The Reformation: Part I
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Transcript of The Reformation: Part I
The Reformation:
Part I
The objectives for this slide show are:
• How did Jan Huss’ martyrdom inspire Luther?
• Identify the reasons for Luther’s criticisms of the Catholic Church
• Why did Luther not support the peasants in their rebellion?
• You will know the main terms of the Peace of Augsburg, 1555.
Many early groups or people questioned the Church
• The Cathars—were rooted out in the Albigensian crusade. This was Innocent III’s greatest test (Early 1200s)
John Wycliffe translates the bible (1300’s)
• Ordinary devout citizens should be able to read the bible and obtain salvation
Jan Huss was a Bohemian National Hero, who came to be a touch point for Czech
Nationalism• He, too, believed
that all should have access to the bible
• But he also represented Bohemian (Czech) independence against the Holy Roman Empire
Jan Huss was imprisoned by the Church after he was
promised safe conduct to the Council of Constance
Even today, Huss’ statue is in an honored place in
Prague, Czech Republic
Jan Huss became a Martyr of the Early Reformation
• Many Bohemian nobles protested the burning of Jan Huss. Here are their seals attached to the protest
His followers continued to fight for his cause, and there would be small wars throughout the area
for many years.
Erasmus, though he stayed in the church, wrote several
books of criticism.
• In Praise of Folly paves the way for further criticism by those who feel “less kindly” toward Catholic doctrine
Three classes contribute to the Reformation
The laboring poor who felt that their tithes supported lavish
displays of wealth
• Anabaptists, Hutterites, Menonites, and Amish are in these groups
• Today’s Baptists descend from this group
The Middle Classes• Merchants and
Townspeople who wanted to control their spiritual and economic destiny
• These became followers of Calvin—including Puritanism and Presbyterianism
There were also the Kings and Princes—who wanted to
gain control over their territory and diminish
church influence• The Lutheran Church
and the English Anglican Church were in this tradition
• The Anglican Church, or Church of England, is the Episcopalian Church of today
And there were, of course, long standing “wounds” that
compounded this dissatisfaction
Individuals, Groups, and Events all contributed to the dissatisfaction with
the church
Luther’s early life
• Received an excellent education
• Caught in a storm, he prays to St. Anne
• Becomes a priest
Luther comes to the belief that Salvation is by faith alone
Tetzel was a fundraiser to help rebuild St. Peter’s
He sold Indulgences, and said that with each contribution a soul
gained fewer years in purgatory
Luther is outraged
• Like Jesus Christ,he sees himself as
cleaning the temple
He posts the 95 Theses
Faith and repentance bring one to heaven, not
indulgences
There are various specific complaints in the Theses
He also believed that the church had no authority to burn or persecute righteous Christians, such as Jan Huss
• The Bible was the authority.
• He urged people to read the bible and see for themselves
He appeared before the young Charles V (the emperor) at the
Diet of Worms.
There he said “he would not go against his own
conscience.”Friends, fearing that he would be captured
and burned, like Jan Huss, had him kidnapped and held in a Wartburg Castle
until things cooled down
Lutheranism caused national upheaval in the various
German states. Its affect was immediate.
Soon, other groups adapted Luther’s revolt to their own
causes• Peasants rebelled
against their unfair landlords
• Luther condemned their revolt
• He also condemned Jews who would not convert
The Anabaptists split over issues of infant baptism
Other groups split off into bizarre cults
•John of Leyden took over the city of Munster and established a communal, polygamous state.
•Leyden was tortured and burned at the stake.
•The Anabaptists fled to parts of Russia and Poland
•The Cages of Munster where Anabaptists were held
Luther was horrified by the rebellions and splinter
groupsHe made it clear that in worldly matter, a Good
Christian owed obedience to
established authority
Lutheranism supported authority and became tied to
various German States.
The states of Germany felt it was their right to choose what religion
they would support : ius reformandi
The Emperor sought to suppress Luther and the
Lutheran States
The Lutheran princes and free cities formed an alliance at the small German town of
Schmalkald
This became the Schmalkaldic League. It was formed to defend the Lutheran
Princes against the Emperor
Even Catholic France supported Luther against the
Emperor•France will continue to support
other Protestants against its fellow Catholic nation. Religions do not stick together
•France wants Germany (at this time, The Holy Roman Empire) to remain weak and divided
One might call me a backstabber. . .
• Let me explain my self:
• I am Francois I of France
• I’m intent on keeping the Emperor weak
• And, also, Germany divided
The Emperor had other troubles besides
Lutheranism•In 1529, the Turks began to
threaten the Eastern Hapsburg domains.
•Charles V had to stop and fight off the Turks
In the meanwhile, a whole new generation of
Lutherans grew up!
The Schmalkaldic War ends with a Lutheran Victory: The
Peace of Augsburg 1555
The rulers of the various German
states choose the religion they belong
to—and their citizens follow along
Cuius regio eius religio: whose the region, his the
religionThis is a plus for Lutheranism—but
it results in the division of the various German States—just what
France wants
The objectives for this slide show were:
• How did Jan Huss’ martyrdom inspire Luther?
• Identify the reasons for Luther’s criticisms of the Catholic Church
• Why did Luther not support the peasants in their rebellion?
• You will know the main terms of the Peace of Augsburg, 1555.
Thus Ends the first stage of the Reformation