Northern Renaissance: Christian or Northern Renaissance Humanism The common bond of all humanists was the
knowledge of classics Also called Christian humanists or northern
humanists discovered that religion had been distorted
by theologians during the Middle Ages They felt the classics had more morality than
theology Studied Hebrew to read original texts instead
of translations
Humanism, yay.
Support for humanism came from all secular areas
They tried to use reason to reform the church To change society, the humans who compose it
must first be changed through education The Reformation shattered intellectual
optimism
Erasmus The Handbook of the Christian
Knight – Christianity could be a guiding philosophy instead of a system of dogmatic beliefs and practices
Inner piety could replace external forms of religion and return the church to simplicity
Replace sacraments, pilgrimages, fasts, saints, relics
The Praise of Folly – criticisms of the most corrupt practices of the clergy, disguised in humor
Was against reformers like Luther
Thomas More Utopia – idealistic life and
institutions of the community Discusses the economic, social
and political problems of the day Proposed cooperation and reason
as replacement for power and fame
Communal ownership rather than private property
Killed by King Henry VIII when he opposed the English Reformation
Church and Religion on the Eve of Reformation
The Clergy High positions of the clergy were held
by nobility or wealthy members of the bourgeoisie
To increase revenue officials held many offices – pluralism
Led to officials being absent from duties delegating them to priest that were underpaid and had no interest in their duties
Caused a division between higher and lower clergy
Popular Religion meaningful religious
expression & certainty of salvation Mechanical view of
salvation – collection of relics, indulgences to end purgatory, pilgrimages
Tranquil spirituality (popular mysticism) – deemphasized the church in favor of inner spirit and direct communion with god
Martin Luther The Early Luther:
Disliked indulgences Pope Leo X did not take him
seriously calling him a “drunken German”
The development of the printing press allowed his 95 These to spread quickly around Germany
The Leipzig Debate saw Luther move beyond indulgences and deny the authority of popes and councils
Reformation in Germany
Address to the Nobility of the German Nation – The papacy prevented reform in three ways Church was superior to the state Only the pope can interpret scripture Only the pope can call council
The Babylonian Captivity of the Church – a call for the reform on monasticism and for the clergy to marry
Reformation in Germany…
On the Freedom of a Christian Man – Faith alone, not good works brings salvationBeing freed by faith doesn't free you
from good works He was excommunicated in 1521 and
ordered to the Diet of Worms by emperor Charles VMartin Luther was made an outlaw
within the empire
Development of Lutheranism
Lutheranism spread to both northern and central Germany and some free imperial cities
Peasants were still abused and taxed by the local lords and looked to Martin Luther for support in the Peasants’ War
Against the Robbing and Murdering Hordes of Peasants – Luther called upon German princes to “stab, smite, and slay” the peasantry Luther felt the state and its rulers were ordained by god, and
therefore against social revolutions
b. Subjects must obey their rulers and princes must end revolt
c. This was all due to Luther’s financial dependence on German princes to support the Protestant church
Church and State Luther also redefined the seven sacraments
of the Catholic churchKept baptism and the Lord’s SupperRejected the authority of Scripture being
supplemented by traditions and decrees The Protestant church became a territory of
the state Luther denounced clerical celibacy and
married a former nun
Germany and the Reformation: Religion and Politics Holy Roman Emperor Charles V
tried to unify his empire and keep it within the Catholic church He was prevented from doing
this because he constantly had to fight off the French king Francis I, and Ottoman Turk invasions
530 - Diet of Augsburg – Charles demanded that the Lutherans returned to the Catholic church
The Schmalkaldic League
Eight princes and eleven imperial cities created the Schmalkaldic League The Schmalkaldic League promised to assist each
other “Whenever any one of us is attacked on account of the Word of God and doctrine of Gospel"
The Schmalkaldic Wars saw Protestant princes ally with the French king, Henry II, a Catholic, to negotiate a truce
1555 – Peace of Augsburg – German states were free to choose between Catholicism and Lutheranism
The division of Christianity was formally acknowledged
Spread of Protestant Reformation With the support of the king and nobles, a Swedish
Lutheran National Church was created It spread to Denmark as well, with the king as head
of the church And to Norway, making Scandinavia a Lutheran
stronghold run by monarchs as state-run churches Switzerland had become politically free from the Holy
Roman Empire and became governed by a loose association of 13 cantons Six forest cantons – democratic republics Seven urban cantons – city council oligarchies Worked together only to survive
Ulrich Zwingli a priest from a Zurich began his own reformation in Switzerland
The city council held a public debate about the unrest he caused with his preaching
Debate gave advantages to reformers as Catholics were not used to defending their teachings
Zwingli won the debate and the Catholic Church was removed Secular authorities gained power as there was no division of authority
in the town Relics were abolished, paintings, decorations and whitewashed walls Music was eliminated Monasticism, pilgrimages, veneration of saints celibacy and the pope’s authority were abolished The urban cantons had been reformed but forest cantons remained
Catholic
End of Zwingli
Zwingli attempted to create a league with Luther and reformers at Marburg Colloquy
Agreement was reached on everything except the interpretation of the Lord’s Supper
War between the Catholic and Protestant cantons breaks out and Zwingli is killed
Radical Reformation: Anabaptist
Anabaptists were a radical group that attracted the lower classes hurt by the economic changes of the time They advocated adult baptism as a spiritual entry into the
church and wanted to return to the practices of the earliest forms of Christianity
All believers were equal and each church chose its own minister from the community
Believed in separation of church and state, no gov’t. control persecuted by Catholics and Lutherans because of their
political ideas of church and state Melchiorites – Anabaptists from Munster that believed the end
of the world is at hand Dutch Anabaptism – pacifists with strict discipline (Mennonites)
Reformation in England Lollards rejected papal supremacy, and Christian humanists
called for reform The sack of Rome in 1527 made the pope dependent upon
the Holy Roman Empire, Charles V, Queen Catherine’s nephew
Treason Act and the Act of Supremacy – no higher authority over England than laws made by the king and Parliament
Thomas More was tried for treason because he refused to publicly support the new laws
Monasteries were dissolved, and nobles were sold the land Edward moved England in a more Protestant direction Mary restored Catholicism with much opposition, but her
death ended the restoration of Catholicism
John Calvin and Calvinism Institutes of the Christian Religion – a manual for
ecclesiastical organization that made him a the new leader of Protestantism
Like Luther he believed that faith alone would achieve salvation
Predestination – God had predestined some people to be saved and others to be damned
The elected – those that would be saved The reprobate – those that would be damned There were three tests that could indicate possible
salvation An open profession of faith A “decent and godly life” Participation in the sacraments of baptism and
communion 1536 – Calvin became minister of Geneva until his death Ecclesiastical Ordinances – established the hierarchy of
the Calvinist Church (pastors, teachers, elders, deacons)
Social impact of Protestant Reformation
Luther argued that sex in marriage allowed one to “make use of this sex in order to avoid sin”
Protestantism ended the idea that a special holiness was placed on celibacy
The family was placed at the center of life and mutual love between man and wife was stressed
Reformers encouraged education for girls so they could read the bible and other religious literature
Education in the Reformation
Protestant educators used humanist methods for school
Rather than for just the elite, protestant schools needed a large audience of semi literate believers who could read the bible themselves Luther wanted all children to have an education
provided by the state Secondary schools (gymnasium) were created to
study Greek and Latin
Religious practices and pop culture The elimination of saints
put an end to many celebrations and religious holidays
English Puritans attempted to ban drinking in taverns, dramatic performances and dancing
Dutch Calvinists denounces giving presents to children on St. Nicholas day
Catholic Reformation- Counter Reformation
Tried to stop the spread of the Protestant Reformation The Society of Jesuits – the regeneration of religious orders
helped reform Also known as Jesuits, the Society of Jesus was founded by
Ignatius of Loyola The Spiritual Exercises – a manual to exercise spiritual
development Were important for three reasons Established highly disciplined schoolsBorrowed freely from humanists schools for their educational methods to educate young people on how to stop
Protestantism Spread the Catholic faith among non-Christians
The Council of Trent
The Council of Trent – a general council to resolve the religious differences created by the Protestant revolt
Decreed four things Scripture and tradition were affirmed as equal
authorities in religious matters as only the church could interpret scripture
Both faith and good works were declared necessary for salvation
The seven sacraments were upheld, including indulgences
Established theological seminaries for training priests
Politics and the Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion (1562 – 1598) King Henry II was killed in a tournament and replaced by a series of weak
rulers and neurotic sons dominated by their mother Catherine de’ Medici
This caused a series of civil wars in France
Religious, political, economic and social differences all
contributed to the outbreak of war
French kings persecuted Huguenots (French Calvinists) to stop the spread of Protestantism
This had little impact as Huguenots came from all levels of society
40% to 50% of the Nobility became Huguenots
House of Bourbon, next in line for the throne, also became Huguenots
Noble Huguenots were a political threat to the king as they were a strong and well organized minority
The three Henries War started in 1562 as the duke of Guise massacred a peaceful
congregation of Huguenots Huguenots, those smaller in number were well equipped to defend
themselves, and did so during the 1560s St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre 1572
Henry of Navarre (Huguenot leader), was to marry a Valois princess Many Huguenot political leaders came to Paris to see the wedding The Guise family persuaded the king to eliminate the Huguenot
leaders all at once A wave of violence gripped Paris for three days killing 3,000
Huguenots, including prominent leaders Henry of Navarre saved his life be promising to turn Catholic The ultra-Catholics formed the Holy League Turning Point – The War of Three Henries (see pg. 403)
Edict of Nantes
Stated Catholicism was the official religion of France
Guaranteed Huguenots the right to worship in selected places, hold public office, and have fortified towns
recognized the right of the Protestant minority for political necessity
French Wars of Religion demonstrated the necessity for strong government, which will occur in the 17th century
Philip II and the Cause of Militant Catholicism
Philip II’s first goal was to consolidate and secure Spain, the Netherlands, and possession in Italy and the New World
Also strictly enforced Catholicism with an aggressive use of the Spanish Inquisition
Wanted to establish strong monarchial authority – this becomes his downfall
He became the center of the system by supervising all work
He failed to distinguish between important and trivial matter causing him to maintain the status quo instead of making Spain the most powerful country in Europe
Spain Spain’s dominance depended on a growing
economy focused on gold and silver from the New World, agriculture, commerce and industry
The expense of war destroyed the Spanish economy There was not enough gold and silver Direct and indirect taxes had to be levied The government was forced to borrow money 2/3 of state income was spent on paying interest
in loans
The Revolt of the Netherlands The Netherlands
(modern Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg) had 17 provinces Seven northern
provinces – Germanic, Dutch speaking
b. Southern provinces – French & Flemish speaking – tied to France
The Netherlands had become prosperous through trade and were easily influenced by religion
Phillip and the Netherlands The Netherlands had become prosperous through trade and
were easily influenced by religion
Philip II was seen as a foreigner and when he tried to strengthen his control, the nobles opposed him so they would lose their political power
Residents of the Netherlands resented Philip when they realized their taxes went to pay for Spanish interests
Religion started the war when Philip attempted to restructure the Dutch Catholic church
Calvinism continued to spread and Philip repression didn’t stop it, it only alienated Calvinists
William of Nassau, prince of Orange, led the aristocrats in a revolt against the king
Phillip, can you not... Philip sent the duke of Alva with 10,000 soldier to stop the rebellion
The duke’s levying of a permanent sales tax caused merchants and commoners to join the Calvinist nobles in the rebellion
The Council of Troubles was established by the Spanish to execute powerful aristocrats that revolted
As a result, the revolution became more organized
Dutch pirates joined the resistance
Philip removed the duke of Alva and brought an end to the revolt
William of Orange almost united the 17 provinces under the Pacification of Ghent but religious differences split the united front Southern provinces – Union of Arrras (Catholic) – accepted Spanish
control
Northern provinces – Union of Utrect (Protestant) – William of Orange opposed Spanish control
1609 – a truce recognized the independence of the northern provinces which would later be known as the Dutch Republic
The England of Elizabeth After the death of Bloody Mary, Elizabeth became queen
Her religious police was based on moderation and compromise She didn’t care what the people believed privately as long as they
didn’t threaten the power of the state
1559 – Mary’s Catholic laws were repealed and Elizabeth became head of the Anglican Church with a new Act of Supremacy Catholics and Puritans still threatened religious stability in England
The Catholics dwindled to a tiny minority through Elizabeth’s ability to identify Catholicism with Spain in the minds of the English
Mary, queen of Scots, her sister was executed after many Catholic plots failed to kill Elizabeth
Puritans wanted to remove any trace of Catholicism from the Church of England
Ooh, Burn!
Unofficially Elizabeth encouraged pirates to raid Spanish ships and colonies, and aided the French Huguenots and Dutch Calvinists against the French and Spanish
The pope gave Philip II financial support to invade England and make it Catholic with army
The Armada proved to be a disaster, being battered by the English and then the weather on their return trip
England stayed a Protestant country
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