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