The Protestant Reformation

Early Reformers

John Wycliffe (1324-1384)– People should be able to

interpret and read the Bible on their own.

– Lived during Western Schism (more than one pope).

• This caused questioning about Papal Authority.

Early Reformers Cont…

Jan Hus (1369-1415)– He wanted Bishops

elected and not appointed by Pope.

– At the Council of Constance, he made his case but he was burned at the stake for his beliefs.

– Spiritual leader of the Moravian Church.

Early Reformers Cont…

Erasmus (1466-1536)– “Erasmus laid the egg that Luther

hatched.”

– Erasmus remained committed to reforming the Church from within.

– He also held to Catholic doctrines such as that of free will.

• Which some Protestant Reformers rejected in favor of the doctrine of predestination.

Important Developments that aid the process to Reformation!

The Printing Press!!!!– Books are now available to

the masses not just the rich! (Faster production=cheaper books)

– People have access to books whenever they want them.

• How does this relate to the Reformation? Explain your answer?Printing Press = 3,600 pages per workday

Hand Printing = 40 pages per workday

What is the Protestant Reformation?

Protestant Reformation- a religious movement in the 1500’s that split the Christian church in western Europe and led to the establishment of a number of new churches.

– People grew displeased with the churches…• Financial Corruption• Abuse of Power• Immorality

What happens to spark the Reformation?

Pope Leo X needs money to build St. Peter’s Basilica…so he sells indulgences!– Indulgences- were pardons

issued by the pope that people could buy to reduce a soul’s time in purgatory = (People could buy forgiveness)

Weakening of the Church: Buying Indulgences

An indulgence was a release from punishment for sins, in return for good works.

The church would sell indulgences to people to raise money, but only rich people were able to afford them.

People who received indulgences did not have to perform good deeds to make up for their sins and would spend less time in purgatory.

Weakening of the Church: Conflict with Rulers

The church became wealthy and powerful.

King Philip IV tried to tax the French clergy. When the pope threatened to excommunicate him, he had soldiers kidnap the pope. Although they released him, the pope died soon afterward.

Weakening of the Church: Two (or more!) Popes

Pope Clement V moved headquarters from Rome to the French city of Avignon, and the next 6 popes lived there. Pope Gregory XI moved the papacy back to Rome in 1377. When he died, the new pope refused to move back to France.French cardinals elected a rival pope. There were now two popes, and a third one was elected by a church council. Each claimed to be the true head of the church. This was the case for about 30 years.

Language Barriers

Most uneducated people didn’t understand Latin, but knew the local common language or “vernacular”. – Almost all Bibles were written in LATIN

before the Reformation.

It was the job of the church clergy to translate the Bible to lay people.

Martin LutherLuther was a German monk and professor of theology (religion) at the University of Wittenberg. One of the many leaders of the Protestant Reformation.

– Luther objected to a saying attributed to Johann Tetzel that "As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs."

6.Martin Luther

A German priest who disagreed with many Catholic beliefs, and was especially outraged by the selling of indulgences.

He felt that the church was selling false salvation to uneducated people.

7.Martin Luther

In response, Luther posted a list of 95 theses (arguments) against indulgences and church abuses on the church door in the town of Wittenberg. He also sent the list to church leaders.Luther argued that the Bible – not the pope or church leaders – was the ultimate source of religious authority.Luther was excommunicated in 1521, but then later started his own church called the Lutheran Church. Many people followed him because they were also unhappy with church practices.He also translated the Bible into German.This is how the Protestant Reformation began.

Luther’s 95 Theses

In 1517, the 95 Theses were nailed to a church door. They were written in Latin.– Luther’s intention: NOT TO BREAK WITH

CHURCH, BUT REFORM IT!– Criticized:

1.Indulgences2.Power of Pope3.Wealth of Church

God’s Grace won by FAITH ALONE! – Catholic View: Good Works

Excommunication

In 1520 Pope Leo X excommunicated Luther.– Excommunication- expelled him from the

church.– Holy Roman Emperor Charles V passed

measures to suppress Luther’s writings.– Lutheran princes in Germany issued a

protestatio or protest.• Hence the term Protestant!

8.Luther’s 95 Theses

9.John Calvin (1509-1564)

A French humanist who started a Protestant branch in Geneva, Switzerland.He believed that salvation came only from God’s grace, and that the “saved” were chosen by God and lived according to strict standards (“predestination”). There was nothing people could do to change their destiny. Success in business was a sign of God’s grace.He influenced many other reformers.

10.The Puritans were Calvinists!

15.William Tyndale (~1491-1536)

An English priest, scholar, and writer. Tyndale translated the Bible into English. His translation was famed for its beautiful language and later became known as the King James version of the Bible.Tyndale was burned at the stake for translating the Bible.

11.King Henry VIII (1491-1547)

In 1534, King Henry VIII formed the Church of England (Anglican Church) with himself as its head.

He did this because the Catholic church would not allow him to divorce his wife.

In England, the Reformation began with the King!

King Henry VIII– The king who had six wives…

• He wants a SON!

Lines provided in notes to write down story of King Henry VIII.

The Reformation Parliament

Was a gathering that led to the decision that England was no longer under the authority of the pope.

Act of Supremacy – Subjects were required to take an oath declaring

Henry VIII to be “Supreme Head of the Church of England”

Longstanding Effects of Henry VIII

His legitimate children: Mary, Elizabeth, and Edward (dies).– Queen Mary I or “Bloody Mary”

• Raised Catholic like her mother Catherine of Aragon; she reestablished the Catholic Church in England. She killed many protestants and had approximately 300 heretics burned at the stake.

– Queen Elizabeth I (Ends the House of Tudor)• Raised Protestant and ruled England for 44 years.

Ruled during the Spanish Armada, and never married…known as the Virgin Queen.

13.Weaknesses of the Catholic Church

The Catholic Church

Indulgences

Two popes

Disagreements with rulers

Breaking of vows

14. Reformation Flow Chart

Catholic Church

Catholic Church Protestant Churches

Lutheranism(Martin Luther

Calvinism (John Calvin)

Anglicanism (King Henry VIII)

Martin Luther’s 95 Theses

15. Counter-Reformation (Discussion, Debate, and Reform!)

A Catholic reform movement where church leaders worked to: – correct abuses – clarify and defend Catholic teachings– Condemn Protestant errors– Win back areas of Europe that had been lost by using

missionaries

The Council of Trent determined that faith, good works, and the sacraments were all necessary for salvation. The Latin Bible was still the only official Bible.The church decided to no longer sell indulgences.

16.Religious Wars

Many wars were fought in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries.Civil wars in France between Catholics and Protestants left over a million people dead.The Thirty Years War (1618-1648) in Germany was the last major war of the Reformation. The result was that European rulers could decide for themselves whether their countries would be Catholic or Protestant, and much of northern Europe became Protestant.

17.Christian Religions in Europe, ~1600

Other Reformations

Ulrich Zwingli in Switzerland– Theocracy

• A government in which church and state are joined and in which officials are considered to be divinely inspired.

John Calvin in Switzerland– Predestination

• God knows who will be saved, even before people are born, and therefore guides the lives of those destined fore salvation.

John Knox in Scotland– Laid grounds for Presbyterian Church