some Church leaders had become worldly (secular) and corrupt
ii. Many people found Church practices such as indulgences as
unacceptable

2. Causes of The Reformation
a. Other examples:
i. Pope Alexander VI admitted that he had fathered several
children
ii. Many priests and monks were poorly educated and couldnt teach
people
iii. Other clergy married, drank, or gambled
iv. Simony, Lay investiture, and the age old division of Church vs.
State

Martin Luther
Martin Luther and the Reformation
3. Luther Challenges the Church
a. Martin Luther
i. Parents wanted him to be a lawyer, became a monk and teacher instead
ii. Taught scripture at University of Wittenberg in German state of
Saxony
iii. His 95 Theses began the Reformation
iv. Martin Luther believed it was ok for clergy to marry and he did so

Martin Luther and the Reformation
b. 95 Theses
i. Luther took a stand against Johann Tetzel who was selling indulgences to pay
for the rebuilding of St. Peters Cathedral in Rome
ii. Indulgences: A pardon which released a sinner from
performing the penalty a priest imposed for sins.
iii. Indulgences were not supposed to affect Gods right to judge
iv. Tetzel gave people impression that they were buying their way into heaven
v. On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the
castle church in Wittenberg
vi. The 95 Theses were formal statements attacking pardon-merchants
vii. Martin Luthers actions began the Reformation

Caricature of Pope Alexander VI
by Martin Luther, 1545
Martin Luther and the Reformation
c. Luthers Teachings
i. Good works not needed for salvation, a person could win
salvation based on faith
ii. Church teachings should be based on Bible not pope or
Church traditions which could be corrupt or false
iii. Priests not needed to interpret the Bible because all people with faith
were equals

Protestant
Churches
in
France
(Late 16
c
)

Martin Luther and the Reformation
d. Response to Luther
i. Pope Leo X threatened Luther with excommunication if he didnt take back his
statements
ii. Instead of taking statements back, Luther burned the popes decree
iii. Leo then excommunicated Luther
iv. Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (Catholic) summoned Luther to
Worms in 1521 to recant (take back) his statements
v. Charles issues Edict of Worms ---> declared Luther an outlaw and heretic
and no one was to give him food or shelter
vi. Frederick the Wise of Saxony sheltered Luther ---> While there Luther
translated the New Testament into German
vii. In 1522 Luther returned to Wittenberg and his followers became known as
Lutherans
viii. The princes in Germany that supported Luther banded together to protest
against those who were against Luthers ideas, became known as Protestants

Reformation
Europe
(Late 16
c
)

Result: Because of Martin Luthers actions, Christianity has two main branches in
the Western world: Catholicism and Protestantism.
THE PROTESTANT
REFORMATION AND THE
COUNTER
REFORMATION
Henry VIII
He wanted a son
Devout Catholic, but he
needed a male heir.
1527, his wife (Catherine)
is 42 and will have no
more children.
Wanted divorce, but
against Church law so he
sought out an annulment
from the pope.
Denied, pope didnt want to
upset Charles V

Henry VIII continues
1529 asks Parliament to end the power of the pope in
England
1533 secretly marries Anne Boleyn and Parliament
legalizes divorce from Catherine.
1534 Act of Supremacy by Parliament makes English king,
not the pope, the official head of Englands church.
Closed all English monasteries (20% of land) and the crown
becomes more wealthy.
Anne never gave him a son married four more times and
only one son, Edward.

Legacy of Henry VIII
Each of 3 children
eventually ruled.
Then came Elizabeth I.
Only legal church was the
national church (Church of
England or Anglican
Church).
Attend or pay a fine
Anglican Church was
compromise for both
Protestants and Catholics
The Catholic Reformation Counter
Reformation
Ignatius of Loyola
1521 injured in war
Wrote Spiritual Exercises,
which laid out a day-by-day
plan of meditation, prayer,
and study
Became the founder of the
Society of Jesus, or Jesuits
3 activities
Founded superb schools in
Europe
Convert non-Christians to
Catholicism
Stop Protestant from
spreading
Reforming Popes
Two popes took lead in reforming the Church:
Paul III and Paul IV
Paul III
Took four steps toward reform
Organized Council of Trent (MOST IMPORTANT):
Churchs interpretation of Bible is final
Christians need faith and good works for salvation
Bible and Church tradition were equally powerful
authorities for guiding Christian life
Indulgences were valid expressions of faith.
Reforming Popes
Paul IV
Vigorously carried out council's decrees.
Legacy of Reformation
Protestantism flourished against all odds
Religion not a unifying factor in Europe anymore
Leads to more powerful monarchs and paves way for
modern nation-states.
Helped set stage for the modern world.
Review
Is the following Catholic or Protestant?
Every Christian is a priest who can communicate directly
with God.
Martin Luther and John Calvin are heretics.
People can only get closer to God with the help of
clergymen.
Leaders of nations in Europe who want to handle religious
matters in their own countries should be able to do so.
Leaders of the Protestant Reformation are heroes of
religious freedom.
Only the Bible is free of error and therefore man should
depend on the Bible as the way to salvation.
Review
Continuing
The Pope is wiser, better, and holier than other
Christians.
The Reformation threatens to destroy religious unity in
Europe.
We should always be disposed to believe that which
appears to us to be white is really black, if the
hierarchy of the Church so decides.
The pope is not the head of the church by divine
rightThe pope must be of the devil. For what is not
of God must of necessity be of the devil.
Who Said What?
Whereas the power of conferring indulgences
was granted by Christ to the Churchthe
Sacred Holy synod (meeting) teaches and
enjoins (agrees) the use of indulgences is to
be retained in the church; it condemns with
anathema those who either assert that they
are useless, or who deny that there is in the
Church the power of granting them.

Council of Trent
Who Said What?
God foreordained, for his own glory and the
display of attributes of mercy and justice, a
part of the human race, without any merit of
their own, to eternal salvation and the other
part, in just punishment of their sin, to eternal
damnation.


John Calvin
Who Said What?

There is no divine authority for preaching that
the soul flies out of purgatory immediately as
the money clinks in the till.


Martin Luther
Who Said What?


The King rightfully and justly is and ought to
be the supreme head of the Church of
England.


Henry VIII
Who Said What?
I am bound by the Sacred Scriptures, I have
citedand my conscience is captive to the
Word of God. I cannot and will no recant
anythingfor I do not accept the authority of
the Pope or the councils of the church alone,
since it is established that they have often
erred.

Martin Luther
Who Said What?


There exists a priesthood of all believers.



Ignatius of Loyola
Who Said What?

No papal bull[order] will prevent me from
marrying my beloved and fathering an heir to
my throne.



Henry VIII
Who Said What?

We shall devote ourselves to God and be as
an army to complete special missions for his
holiness the Pope (this is not an actual
quotation).


Ignatius of Loyola