Anabaptists & The Catholic Reformation

Protestantism & The State

Luther and many other Protestant reformers allowed the government to play a dominant role in church affairs

Radical anabaptists strongly disliked the idea of giving so much power to the state

Anabaptists vs. Catholics & Protestants Catholics & Protestants both

baptized infants

Anabaptists believed that religion should be a voluntary community of adult believers For this reason, they believed

baptism should take place during adulthood, when people were able to consciously choose their religion

Anabaptist Practices Believed in the spirit of early Christianity

Considered all believers to be equal (based on New Testament)

Each church chose its own minister/spiritual leader

All Christians were considered priests, so any member of the community was eligible to be a minister

Complete separation of church and state Keep government out of religion

Government should not have authority over real Christians

Refused to hold political office or bear arms

Took many commandments literally

Views of Anabaptists Their political and

religious beliefs caused them to be regarded as dangerous radicals who threatened the very fabric of sixteenth century society

One of the only things Catholics and Protestants could agree on was the need to persecute Anabaptists

Protestant Success By the mid-16th century, the Catholic

Church had lost much of its power and influence in Europe Lutheranism was rooted in Germany and

Scandinavia

Calvinism had taken hold in Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, and much of Eastern Europe.

England split from the pope in Rome to create its own national church

Catholic Reformation Catholic Church concentrated on

gaining new strength to regain what it had lost to Protestants in 3 main ways: The Jesuit Order

The reform of the papacy

The Council of Trent

The Jesuits Society of Jesus (aka Jesuits)

founded by Spanish nobleman Ignatius of Loyola in 1540

Took special vow of absolute obedience to pope (important instrument for papal policy)

Used education to spread message

Used missionaries to restore Catholicism to parts of Germany and eastern Europe as well as spreading it to other parts of world

Reform of Papacy After corruption of Renaissance popes, Pope

Paul III perceived need for change. Took bold step of appointing Reform Commission in 1537 to determine the Church’s wrongdoings

Commission blamed Church’s problems on failure and corruption of past popes & recognized forward-thinking Jesuits as new religious order

Council of Trent March 1545, group of cardinals, archbishops, bishops, abbots,

and theologians met in city of Trent (border between Italy & Germany) Began council, which met every 18 years

Reaffirmed traditional Catholic teachings in opposition to Protestant beliefs

Faith and good works declared necessary for salvation

7 sacraments and clerical celibacy all upheld

Belief in purgatory and use of indulgences strengthened (though selling them became forbidden)

Roman Catholic Church now had clear body of doctrine and was unified under supreme leadership of pope. Renewed spirit of confidence

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