The Protestant Reformation

1. The Protestant Reformation

2. What trends contributed to Reformation? • Cultural: • Technological: • Political: • Spiritual:

3. Cultural Trends: • Better educated, urban populace was more critical of the Church than rural peasantry • Renaissance monarchs were growing impatient with the power of the Church • Society was more humanistic and secular • Growing individualism --John Wyclif

4. Technological Trends: Printing Press • Invention of movable type was invented in 1450 by Johann Gutenberg • Manufacture of paper becomes easier and cheaper • Helped spread ideas before Catholics could squash them • Intensified intellectual criticism of the Church • Protestant ideals appealed to the urban and the literate

5. Political Trends: England • Notion of the Renaissance Prince • Recent War of the Roses created a sense of political instability for the Tudor dynasty --Henry VIII • The significance of a male heir to the Tudors

6. Political Trends: The Holy Roman Empire • Decentralized politics • Pope successfully challenged the monarch here • New HRE, Charles V, is young, politically insecure and attempting to govern a huge realm during the critical years of Luther’s protest • Charles V faced outside attacks from France and the Turks • Circumstances favor Luther

7. Spiritual Trends: • Growing piety, mysticism and religious zeal (passion) among European masses • Dutch Christian humanist Erasmus inadvertently undermines the Church from within --In Praise of Folly (1510) • Call for a translation of the New Testament into Greek • Call for a return to the simplicity of the early Church • Millenarian “fever”

8. Causes of the Reformation • 100 Years War and Black Death • Scientific Advances which contradicted the Church • The Corruption within the Catholic Church

9. The Church’s Problems • The corruption of the Renaissance Papacy • --Rodrigo Borgia • European population was increasingly anti-clerical • Absenteeism of church leaders • --Antoine de Prat • The controversy over the sale of indulgences • Charges of greed • Worldly political power challenged • People tired of dependence on the Church and the limits it enforced • Reject “original sin” • Catholic church becomes defensive in the face of criticism • Scholars contradict Church

10. What was the Protestant Reformation? • Prior to the Reformation all Christians were Roman Catholic • The [REFORM]ation was an attempt to REFORM the Catholic Church • People like Martin Luther wanted to get rid of the corruption and restore the people’s faith in the church • In the end the reformers, like Luther, established their own religions • The Reformation caused a split in Christianity with the formation of these new Protestant religions

11. What was the Protestant Reformation? CHRISTIANITY PROTESTANT CATHOLIC

12. The Reformers • Martin Luther • John Calvin • Henry VIII

13. Martin Luther • Lived from 1483-1546 in Germany • Father encouraged him to study law • A sudden religious experience inspired him to become a monk

14. Martin Luther • He became troubled over the possibility of not going to heaven • He turned to the Bible, and confession for comfort • In the Bible he found the answer he was looking for

15. ROMANS 1:17 “The righteous shall live by faith.” Luther realized that only faith (in the ultimate goodness of Jesus), not good deeds, could save a person. No good works, rituals, etc. would save a person if they did not believe.

16. Luther's 95 Theses • A list of things he thought were wrong with the Catholic Church (95 Complaints) • He criticized: • The Power of the Pope • The Extreme Wealth of the Church • Indulgences (Catholic concept of Salvation)

17. Luther's 95 Theses • Gutenberg’s Printing Press made it possible for Luther to spreadhis beliefs • Posted his 95 Theses on Church doors in Germany • Gainedsupport from people and criticism from Church

18. The first thing printed on Gutenberg’s press was the Bible. • This is a picture of a page from one of Gutenberg’s Bibles.

19. Acceptance of Reforms • Some Local German Churches accepted Luther’s ideas • Supported by German Princes who issued a formal “protest” against the Church for suppressing the reforms • The reformers came to be known as [PROTEST]ants - Protestants

20. CALVINISM • Started in Switzerland – Calvinists • England = Puritans • Scotland = Presbyterians • Holland = Dutch Reform • France = Huguenots • Germany = Reform Church

21. Christianity Protestant Catholic Calvinism Lutheran Presbyterian Puritan Hugeunots

22. Effects of the Reformation Religious/Social Effects: • Catholic Church unified; Protestant denominations grow • Schools created throughout Europe by BOTH groups • Status of women unchanged Political Effects: • Catholic Church’s power lessened • Religion no longer unites Europe • Kings and states more powerful • Church’s authority questioned=rise of inquiry and experimentation • 18th Century: The Enlightenment

23. The Counterreformation: The Church seeks to reform • Pope Paul III • Council of Trent: Cardinals investigate abuses • 1540- Approved Jesuits (founded in 1539 by Ignatius Loyola) • Inquisition punished heretics • Pope Paul IV • Carried out Council Decrees • List of Forbidden Books

24. The Jesuits • Three major activities: • Found and staff schools in Europe • Send out missionaries to all continents • Stop spread of Protestantism • Why were effects long-lasting? • New Catholic communities • Schools still exist Ignatius of Loyola