The Protestant Reformation

1. The Protestant Reformation • What is it? • A time period in which people protested against the Catholic Church for • Corruption • Abuses • People broke away from the Catholic Church and formed their own sects • Led to the formation of Protestantism

2. Martin Luther Leads the Reformation • Causes of the Reformation • Criticisms of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) • Popes spent a lot of $$$, one fathered children • Priest and monks were uneducated, drank, and married • The RCC was corrupt and everyone knew it

3. Martin Luther • German priest and monk • Leader of the Protestant Reformation • Disagreed with Church policy • The practice of selling indulgences • The power of the Pope • Achievement of salvation • Wanted to clean up rampant Church corruption

4. What is an indulgence? • It removes all or part of the punishment that is due for sin • Many preachers claimed indulgences absolved buyers from all punishments and granted them salvation • Martin Luther was vehemently against the practice of selling indulgences

5. The 95 Theses • Written by Luther in 1517 • Described his views on • The selling of indulgences • Church abuses • Posted on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg (present-day Germany) • Most important church of the Holy Roman Empire (HRE)

6. Response from the Church • Pope Leo X demanded Luther recant • Faced excommunication • Luther refused to recant, and was excommunicated • HRE Emperor Charles V also opposed Luther • Called Luther to the Diet of Worms (General Assembly of the HRE) in 1521 • Pressured Luther to recant • Luther refused to recant his views

7. Edict of Worms • Consequences for Luther • Declared an outlaw in the HRE • His literature was banned, and he could be killed “without legal consequence” • Excommunicated by the Catholic Church • Luther secretly returns to Wittenberg (1522) • Many northern princes support Luther (Protestants) • A way to break from HRE and claim own land • German civil war ensues

8. German Civil War (1547-1555) • Catholics vs. Protestants • Ended with the Peace of Augsburg • Each German prince could choose own religion • Northern provinces remained Protestant • Southern provinces stayed Catholic • Protestantism spread throughout northern Europe • Luther gained many followers

9. Martin Luther • Followers became known as Protestants • Specifically “Lutherans” • His Teachings • Salvation through faith alone • Teachings should come straight from Bible • Pope and many church traditions were false • All people with faith are equal • Became the foundation of Protestantism

10. The English Reformation • England was a Catholic nation • King Henry VIII was known as “Defender of the Faith” • He also wanted a son to pass his kingdom • Thought the country would dive into civil war without an heir • His wife could only bare one daughter – Mary

11. King Henry VIII rebels • King Henry VIII asks the Pope for an annulment of their marriage • Pope refuses the request (for political reasons) • King Henry VIII responds by calling Parliament • Act of Supremacy (1534) • The King of England replaces the Pope as head of the Church of England

12. Consequences of the English Reformation • Henry is able to annul his own marriage • Marries 7 times in total • Has three children - Mary, Edward, & Elizabeth • King Henry rules as a Protestant King • Official religion becomes Protestantism • Church officials are jailed, Churches converted • Catholicism is outlawed

13. After King Henry VIII • England saw a series of religious problems following King Henry VIII • Each of Henry’s children ruled according to their own religious beliefs • Edward VI ruled as a strict Protestant, then • Mary I who was a very religious Catholic, then • Elizabeth, who was Protestant

14. Queen Elizabeth I • Had very moderate religious views • Established the Anglican Church • Sought to appease both sides • Allowed more religious freedom