The Protestant Reformation

Causes of the Reformation

SOCIAL POLITICAL ECONOMIC RELIGIOUSRenaissance values of humanism and secularism led people to questions the church.The printing press helped spread ideas critical of the Church.

Powerful monarchs challenged the Church as the supreme power in Europe. Many leaders viewed the Pope as a foreign ruler and challenged his authority.

European princes and kings were jealous of the Church’s wealth. Merchants and others resented having to pay taxes to the Church.

Some Church leaders had become worldly and corrupt. Many people found Church practices such as the sale of indulgences unacceptable.

Individual Objections to Church Practices:

• Martin Luther objected to the role of good works for salvation he believed that through faith alone could one achieve salvation

• John Calvin objected to notion that all were savedhe believed in predestination

• Henry VIII objected to churches role in political realm

Luther’s ProtestPope Leo X was trying to raise money to rebuild the St. Peters Basilica. To gain this money, the Leo X began selling positions in the church (simony) to his friends and also authorized the sale of indulgences.

Indulgences are certificates issued by the Church that reduced or canceled punishment of sin….Sold by John Tetzel, the Indulgences were promoted as tickets to Heaven.

Luther’s 95 Theses

• 1517with the pope’s approval, a German priest (Johann Tetzel) was selling indulgences in Wittenberg. With a monetary contribution to the Church any Christian could secure their place (and their family’s) in heaven

• Luther was angry, he felt that through faith alone could one achieve salvation

• Luther created his 95 Theses (a list of arguments against indulgences) and nailed them to the door of Wittenberg’s, All Saints Church

3 Main Points that Luther addressed:1. Salvation, or getting into Heaven, was won by a person’s faith alone. (Luther contested that the sacraments and listening to the priests was not necessary to get into Heaven.)

2. The Bible was the sole authority for Christians and should be available to everybody. (The Catholic Church insisted that only a priest could read and interpret the Bible.)

3. All faithful Christians were equal before God. (Since faith was all that mattered, all faithful Christians were equally guaranteed to enter Heaven.

1520 Pope Leo X banned Luther’s works.

1521 Pope Leo X excommunicated Luther from the Church.

Luther is burning the excommunication paper from the pope.

Shortly after Luther’s excommunication, a diet or council, of German princes met in Worms to try and bring Luther back to the Church.

Luther refused to recant his words and was then called a heretic and outlaw.

With his life in danger a friend, Prince Frederick of Saxony had Luther “kidnapped”.

While in hiding, in this Wartburg Castle, Luther translated the bible from Latin into German so that all German may have access to reading the bible.

Why did Luther win support?

• Some clergy hoped it would end Church corruption

• German princes followed Lutheran beliefs to try and end the rule of the Church and the Holy Roman emperor (get more power for themselves)-some didn’t like to have to submit to a non-German Pope.

• Some wanted Church property• National loyalty

The Peace of Augsburg

• The Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, tried to force Lutheran princes back into the Catholic Churchit did not work

• 1555-he signed The Peace of Augsburg allowed each prince to choose either Catholic or Lutheran religion – Most German states chose Lutheran and the

south remained mostly Catholic

Henry VIII Becomes Protestant

• Henry VIII = King of England and devout Catholic– Given the title “Defender of the

Faith”

• Wanted a male heir- he had only one daughter with his wife, Catharine, 42.

• He wanted a divorce to marry a younger wife to try for a son.

• Church = NO divorce!

No DIVORCE so how about annul?

• Annul- the church can set aside the marriage (kind of like a divorce) but the church acts as if the marriage never happened.

• Pope turned down the request for the annulment.

• Henry VIII took matters into his own hands!

Parliament denies Pope’s Power

• Henry asks Parliament to pass laws that end the Pope’s power in England.

• Parliament legalizes the divorce, even though Henry had already secretly married Anne Boleyn.

• Act of Supremacy: Ended all Pope’s power in England. Parliament and the king held the power.

Anne Boleyn could not produce a Male heir either. Henry divorcedHer, charged her with treason,

Locked her up and had Her beheaded!

Henry VIII

• Had 4 more wives after Anne Boleyn, the 3rd wife, Jane Seymour produced a male heir but died shortly after.

• After Henry’s death his young son, Edward age 9 ruled for a short while, then his two daughters also ruled.

• England had become PROTESTANT!

3rd Wife 4th wife – Anne of Cleve

5th wife – Catherine Howard 6th Wife- Catherine Parr

             

Mary I, daughter of Catherine of Aragon.

                  

Henry Fitzroy, son of Henry's mistress, Elizabeth Blount.

             

Elizabeth I, daughter of

Anne Boleyn.

             

Edward VI, son of Jane Seymour.

Henry’s Children

“May little chickens dig out your eyes 100,000 times.”

- Calvin speaking to another reformer whose ideas he disagreed with

Anti-Catholic

Influenced by Martin Luther

Disagreed with Luther’s “Salvation through faith alone.”

Ideal Government was a theocracy: government controlled by religious leaders.

Created his own Protestant religion in Switzerland

Calvin believed in:

Salvation through Predestination

At birth it is decided if you will go to heaven or hell

Foreknowledge

God knows everything that will happen in your life

Purified approach to life:

No drinking, swearing, card playing, gambling etc..

PuritanHugeunots

Presbyterian