Effects of the Protestant Reformation
Ms. Stiles
Spread of the Reformation
• Emperor Charles V was too distracted to really crush the spread of Protestantism• Was at war with France,
had to deal with the Turks invading Eastern Europe & had to act as King of Spain
• Reforming the Church appealed to the masses• Particularly in Germany
where princes saw financial gain from the demise of Church power in their regions
The Peasant’s War
• Many peasants saw parallels between Luther’s works and their own lives– Saw similarities between Church abuses & political
abuses• Peasants looked to Luther for help in
reforming society, not just religion• 1524-1525:– Violent revolution between peasants & their
landlords
The Peasant’s War
• Luther’s response:– Called it “unchristian” & urged princes to “crush
the revolts”• Estimated 70,000-100,000 dead peasants• If Luther had supported the peasants:– It would’ve contradicted his works & destroyed
any chance of his reforms surviving
The Peasant’s War
• From Martin Luther, Against the Robbing and Murdering Hordes of Peasants (1525)– “For rebellion is not just simple murder; it is like a great fire,
which attacks and devastates a whole land. Thus rebellion brings with it a land filled with murder and bloodshed; it makes widows and orphans, and turns everything upside down, like the worst disaster. Therefore let everyone who can, smith, slay, and stab, secretly or openly, remembering that nothing can be more poisonous, hurtful, or devilish than a rebel. It is just as when one must kill a mad dog; if you do not strike him, he will strike you, and a whole land with you.”
Europe’s Response
• Feelings of discontent with the Catholic Church spread all over Northern Europe:– England– Switzerland– Germany– The Netherlands
John Calvin• French religious reformerwent to Geneva,
Switzerland• The people there just revolted against
their prince (who was also their bishop) and voted to adopt the Reformation
• Calvin believed that men were “elected by God to salvation”• Anyone elected must live in a way that
pleased God• “God divinely predestines some to eternal
salvation (the Elect) and others to eternal perdition (the Damned)• No one knows which they are until they
die, so everyone has to live like they’re the Elect according to Calvin
Calvinist Geneva
• Prohibited singing and dancing• Drunkenness• Blasphemy• Women couldn’t wear makeup or lace• Men couldn’t gamble or play cards
– Men who beat their wives were severely punished• Rules were so strictly enforced that Geneva essentially
became a religious police state• Religious refugees went to Geneva & eventually left to
spread their teachings around EuropeEnglish Calvinists became known as Puritans
Comparing Calvin & Luther
Martin Luther• Believed that God predestined
some to be saved & others to be damned
• Faith, not works, saved you• Scripture as the basis of faith• State over church in terms of
leadership• People should give charity to
those in need• Mainly popular in Germany &
England
John Calvin• Believed that God predestined
some to be saved & others to be damned
• Faith, not works, saved you• Scripture as the basis of faith• Church over state (theocracy)• Poverty was a punishment from
God, whereas wealth was a gift• Mainly popular in Switzerland,
France, Scotland, & the Netherlands
Henry VIII• “Defender of the Faith”• Originally a devout Catholic• Married to Catherine of Aragon
• Had only 1 surviving daughter • Asked the Pope for an annulment
• On the grounds that Catherine was his brother’s widow
• Pope refused so did Holy Roman Emperor Charles V• Charles had the Pope hostage & was
Catherine’s nephew• Didn’t want to see his aunt pushed
aside & his cousin bastardized• Pope Clement VII (A Medici Pope)
excommunicated Henry after he disregarded the papal bull denying him a divorce
Henry VIII
• Under the advisement of Thomas Wolsey & Thomas Cranmer, Henry declared himself the head of the English Church– Stated that the King should have supremacy over religion,
as well as the state• Parliament granted his divorce & he married Anne
Boleyn– Only had 1 surviving daughter
• Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy– Ordered the clearing & destruction of all monastaries in
Englandused the money to build up England’s economy
Church of England
• Anglican Church• Monarch as the head• Fairly Catholicmajor religious changes were:– Use of vernacular for the bible & church services
• All money to Rome stopped• Sir Thomas Moreopposed Henry’s marriage to Anne
Boleyn (& his divorce from Catherine since it was forbidden in Church doctrine)– Refused to take the Oath of Supremacy (Made Henry the head
of the English Church)• Was tried & beheaded for treason
Edward VI
• Henry VIII’s 10 year old son took the throne when he died
• Expanded Protestantism in England• Was a staunch Protestant
• Died at age 16 from tuberculosis• Led the way for religious turmoil in
England• Made his heir Lady Jane Grey • Distant cousin who only reigned for
a few months until she was beheaded
• Replaced by Edward’s half sister, Mary Tudor (mother was Catherine of Aragon)
Mary Tudor
• Mary was the only surviving child of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon
• Henry kept hoping (and trying) for a son since it was not common or accepted for women to rule over men
• Restored Catholicism to England• Forcefully persecuted Protestants• Many of them fled England (Pilgrims)• Brutal treatment of Protestants earned her
the nickname Bloody Mary• Married her cousin, Philip of Spain (son of
Charles V)no kids • Only reigned 5 years until she died and her half
sister, Elizabeth I took over
Elizabeth I• Daughter of Anne Boleyn• Strong Protestant• Had to pretend to be Catholic
under her sister’s reign so she wouldn’t be executed
• Never married, no children • Brought Protestantism back to
England, but didn’t persecute Catholics
• Created religious stability for England
• Reign became known as the Golden Age of England
Ulrich Zwingli• Leader of the Swiss Reformation• Opposed indulgences & religious
superstition• Principles:• “Whatever lacked literal support in
Scripture was to be neither believed nor practiced”
• Ended up being executed during a civil war between Protestants and Catholics in Switzerland
• His influence led to each Swiss state (also known as cantons) being allowed to choose their own religion
Philip of Hesse• Wanted to unite Swiss and German Protestants in mutual defense
of their faith• Efforts were spoiled by arguments between Zwingli and Luther
• Zwingli felt that the Eucharist was a symbolic representation of Christ’s body (TransubstantiationChurch teachings)• “This is my body” = spiritual meaning, no actual body was
present in the wine or bread, but that’s what the Church taught
• Luther felt that Christ promised to always be “present” at the Eucharist meal (ConsubstantiationLutheran teaching)
• Transubstantiation vs. Consubstantiation:• Transubstantiation: Miraculous change of bread & wine into
blood & body when consecrated (actual change)• Consubstantiation: Christ’s body and blood being one
(coexisting) with consecrated bread & wine • Hesse brought Zwingli and Luther together to settle their
differences & unite the countries, but it didn’t work and the Protestant movement was split politically and theologically
Anti-Semitism
• 1523: Luther published “Jesus Christ was Born a Jew”– Luther urged Christians to be kinder to Jews in
hopes that some would convert to Protestantism– His plan backfired • Some Protestants in Germany converted to Judaism
• Regretted publishing his work & by 1540 was urging German princes to “forcibly remove Jews from their territories”
Anti-Semitism
• Jews were also not welcome in Geneva– Calvin had them expelled
• Historically, Jews were blamed for the spread of the plague & for denying Christ & his crucifixion – No historical evidence to support these claims
• Both Luther & Calvin were “disappointed” in Jews for not converting when reforms were made to Christianity
Anti-Semitism
• “The rotten and unbending stiffneckedness (of Jews) deserves that they be oppressed unendingly and without measure or end and that they die in their misery without the pity of anyone” -Calvin
• Luther published “On the Jews and Their Lies”– Both ideas were used by the Nazis justify the
Holocaust
Anti-Semitism
• Luther called Jews “devils & blasphemers” ”a miserable, blind, & senseless people”
• He called for Jews to be kicked out of Germany & their schools, synagogues, homes, and writings to be burned, their money to be confiscated, and safe conduct denied to them– Does this sound like the humanist tolerance he
originally preached?