The Spread of ProtestantismAnd the Catholic Reformation

Chapter 5 Sections 3, 4 and 5 The Germans, Swiss, and the English

influences…

Martin Luther• The Protestant Reformation was begun by a German Monk

named Martin Luther in 1517. Breaks Christians into two main sides: Catholics and Protestants .

• Luther and many others saw the Catholic Church of the 1500s as corrupt and extravagant especially in it’s practice of selling indulgences: paying the Catholic to have one’s sins absolved and assure them entrance to heaven

•After much thought, on Oct. 31st 1517, Luther (now a priest and professor) nailed a placard with his 95 Theses (or statements) criticizing indulgences and other church policies on the Wittenberg Church door! Printed copies quickly spread across Germany.•Sales of INDULGENCES declined quickly, Luther was excommunicated in 1521 and then was brought to the Diet(meaning council) of WORMS to recant (take back)his views in front of German princes. He refused! Was labeled a heretic and an outlaw and goes into hiding at a friendly Prince of Saxony.

Spread of Protestantism• In the 1500s Protestantism spread throughout Europe but

divisions within it began to appear

• 1525: A Swiss priest named Zwingli in the city of Zurich set up a theocracy: meaning a church run state. An army of Swiss Catholics rose up to fight the folk of Zurich and defeated them. (One of the many religious wars to take place between European Catholics and the new Protestants)`

•John Calvin: 1541 Another Swiss church leader in Geneva started his own brand of Protestantism which became known as Calvinism. Very democratic in nature. He spread the belief of Predestination: That God alone determines the fate of every person. Calvinism urged peoples to overthrow “ungodly ” rulers. Contributes to rise of later revolutionary movements in the 1600 and 1700s.

England’s Church Turmoil• Reformation ideas filtered into England in 1500s. A quarrel

occurred between the Pope and King Henry VIII and brought these ideas into English politics.

• Henry VIII had first married a Catholic Spanish princess named Catherine of Aragon who did bear him a daughter, MARY. Henry, however, wanted a male heir to the throne, believed Catherine too old to produce more kids, asked for a divorce so he could marry the cute Anne Boleyn. The Pope refused.

•Henry, being king, then directed that a series of laws be passed by Parliament breaking the English church away from Rome’s control. The Act of Supremacy in 1534, made Henry the head of the English Church instead of the pope.

•The New Church of England kept many of the Catholic doctrines and forms of worship. Henry did close monasteries, seized Catholic lands etc. HE NEVER did consider himself a Protestant Reformer however. Some English Catholics, like Sir Thomas Moore did complain about the change and were beheaded! OOPs, don’t complain to the KING!

Henry’s Wives: The good, naughty and the beheadedHenry (as head of the Church) had the Church of England declare his divorce from Catherine.

After his second marriage to Anne, Boleyn did give Henry a daughter, Elizabeth, but still no son.

• Henry, not happy, after a few years had Anne beheaded ( accused of an affair with her brother, NEVER happened)

• Henry married 4 more times to: • Jane Seymour

m. 1536 - 1537Died after giving birth to a son : Edward

• Anne of Clevesm. 1540 Jan. - JulyDivorced

• Kathryn Howardm. 1540 - 1542Executed

• Katherine Parrm. 1543 – 1547 Widowed.

England’s journey to Anglicanism• Bonus HISTORY!: After Henry VIII’s death Edward (son of

Jane Seymour)became Edward IV at age nine and ruled England until he died in his late teens.

• replaced by Catherine’s daughter Mary who became known as “Bloody Mary” for burning protestants to death while trying to restore Catholicism to England by force.)

•After Catholic Queen Mary’s death in 1558, her half sister Elizabeth (daughter of Anne Boleyn) becomes Queen Elizabeth I and fully transforms the English Church to Protestantism with some Catholic features, this blend becomes Anglicanism and pleases most Englishmen… •(except the Puritans who want to chop out all remaining bits of Catholic ritual and flee to New World later…)

The Catholic Reformation• During the 1530s and 1540s Pope Paul III set out

reform the Catholic Church and stem the advance of Protestant ideas.

• Council of Trent: met off and on for 20 yrs until 1563: reaffirmed Catholic teachings that salvation would come from faith and good works and declared that church tradition was equal in importance to what is written in the Bible. (must follow Papal decrees)

•Also said only Bible version to read is the LATIN version (Protestants printed Bible in local tongues) also Mass in Latin•Started SEMINARY SCHOOLS to ensure a better educated clergy•Encouraged new art and architecture style called baroque

Which stressed emotion complexity and exaggeration for dramatic effect. Examples:

Baroque Art example

The Inquisition• Started in 1232, as a church court, courts set up

across Europe, especially Spain.• Used to convert heretics (those who spoke

against decrees of Catholic Church) • courts used persuasion then if that failed torture!

Often accused people without evidence.• To deal with Protestant threat, Inquisition

strengthened in 1500s by Pope Paul III• Introduced censorship and Banned certain books

to curtail humanist and Protestant thinking

A Divided Europe• 1555: Peace of Augsburg :signed between Catholic

Holy Roman Emperor and German Princes, allowed each ruler to choose the religion of their subjects

• Catholicism: stayed popular in Southern Europe, places like Italy, France, Spain Portugal and southern Germany

• Protestantism: popular in Northern Europe, places like Scotland, Netherlands, Northern Germany and Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway)

•England had a blend of Protestant and Catholic called Anglicism •Religious Wars between the 2 factions did break out in 1500s and early 1600s •European Jews caught in the middle and persecuted by both sides (except in tolerant Netherlands)