The Protestant Reformation

1. The Protestant Reformation Call for Church Reform

2. Vocabulary: • Reformation: movement to reform the Catholic church; led to the creation of Protestantism • Indulgence: reduced the Church’s punishment for a sin

3. Vocabulary: • Theology: the study of religion and God • Predestination: belief that no matter what a person does, the outcome of his or her life is already planned by God

4. Martin Luther • A young monk • In 1517, he challenged the Roman Catholic Church • Said that the pope (head of the Catholic Church) couldn’t decide what a person had to do to get into heaven

5. Martin Luther continued • Eventually, his challenge of the pope’s authority led to the creation of new churches in Western Europe • At 1st, he only wanted to reform (change) the church • This is why we call it these events “ The Reformation”

6. The Reformation • Became the beginning of a movement known as “Protestantism” • By the end of the Reformation, many new Christian churches had appeared in Europe

7. What Ideas led to the Reformation? Desiderius Eramus • Wrote that humans could use their reasoning skills to become better Christians & improve the church • Wanted even the farmers working in the field to stop and read the Bible

8. Desiderius Eramus • He wrote that what mattered was that people were good in their everyday lives • It was not good enough to just attend religious activities, like attending church on Sunday

9. Desiderius Eramus

10. Church Upsets Reformers: • By the 1300’s, many thought the church had problems • Taxed people heavily • Some bishops behaved like they were kings: • They built palaces • Spent money on fine art • Made sure their relatives had good jobs • In many villages, priest could barely read or give a good sermon

11. Anger for the Church • Many were upset with the Church’s focus on money • One Church practice that angered them were “indulgences” • Reduced the Church’s punishment for a sin • They had given out indulgences before but usually did not sell them

12. Indulgences • In the 1500’s, the pope needed money to repair the church of St. Peter’s in Rome • He decided to sell indulgences to raise money

13. Sale • The sale of indulgences enraged Martin Luther • Angry that church leaders allowed people to think this was a pardon for sin • Idea of selling God’s forgiveness seemed “unholy” to him • Not the 1st person to question the pope’s power

14. John Wycliffe • English Priest, who as early as 1370’s, opposed Church policies • Preached that Christians needed only to recognize Jesus as a power above them, not the pope • Wycliffe & Luther both challenged the pope’s power but also both had a great respect for the Bible

15. Wycliffe • Wanted everyone to read the Bible • Translated many passages from Latin into English for his followers • After his death, his followers finished the translating of the Bible. • This created the 1st English edition of the Bible

16. Who was Martin Luther? • Concluded that only faith, not good works, brought salvation • Believed salvation was a gift from God, not something earned by helping others • Astonished that the Church would tell peasants that they could “buy” their salvation

17. Ninety-Five Theses • Written by Martin Luther • 95 arguments against the selling of indulgences • Sent them to the Bishop • Also, nailed them to the door of Wittenberg Cathedral for all to read • Thousands of copies made and read all across the German Kingdoms

19. Theses Quote “He who gives to a poor man, or lends to a needy man, does better than if he bought pardons.” -Martin Luther

20. Church Reaction • Did not take Luther seriously • Soon realized that if people believed him then they would rely on the Bible and not the priests or indulgences • Pope & Luther argued for several years

21. Punishment for Luther • Pope excommunicated (kicked out) Luther from Church • No longer a member of the Church or a monk • Could not receive sacraments

22. Luther’s Ideas led to: • Creation of a new denomination (organized branch of Christianity) • Known as “Lutheranism” • 1st Protestant denomination

23. 3 Main Ideas of Lutheranism: • Faith in Jesus, not good deeds, brings salvation • Bible is the final source of truth, not a church or its ministers • Church made up of believers, not just the clergy

24. Revolts • Even the peasants heard about Luther and his fight w/ the pope • Life had always been hard but in 1520’s, it was terrible • Crops had been poor for several years

25. Peasants Revolt • They felt if Luther was right and could stand up to the pope, then they must have the right to stand up to greedy nobles • Made a list of their demands based on the Bible • Revolts broke out but the peasants were soon defeated

26. Nobles • Top of the social scale • Had better weapons & horses • Won easily- killing thousands of peasants

27. Luther Sympathy: • Felt sorry for peasants but hated the violence • Criticized nobles for treatment of the lower class peasants • Afraid of what would happen to the peasants w/out a strong government • Told them that God had set the government above them & they must obey it.

28. Politics & Lutheranism • Local kings and nobles of the Roman Empire did not want Charles V (the Holy Roman Emperor) to become too powerful • Realized they could increase their power if they supported Lutheranism • When the kings became Lutheran, their entire kingdom did also

29. Money • Catholic Church could not earn income from the Lutheran kingdoms • Charles V fought with local kings but could not defeat them

30. Role of Charles V in Lutheranism • Emperor with a lot of power • Other rulers resented him & wanted out of his control • Signed Peace of Augsburg • An agreement that allowed each ruler to choose whether his kingdom would be Lutheran or Catholic • Most of Northern Germany became Protestant

31. John Calvin • Studied theology (the study of questions about God) • Taught God’s will is absolute and decides everything in the world in advance, including who will go to heaven & who will not • This belief is called “predestination”

32. Calvinism • Encouraged people to work hard and behave • Congregations should choose their own leaders • Supported the idea of English settlers in America • Should be able to choose political leaders

33. Calvinism Continued: • Basis of many Protestant churches, such as Puritans & Presbyterians

34. Counter-Reformation • Catholic Church fought against Protestantism, it knew it needed to reform some practices • Pope Paul III called a church council at Trent, near Rome, to reform the Church

35. Changes • Clergy were instructed to do a better job teaching people in the faith • Created seminaries or special schools to train priests

36. Jesuits • Priests belonging to the Society of Jesus (known as Jesuits) were the pope’s agents in Europe • Ignatius of Loyola founded the Jesuits • Jesuits taught, preached, and fought “heresy” or religious beliefs that contradict what the Church says is true

37. Social Classes • Lower classes in France were mostly Catholic • Many French nobles were Protestant • French Protestants were known as Huguenots • The Bourbons, who were Protestant, were the 2nd most powerful family France

38. A Civil War • Broke out between the Catholics & Protestants that lasted more than 30 years • Ended when Henry IV, leader of Huguenot forces and head of the Bourbon family, became king • He agreed to become Catholic

39. Thirty Years’ War • Fought between the Catholics and Protestants in the Roman Empire from 1618-1648

40. Henry IV • Issued the Edict of Nantes • Recognized Catholicism as France’s official religion • Also gave the Huguenots the right to worship freely

41. During the 1400’s • English nobles fought each other for control of the kingdom • Henry VIII was the 2nd Tudor king of England • Wanted to make sure peace was maintained & his family stayed in power

42. Henry VIII • His wife didn’t have a male child, so he asked the Pope to “annul” his marriage • This would leave him free to marry again and try produce a son with another wife

43. Pope Response • The Pope refused • Henry then asked the highest religious official in England, the Archbishop of Canterbury, to annul his marriage • The Pope then excommunicated Henry

44. Henry’s Response • Henry declared that the king, not the pope, was the head of the Church of England • All priests & bishops were forced to accept Henry as the head of the Church • Some who didn’t were executed

45. Mary I • Daughter of Henry VIII & Catherine of Aragon • Became queen in 1553 • Tried to reinstate Catholicism as the religion of England

46. Mary I • When she died her sister, Elizabeth became queen. • She was Protestant & restored the Anglican Church as the official religion of England

47. Anglican Church • Some wanted them to give up some of their Catholic ways • Formed their own congregations that were not part of the Anglican Church

48. Anglican Church • Puritans were one of these groups • Elizabeth tolerated these groups but James I & Charles I, who came after her, did not • They shut down the Puritan Church & arrested its leaders

49. Test Thursday Study All Notes