The Protestant Reformation

1517

The Three Branches of Christianity

• One Church – The Five Patriarchs• 1054 The Great Schism – Filioque, St. Peter,

Greek/Latin• Eastern (Greek) Orthodox• Roman Catholic• 1517 – Protestant Reformation

Indulgences

• Sin• Temporal versus eternal

punishment• Penance• Abuse of indulgences• Leo X and St. Peter’s Basilica• Sixtus IV – indulgences for

the dead• Tetzel - "As soon as a coin

in the coffer rings / the soul from purgatory springs"

Pre-reformers

• Jan Hus – Bohemian, protested indulgences, immorality in clergy, burned at stake

• John Wycliffe – translator of Bible into English

Martin Luther

• German monk• Philip Melancthon• 1517 – 95 Theses in

Wittenburg• Still Catholic• Gutenburg’s printing

press

John Calvin

• Moved to Geneva from France

• Resisted papal authority• Set up own society in

Geneva - 1535• No mass, no

monasteries, no longer Catholic, no singing except Psalms

The Counter Reformation

• 1517 - Oratory of Divine Love• 1545 – Council of Trent called

by Pope Paul III• Monastic reforms, stricter

rules• Established Jesuits – militant

missionaries (Ignatius Loyola)• Inquisition – weed out

heresies• List of heretical texts

Ignatius Loyola

• Basque• knight, mystical experiences• Became monk, traveled to

Jerusalem• Returned during Counter-

Reformation• Wrote Spiritual Exercises• Highly intellectual and

ascetic• Founded Jesuits – active

missionaries

Political dimensions

• Northern Europe and Scandinavia turned Lutheran

• Southern, Central and Western Europe remained mainly Roman Catholic

• Eastern Orthodox did not experience a reformation

• German-speaking lands in HRE were the first battleground

• Charles V and the Schmalkaldic League

• 1555 – Peace of Augsburg

• Only protected Lutherans, not Anabaptists or Calvinists