Terms

• Reformation: the religious reform of the

early 1500-1600s that led to new
formations of Christian groups.
• Protestant: a Christian who separated
from the Roman Catholic Church during the
Reformation.
• Denomination: a particular religious
group within a larger faith.
• Heresy: opinions that contradict official
doctrine.
• Doctrine: the official beliefs and ideas of a
church.
 Early Situation
• In the 16th century Europe was caught up by
religious upheavals.
• The assumption of one faith, one law or king that
was commonly advocated by church in the Middle
Ages became no more acceptable in the 1500s.
• The Roman Catholic Church thus became neither
a unified nor an unchallenged institution.
• The dissatisfaction as well as the quest for reform
however grew time after time particularly at the
end of the 15th and early 16th centuries.
• Religious Discontent: Corruption in the Catholic
Church (indulgences, wealth, moral laxity and
increased interference of the church with the life
of the people brought about serious and deepened
 Early Situation
• Political Fragmentation: Rise of nation-states vs.
papal authority.
– The pope who was both the spiritual head of Western
Christendom as well as the secular ruler of the papal
states, were corrupted by family promotion.
– The preoccupation of the pope in the constitution of
Papal States, glorification of Rome by ambitious building
schemes and the growth of papal bureaucracy led to vast
expenditure.
– Instead of having reforms in the church, there also
occurred the sale of papal indulgences on an
unprecedented scale.
– The abuse of the power to grant indulgences provoked
Martin Luther to write his ninety five theses against the
indulgences to nail them at the door of a church in 1517.
– This is assumed to have marked traditionally the
beginning of Lutheran revolt.
Corruption
in the Church
• Absolute power corrupts
absolutely.
• The Catholic Church up
through the 1300s was
the most powerful and
wealthy group in Europe.
• It ruled without question
and allowed no
dissention.
 Church Abuses
• The church increased
fees on common services
like baptism and
marriage to pay for these
things

• Sold Indulgences: Lesson

the time the soul would
spend in purgatory.

• in the Middle Ages

indulgences were passed
out for good deeds, now
they are being sold for
money
Corruption
• Indulgences- selling
forgiveness of sin.
• Simony- selling church
positions.
– Rich people could control
the church.
• Nepotism- giving church
positions to family
members
• Relics- Fake objects that
could “cure illnesses” and
“bestow blessings.”
Early Reformer:
Desiderius Erasmus
• Desiderius Erasmus
was a humanist from
Holland.
• He was against
simony and nepotism.
• He wanted to reform
the Church, not break
away from it.
• He wanted the Bible
in people’s
vernacular.
• “Erasmus laid the
egg, Luther hatched
it.”
Martin Luther
• The official start of
the Reformation
began with the
German priest,
Martin Luther.
• Luther decided that
the Bible said
salvation came from
God through faith
by grace and could
not be earned by
good works.
 Luther’s New Theology
Catholic Protestant
1) Salvation through 1) Salvation through
Faith and Works Faith alone
2) Theology is based on 2) Theology is based on
the Bible and other the Sole Authority of
canonized writings the Bible
3) One reaches God 3) One reaches God by
through the Priests serving as their own
of the Church priest, placing the
importance on the
individual.

10
95 Theses
• In 1517, Pope Leo X
needed money to finish St.
Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
• To raise money, he sold lots
of indulgences all over
Europe.
– Buyers were promised pardons
for their sins, their families’,
and friends’ sins.
• Luther said this was false
salvation.
• He posted 95 theses, or
arguments, on a church door
in Wittenberg and sent a
list to the Pope.
 95 Thesis
• Hung the “95 Theses” on Church door at
Wittenberg-Germany
• No basis for Indulgences in the Bible
• The Pope had no authority
• Christians could be saved only through
faith

• Excommunicated by Pope Leo X in 1521

• Luther was considered as heretic and his views
were condemned. Lutheran proposition was
viewed as a ‘Poisonous virus’.
• He gained many supporters and after 1529 his
followers became known as Protestants.
 Cont,
• Taken as an attack on the church, Luther is
called to recant his beliefs by the Pope, and
later, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.
• “Here I Stand” was Luther’s reply, meaning
to stay true to his conscience.
• The Diet (assembly) of Worms acknowledges
Luther as a heretic and calls for his
execution.
• Luther’s ideas received support from the
Christian Humanist and the German Princes,
who see this as a means of getting more
power.
• Luther, under the protection of a German
 Cont’d.
• The elector Frederick III of Saxony was
determined to protect the reformers in his
territory.
– Fredrick III was the political opponent of Cardinal
Albrecht von Hohenzollern, and had banned the
clergies from selling indulgences in his lands.
– He had also financial motives of keeping the
Saxon’s money from sending to the Ducky of
Rome. F
– Luther was thus given the protection from the
elector and Luther was able to publicize his cause
with the relative safety
 Spread of Lutheranism
• Luther’s teaching then lay on in reasserting the
link between theological controversy in the
universities and the ordinary Christian’s.
• Rapid Dissemination: Pamphlets, vernacular Bible
translations.
– the New Testament by 1522, and Old Testament by 1534.
• German Princes saw this as a way to to resist
imperial control.
• Peasants revolted and took up Luther’s ideas in
hope that things would change serfdom
• - Peasant Revolts (1524–1525): Luther sided with
princes.
 Spread of Lutheranism
• War in Germany
– between Charles V and Protestant Princes
– In 1530, Charles was to threaten them with force;
Lutherans formed a defensive league in 1531 at a small
town at Saxon.
– Throughout, the 1530s, this alliance consolidated
protestant gains and brought new princes into the cause.
– In 1546 war broke out; Charles won a crushing victory
over the Lutherans in 1547, the new faith had won the
devotion of a large part of the German people,
particularly in the North and East.
– Some of the great cities of the South which had been
centers of humanism had also come over to the Lutheran
side.
• Peace of Augsburg
– Allowed each prince to decide which religion
 The Sect with in the Protestant
Church
• The religious movement of the sixteenth
century launched by Luther had a number of
consequences.
– One immediate outcome was the opposition within
the religious life itself.
• The dissent standard by Luther in other wards
inspired a multitude of sects; among such
division were for example the Zwginglianism,
Calvinism and Anglican churches.
– Zwginglianism was founded by Ulrich Zwingli (1464-
1531) at Zurich ; he died in a war with the Catholics.
• They are all related to Protestantism but with
some difference of their own.
John Calvin
• 1509-1564
• A French humanist who
wrote Institutes of the
Christian Religion.
• He taught that salvation
was from God’s grace
for his elect.
– Predestination was the
key to salvation.
– God’s supremacy was
stressed over all things.
– People could not
determine or choose their
salvation.
• Implications??
 Predestination
• Predestination
teaches that ALL
events have been
willed by God.
• Because of this, no
one can choose their
own salvation.
• Free will is impossible
in this diagram.
• God has chosen, or
elect, those who are
destined for Heaven
and those damned to
hell.
 King Henry’s Complaint
• King Henry VIII was not an intentional reformer
like the rest.
• His reform occurred because of personal and
political reasons.
• Personal:
– He wanted a divorce from Catherine of Aragon,
daughter of Isabella I of Spain, niece of the Pope,
because she couldn’t produce a son and he was
interested in Anne Boleyn.
– Being a Catholic, he needed the Pope’s permission for
a divorce.
– The Pope said “no.”
– So, he broke away from the Pope.
• Political:
– He no longer had the Pope interfering in his business.
 Anglicanism
• The Church of
England, or
Anglicanism, was
close to Lutheranism
in that it taught that
salvation was granted
by God’s grace
through a person’s
faith and repentance
of their sins.
• The ultimate source
of authority was the
Bible, as interpreted
by the monarch.
 Outcomes
• German states chose Lutheranism or Catholicism.
– No tolerance for other sects (e.g., Calvinism).
– Strengthened princely power; weakened Holy Roman
Empire.
• Generally it can be summarized, that the early
reformation was diverse and had many leader.
• Hence, it seems difficult to state out that
Lutheranism would become the dominant force
within the reformation.
• However, it must be pointed out that Lutheranism
spread out of Germany to Sweden, Denmark,
Norway, Finland and the Eastern Baltic all
Scandinavia and the Baltic regions
 Counter-Reformation
• The Catholic Church watched as Europe began
embracing Protestantism.
• In the first half of the sixteenth century Catholic
Church came at the lowest stage in its history.
• However during Paul III (1534-1549) the pope of
the Catholic Church, the situation was changed.
– understood the severe threat the protestant reformer
posed to the future of Catholic Church.
– recognized the need for doctrinal responses.
– Understood uncertainties in catholic doctrine could be
resolved only by a reexamination of traditional theology
• For the long run revival of Catholicism Paul III,
therefore made a series of superb appointments
to the college cardinals who came from all over
Europe.
 Council of Trent (1545–1563
• In 1545 a general council of church leaders called by the
pope assembled at Trent and met irregularly until the
delegates managed to complete their work in 1563.
• The council was intended to establish a clear definition of
practice and belief, and to bring to an end the long-standing
theological uncertainties or differences of opinion.
• The council however seemed a delayed action probably
because of the need to reexamine those fundamental
Catholic dogmas which had been criticized by the
reformers.
• The Catholic Church had come out of its challenge at the
council of Trent.
– In fact the circumstance of the council was encircled with
problems.
– It was the time when political as well as ecclesiastical
divisions had been activity operating in Europe.
– There was national faction as well.
•
Council
It reaffirmed:
of Trent (1545–1563
– Faith and good works for
salvation
– Predestination was wrong.
• Doctrinal Reaffirmations:
• Scripture + tradition =
authority.
• Seven sacraments, free will,
good works.
• Reforms:
• - Seminary education for
priests.
• - Condemnation of indulgences’
abuse.
• Impact:
• Unified Catholic doctrine;
• Accordingly to the council, it was decided that
– The Bible is not the exclusive authority for the believer
– Church tradition holds an equal place in establishing religious truth
– Human will is free, good works as well as faith are a means of
salvation, all seven sacraments are channels of grace, and Christ’s
sacrifice is reenacted in every mass
– Endorsed the special position of the priest and insisted that God be
worshipped with appropriately elaborate ceremonies and rites.
– The vulgate, the Latin translation of the Bible was decreed to be a
holy text they would avoid mistranslation affirmed the validation of
it
– Hence forth the papacy was to be the sole source of doctrinal
interpretation and the judge of disputes arising from the
implementation of the disciplinary decrees.
– Rejected the evangelical reformers emphasis on scriptural authority
for all matters to do with doctrine
– Reasserted the value of good works and reaffirmed purgatory and
the use of indulgences although ‘all evil gains’ from their sale was
condemned.
 Council of Trent (1545–1563
• After the council, the Catholic Church was filled with new
atmosphere of dedication.
• A new generation of church leaders arose.
• In addition remarkable women adherents of new religious
orders emerged within the revival of Catholicism.
• Such female figures had placed an essential role in the
Counter Reformation.
• With such leaders of the church thus bent on reform, and
the restoration of the faith maximum effect was made
possible.
• The established religious order by Ignatius Loyola in 1540
i.e. the Society of Jesus had also its own contribution.
• The division of Protestantism compared with the unity of
Catholicism had role of its own for the success of the
Catholic Church.
 Jesuits
• Ignatius of Loyola was a
Counter-Reformer who
founded the Society of
Jesus, or Jesuits.
• The Jesuits were “soldiers
for Christ” who were
missionaries and teachers
of Catholic teaching.
• Role: - Missionary work
(Europe, Asia, Americas).
• - Education and
reconversion of Protestants.
• Strengthened global
Catholic presence.
 Outcomes of the
•
Reformation
Religious: Permanent split in Christianity
(Catholic, Lutheran, Calvinist, Anglican).
• Political: Rise of nation-states; decline of
papal influence.
• Social/Economic: Growth of capitalism
(e.g., Protestant work ethic).
- Vernacular liturgy and Bible access.
 Religious Wars
• French Wars of Religion- from 1562-
1598 between Catholics and Protestants
(especially the Huguenots) that left
over a million people dead.
• Thirty Years’ War- mostly within the
Holy Roman Empire (Germany) between
Catholics and Protestants and
Protestants…
– It ended with the Peace of Westphalia.
– This was peace between the Protestants and
Catholics and set boundaries for the two.