The Reformation

The Reformation

Book of Revelations: ch. 13, 17,18 – the Whore of Babylon

Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. […]I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. […] The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. […]12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Martin Luther

Diet of Worms (1521)

Johannes Gutenburg

Catholic Sacraments

• Baptism• Confirmation• Eucharist• Penance (confession)• Last Rites• Holy Orders• Matrimony

Lutheran Sacraments

• Baptism• Eucharist

Catholic Church interior

Luthern Protestant Church

Jean Calvin (Geneva)

Huldrych Zwingli (Zurich)

John Knox (Scotland)

Five points of Calvinism

• Total depravity: no one can save himself from sin• Unconditional election: God has already chosen

who he will save• Limited atonement: Jesus has only atoned the

sins of the elect• Irresistable grace: the elect will ‘irresistably’ do

the will of God• Perseverence of the elect: only the truly elect will

follow God’s path to the end

Transubstantiation

Calvinist meeting house

The situation in England

Catherine of Aragon

Mary Tudor

Leviticus

• 18.16: “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife, it is his nakedness”

• 20.21: “If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is impurity, he has uncovered his brother’s nakedness, they shall be childless”

Anne Boleyn

Sir Thomas Wyatt

‘Whoso List to Hunt, I Know where is an Hind’ – Sir Thomas Wyatt

Whoso list to hunt, I know where is an hind,But as for me, hélas, I may no more.

The vain travail hath wearied me so sore,I am of them that farthest cometh behind.Yet may I by no means my wearied mind

Draw from the deer, but as she fleeth aforeFainting I follow. I leave off therefore,

Sithens in a net I seek to hold the wind.Who list her hunt, I put him out of doubt,

As well as I may spend his time in vain.And graven with diamonds in letters plain

There is written, her fair neck round about:Noli me tangere, for Caesar's I am,

And wild for to hold, though I seem tame.

Love Letter (14) From Henry to Anne Boleyn (1528)

MINE own SWEETHEART, this shall be to advertise you of the great elengeness that I find here since your departing ; for, I ensure youmethinketh the time longer since your departing now last, than I was wont to do a whole fortnight. I think your kindness and my fervency of lovecauseth it ; for, otherwise, I would not have thought it possible that for so little a while it should have grieved me. But now that I am coming to-wards you, methinketh my pains be half removed ; and also I am right wellcomforted in so much that my book maketh substantially for my matter;in looking whereof I have spent above four hours this day, which causeth menow to write the shorter letter to you at this time, because of some pain inmy head; wishing myself (especially an evening) in my sweetheart’s arms,whose pretty dukkys I trust shortly to kiss. Written by the hand of him that was, is, and shall be yours by his ownwill,

H.R.

William Tyndale

• “[the king] is ordained to take vengeance and hath a sword in his hand and not peacock’s feathers. Fear him therefore and look on him as thou wouldest look on a sharp sword that hanged over thy head by an [sic] hairWho gave the Pope the authority to command God to damn people?

Act of Supremacy 1534

• The monarch is the supreme head of the English Church

• The Oath of Supremacy: all citizens must accept the king as the head of the church

• The new church is known as the Anglican Church (meaning simply English Church)

Dissolution of the Monastaries 1536-1541

RELIGIONS IN BRITAIN AND IRELAND IN THE 16th CENTURY

• England: mostly Anglican• Scotland: mostly Calvinist• Ireland: Mostly Catholic

Catholic Religion

• Pre-reformation Christian institution• Still dominates most of Europe• Governed by the Pope from Rome

Anglican Protestantism

• The official state religion of England: Anglicanism remains the most authoritative religion in England well into the modern age

• The King of England is head of the Church• Remains relatively close to Catholic theology,

but rejects the authority of the Pope• Adopts many of the basic reforms proposed by

Luther (simple churches, abolition of saints and sacraments, indulgences etc.)

Calvinist Protestantism

• Often fundamentalist/radical in nature• Anti-authoritarian, no official leader• Anti-hierarchy• Focuses purely on the word of the Bible• Mistrusted and feared by many Anglicans, due

to its radical nature