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The Reformation
Martin Luther
• Excellent education, became a priest in 1505• 1510 he traveled to Rome and witnessed
personally many of the church abuses he had heard about
Swiss Reformation
• Switzerland, like Germany was confederation of autonomous cantons
• Some became Protestant, some remained Catholic
• Ulrich Zwingli (1484 – 1531)– Protestant reformer in Zurich– Humanistic education– Influenced by Erasmus
Reformation under Zwingli
HRE
HRE
Zwingli
• 1519 – competition for position as “people’s priest” … negative campaign … fornication
• First act as reformer was to end clerical celibacy … right of clergy to marry
• Whatever lacked literal support in scripture was to be neither believed or practiced
Zwingli vs. Luther• “Throw down” over transubstantiation• Zwingli (spirit) … Luther (body)• 1529 at Marburg, debate … issues NOT
resolved … Luther called Zwingli a “dangerous fanatic”
Zwingli … symbolic Luther … transubstantiation
Swiss Civil Wars• Civil Wars began between Protestant and
Catholic cantons• Mostly skirmishes, but there were two major
battles … June 1529 and October 1531
VS
Calvinism
• In the second half of the 16th century Calvinism replaced Lutheranism as the dominant Protestant force in Europe
• Prevalent in France, Netherlands and Scotland• Calvinism … Predestination AND individual
responsibility to reorder society according to God’s plan
HRE
HRE
Reformation under Calvin
Anabaptism
• Important radical group that broke from Protestant reform movement
• 16th century ancestors of modern Mennonites and Amish
• From the Greek meaning “to rebaptize”
Others
• Spiritualists– Isolated individuals distinguished by their distain
for institutions– Only authority was God’s spirit … spoke to
individuals• Antitrinitarians
– Common sense, rational, ethical– Rejected original sin and predestination– Religious toleration
Diet of Augsburg
• Directed by Charles V (HRE)
• Protestant and Catholic representatives• They left with orders for everyone to return to
Catholic church• TOO LATE• 1531 formation of the Schmalkaldic League
(defensive alliance)
Expansion and Resistance
• Denmark … Christian II, Frederick I, Christian III …
• Sweden … King Gustavus Vasa
• Poland … politically splintered … no resistance to Lutherans, Calvinists, Anabaptists, etc.
Peace of Augsburg
• September 1555• Peace of Augsburg made division of
Christendom permanent
• Cuius regio, eius religio– Ruler of the land would determine the religion of
the land– Religion of the land would match the owner/ruler
of the land– Applied to Catholics and Lutherans … NOT Calvinists
People, Places, Vocab
• Martin Luther• John Tetzel• Vernacular• Justification by faith alone• Purgatory• Indulgences• Charles V• Leo X• Ninety-five theses• Diet of Worms
• Cantons• Ulrich Zwingli• Transubstantiation• Anabaptists• John Calvin• Predestination• Schmalkaldic League• Peace of Augsburg (1555)
