Counter Reformation The reform of the RCC was at this time only a reaction to the noise the reformers were making.The increasing dissatisfaction with the RCC among the populas centered on three areas:

1. Abuse of Power2. Abuse of Money3. Moral Corruption.

Note that Catholics were not too concerned about doctrine but more with the overt worldliness of the church.

Counter Reformation The Counter Reformation is also called the Catholic Reaction, Catholic Reform, or the Catholic Reformation. However, you can pour Chanel No.5 all over a pig but it is still a pig.The changes were welcome and some good and some were bad. But in the end the Roman Catholic Cult was still a cult. (by Evangelical standards)

Counter Reformation The Counter Reformation from the RCC perspective focused on 4 things:1. Doctrinal Purity in the Field (the Inquisition)2. Developing new orders (e.g. the Jesuits & the Carmelites)3. Getting a Pope who actually wants to reform (Concillary Movement)4. Drawing up new policy to insure all the above takes place (Trent)

Jesuits at Akbar's court 1600

Doctrinal Purity in the Field (The Inquisition)

It is not the general policy of the RCC to admit that the Inquisition was part of their policy of reform.

The Spanish Inquisition was given to Spanish rulers, Ferdinand and Isabella by Papal Authority in 1480—Isabella wanted to improve scholarship and Ferdinand wanted to increase his power.

Doctrinal Purity in the Field (The Inquisition)

Ferdinand and Isabella hired Tomas de Torquemada (The Hammer) to oversee operations.

Torquemada invented and allowed every possible method of torture to gain a confession of heresy.

Tomas de Torquemada

Doctrinal Purity in the Field (The Inquisition) Paid informants turned in neighbors. People were tortured for days and weeks until confession was reached then the torture stopped. Papers were signed (giving up their rights to own property) then execution.

After execution the property of the heretic was divided among the inquisitors with some going to the state. Thus the Inquisition was self-financed (very hard to stop).

Doctrinal Purity in the Field (The Inquisition)

It is estimated that over 2000 people met their death this way; young and old, men, women, boys, girls.In other countries the Inquisition was in the form of witch hunts (along with the regular Protestant burnings that occurred in Catholic real estate)  “The Inquisition was finally abolished in Spain in 1834. The last official execution for heresy was in 1826 when a schoolmaster was hanged for substituting “Praise be to God” instead of Ava Maria in school prayers” Paul Johnson A History of Christianity pg 308

New Orders New Orders (like the Augustinian, Dominican or Franciscan) were drawn up to help stop corruption. Included were the:Barnibites—not sureTheatines—used by the Pope to stop heresyCapuchins—helped care fro the poor and sickUrsulines—focused on educating girlsJesuits—a group of traveling missionariesCarmelites—the mystical fringe

Modern Carmelite Monks

New OrdersThe two most important of the new orders were the Carmelites (Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross) and the Jesuits also called the Society of Jesus. Started by St. Ignatius LoyolaLoyola began his career as a military man. After he became wounded he began to struggle with his sin and was prone to visions. But unlike Luther who got saved Loyola dove further into the Roman Catholic Church.After his education at Barcelona and Paris he had a small following of men who took vows to follow the Pope and expand the church

New OrdersThe organization was patterned after Loyola’s military experience. He published a field manual called Spiritual Exercises. Meditation was ordered by a weekly schedule

Week 1—Intended to make one aware of the damnable nature of sin

Week 2—The significance of the life of Christ

Week 3—The passion story

Week 4—The resurrection and ascension

Week 5—Start over at week 1

New OrdersThe Jesuits were known for strict discipline but not strict ethics—they were very much situational—the end justifies the means

Ruins of the Church of St. Paul Built by Jesuits in 1602

The Carmelites Teresa of Avila

Teresa born 1515 of a noble family in Avila in old Castile. Canonized in 1622. She used to read romance novels of chivalry.1535 she entered the Carmelite convent at Avila and took vows to be a nun. Later founded the Barefoot Carmelites (for their practice of wearing sandals not shoes)

Teresa of Avila“Teresa developed definite steps for her attainment of perfect and lasting peace of mind….The soul ascends on the mystical ladder on the rungs of prayer of recollection attained by concentration: the prayer of quietude in which the half-asleep soul touches the supernatural. They prayer of union, in which the soul is overcome by love for the divine and prayer of ecstasy or “spiritual marriage” of the soul with Christ, which conveys to it knowledge not obtainable in any other way” Harold J. Grimm The Reformation Era pg 304“If the Roman Catholic Church can’t get you justified how can we possibly believe they will get you sanctified?” Pastor Terry Enns, Grace Bible Church

Papal Reform or (How to get a Pope that wants to

reform) The history of reform at the top in the RCC is checkered. Pope Leo X (1513-1521) the Pope in power when Luther nailed the 95 Thesis at Wittenberg was more interested in nepotism and personal luxury than religious reform.The next Pope Adrian VI 1522-1523 wanted to reform but did not live long enough to see it happen

Pope Adrian VI

Papal ReformClement VII 1523-1534 was a clone of Leo X so no reform. But instead had to hide in St. Angelo while Charles V sacked Rome.The next Pope Paul III 1534-1549 was interested in astrology & nepotism. Electing teen grandsons as Cardinals

Pope Clement VII

Papal ReformThe next Pope Julius III 1550-1555 was cut from the same cloth as the rest. No reform here

Marcellus II wanted reform but only lived a few months (see a pattern here?)

At this point the mutual opinion of the RCC was that they needed to spread the power around. Pope Julius III

Papal ReformThe Conciliar Movement was a move to de-centralize power away from just the Pope and to have a balance of power with the college of Cardinals. Much like our Congress & Supreme Court balances the power of the President.

This gained in strength until partially instituted at Trent.

The Council of Trent The Council of Trent was partially initiated by the RCC and partially by Charles V who was tired of the corruption of a church he so vigorously supported.Charles V insisted that the Council meet on HRE soil so Trent still in Italy yet in the HRE was selected as the site.

The Council of Trent

Trent met in three stages 1545-47 1551-52 and 1562-63. when it was over very little new doctrine was instituted. However it did do away with some of the abuses of indulgences and priest holding multiple pastorates (for more money) Also Trent encouraged seminary for priests and that they learn Latin.

How It All Shook Out By 1600--The RCC

The RCC in reaction to the Reformation and due to declining revenues due to Protestant cities and counties emerging agreed to (what they call) the 9th Ecumenical Council Trent.The counter Reformation produced new orders, i.e. Jesuits, and a new organizational blueprint. Much of the doctrine from the Middle Ages was re-affirmed with a softening of indulgences a& icons.

The Lutheran Church With the writing of the formula of Concord (1577) and later the Book of Concord 1580, 1584 the Lutheran Church was defined in distinction to the RCC and Calvinism.With Concord and the Augsburg Confession the denomination of “Lutheran” was established.

Book of Concord 1580

Calvinist or Reformed The theological position formulated in the Institutes were accepted more or less by most Reformed churches.Several documents emerged which presented slightly modified versions of Reformed Doctrine. The Belgic Confession (1561) The Heidelberg Catechism (1562) then under Bullinger (Calvin’s successor) the 2nd Helvitic Confession. Later the Synod of Dort crystallized reformed thinking on soteriology.(salvation)

Anglican Following the English Reformation and more especially the first and second books of Common Prayer (1549, 1552) and the 39 Articles the doctrinal position of the Anglican Church was established.The Anglican tradition continued unchallenged until the Westminster Confession of 1647 which was Calvinist and Presbyterian.

Anabaptist Not all who were lumped into the category of Anabaptist held to even the same views on baptism.4 groups can be identified with Anabaptist roots

1. Inspirationists e.g. Thomas Monzer These were political revolutionaries for the most part.

2. Rationalist: (anti-Trinitarian) like Michael Servetus

3. Spiritualists like Sebastian Franck The radical fringe

Anabaptist 4. Anabaptist This group includes: the Swiss Brethren with leaders like Grebel, Hubmeier etc.The South German Brethren with guys like Philip MarpeckThe Hutterites—Jacob HutterThe Dutch Mennonites with Menno Simons