The Road to Reformation

Elder Paul D Brown, PhD

Objectives

• To recognize, interpret and discuss theimpulses for change and reform in theWestern Church from the late medievalperiod (14th century) through theReformation and its aftermath (16th and17th centuries).

• To identify and evaluate the state of theChurch in the 14th and 15th centuriesand defend the responses of people likeJohn Hus and John Wyclif.

Objectives• To differentiate between the doctrines

and ideas of Martin Luther from those ofthe Roman Catholic Church

• To recognize the differences in thetheology and ecclesiology of theReformers and how they affectedEuropean society.

• To describe and evaluate how thepolitical developments affected path ofthe Church in England in the 16th and17th centuries.

10001 500 1500 2000

TheMedievalChurch

TheReformed

Church

TheAncientChurch

Crusades

1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500

Francisof

Assisi

PeterWaldo

East/WestSchism

Francis of Assisi(1181/1182 –1226)

• It has been argued that no one else inhistory was as dedicated as Francis toimitate the life, and carry out the work ofChrist, in Christ’s own way.

• This is important in understanding Francis'character and his affinity for the Eucharistand respect for the priests who carried outthe sacrament.

• He and his followers celebrated and evenvenerated poverty.

• Poverty was so central to his characterthat in his last written work, theTestament, he said that absolutepersonal and corporate poverty was theessential lifestyle for the members of hisFranciscan Order of Friars.

Francis of Assisi(1181/1182 –1226)

Behold the White horse…

• Revelations 6:2 And I looked, and saw therea white horse whose rider carried a bow. Anda crown was given him, and he rode forthconquering and to conquer.

Evaluation of Monasticism• Criticisms

– Denies salvation of the whole individual• in order to be spiritual must leave world

– Promotes two-tiered Christianity and spirituality– Short-sighted view of evil

• Evil primarily without• If you could join monastery, more spiritual.

• Positives– Points to the discipline necessary for Christian life– Positive attitude towards work– Preservation of learning

Medieval Missions (500-1500)• Periods:

1. 500-1000: Winning over tribes around the Old Roman EmpireBarbarians;

2. 1000-1500 Within Europe -Bring actual faith to nominal ChristiansThis work done by Monks and Friars

• Themes:1. Vital role played by monks and friars;2. Importance of Monarchs in areas the Gospel is preached;3. General Pattern of Martyrdom;4. Efforts at cultural sensitivity- If practices aren't anti-Christian, then let

them stay;5. Failure of Missions outside of Europe 1000-1500

• WHY? –Crusades; Problems of communication and travel; Manymissionaries died; Language problems-non European languageespecially; Hesitancy to develop local clergy--no nationals as priests

Raymond Lull (1233-1315)

• Layman-missions to Muslims• Converted at 30• Joined Franciscans• Lull’s Missions Strategy:

– Urged missionaries to learn local language– Work at natural argumentation for Christianity -

evidentialist apologetic– Successful missionary service dependent on

willingness to be faithful to death

Charlemagne (742-814)• Son of Pepin the short• Religiously sincere and missions minded.• By the year 800 he was Lord of more Europe

than anyone since Theodosius.• New concept of political authority: Leader of

Christian people -defender of the Church• Medieval Synthesis

– All of life under one heaven -Church and statealigned Holy Roman empire

– Pope committed to political sphere; Emperorcommitted to church sphere

– Beyond - all of life God at core-God integrating center

Theology under Charlemagne

• Development of Sacramental Theology• Man is corrupt--needs God's grace• Incapable of meriting salvation apart from

grace; believed the right use of saving graceinvolved correct use of sacraments;something taking place in this life cancommunicate grace

Theology under Charlemagne

• Reasons for the growth of sacramentalism:1. Tied to incarnation

– Spiritual can appear in material2. Belief in the objectivity of God's action3. Social character of Christianity

– Covenants primarily with groups not individual

Sacraments of the CatholicChurch

1. Baptism--cleanses GUILT from original sin - Not thesin nature.

2. Confirmation--placing on of hands by the bishop3. Penance--procedures to deal with sin after original

sin -contrition (feeling sorry), -confession, -satisfaction

4. Eucharist--for growth.5. Extreme Unction--Last Rites--prepare for eternal life-

-cleanse unconfessed sins6. Marriage--symbol of the bestowal of grace on

families.7. Priesthood, Ordination

Peter Waldo1140-1218

• Wealthy merchant of Lyonswho gave away hispossessions to live a life ofpoverty

• Had parts of the Bibletranslated into French

• Taught that New Testamentis to be the only rule of lifefor Christians

Peter Waldo1140-1218

• Sent out street preacherswho embraced poverty

• Emphasized the Sermonon the Mount

• Waldensians came intoconflict with the richexcesses of the church

• They were eventuallydeclared to be a heresy

Peter Waldo1140-1218

• Translated Scripture intocommon language andmemorized large portions

• Refused to fight in Crusades;adopted pacifism

• Waldensians embraced theReformation when it finallyemerged

Crusades

1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500

“BabylonianCaptivity”

East/WestSchism

Francisof

Assisi

PeterWaldo

JohnWyclif

Black Plague

The dumb ox--1225-1274

• Interested in integrating faith and learning• Major Work--Summa Theologica --

Summation of theology• Three parts:

– God in Himself and Creation– God and Relationship to mankind– Christ as way of Humans returning to God

The dumb ox--1225-1274

• Reason and Faith -believe to understand -God can be known two ways – Nature andRevelation

• The five ways for the existence of God:– 1. Motion implies first mover;– 2. Sequence of cause and effect--uncaused

cause;– 3. Existence of things not self explanatory;– 4. When we make moral comparisons we imply

standard of perfection– 5. The way the creation works implies intelligent

being created

1095 - 1291

• Seven Major Crusades – numerous minor. Why??• 1. Perceived threat of Islam.• 2. Unity of Mediterranean important, Jerusalem center

of maps.• 3. strong interest in pilgrimages to sacred places of

Christianity--these under Muslim control• Crusade GOALS --- Crusades would:• 1. Achieve internal peace in Europe.• 2. Achieve foreign goals• Evaluation of Crusades

– POSITIVES - Marked success in commercial andeconomic realm

– NEGATIVE - Moral Failure– Christian-Islam relations poisoned to this day by Crusades

The Morning Star of the Reformation(Died 1384)

• Studied theology at Oxford• Augustinian, Grace of God &

depravity important.• Critical of church corruption,

Rejected transubstantiation andsacrifice of the Mass.

• Attacked institution of Papacy• Rejected indulgences• Bible only authoritative guide;

BUT – NO justification by faith

The Morning Star of the Reformation(Died 1384)

• Distinction between temporalrule versus spiritual rule

• Credited with translation ofthe Vulgate into English (doneby his followers)

• Lollards: “Poor priests”• Bones exhumed and burned

Crusades

1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500

“BabylonianCaptivity”

East/WestSchism

Francisof

Assisi

PeterWaldo

JohnWyclif

Black Plague

“Great Schism”

1342-1416

• While very ill, she had aseries of “visions” of Jesus

• Wrote Revelations of DivineLove

• Walled into an anchoragewith windows to the church,to the street, and to herservant’s quarters

1342-1416

“I am sure that noman asks mercyand grace with

sincerity, withoutmercy and grace

being given to himfirst.”

1380-1471

• Lived in the Netherlands• Priest and scribe• Devotional writer:

Imitations of Christ• Quiet, reflective life

1380-1471

In things essential,unity; in doubtful,

liberty; in all things,love. (Imitation of

Christ 1:3).

1380-1471

I would rather feel contritionthan know how to define it.

For what would it profit us toknow the whole Bible by

heart and the principles ofall the philosophers if welive without grace and thelove of God? (Imitation of

Christ 1:1).

1380-1471

Ah, Lord God, my holyLover, when You come intomy heart, all that is within

me will rejoice. You are myglory and the exultation ofmy heart. You are my hopeand refuge in the day of my

tribulation (Imitation ofChrist 3:5).

Crusades

1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500

JohnWyclif

JohnHus

East/WestSchism “Babylonian

Captivity”

Francisof

Assisi

PeterWaldo

John Hus1372-1415

• Lived in Bohemia(modern CzechRepublic)

• Influenced by theteachings of Wyclif– The Bible is basis of

our doctrines– Only God forgives sin

(against indulgences)

John Hus1372-1415

“It is thus that yousilence the goose,

but a hundredyears hence therewill arise a swan

whose singing youshall not be able

to silence.”

John Hus1372-1415

Crusades

1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500

JohnWyclif

“BabylonianCaptivity”

JohnHus

East/WestSchism

MartinLuther

Gutenberg'sPrintingPress

Francisof

Assisi

PeterWaldo

Constantinoplefalls

Context of the Reformation• Wide changes in all aspects of life:• Political-Growth of nationalism -Monarch power at

the expense of nobles and pope;• Economics- Great inflation—economic growth-

Growth in cities and wealth redistributed;• Social-Kings align with merchants, break with

nobles-Rising middle class• Clergy filling in status -Peasant revolts;• Intellectual-Renaissance• Religious-Common error--Prot--a revolt against

corruption in church—disgust with Papacy. Realquestions: 1. Salvation; 2. Nature of Church; 3.Authority

Pope Innocent VIII1432-1492

• Purchased his way intothe papacy

• Already had severalchildren and had severalmore as pope

• Made it a regular practiceto sell church offices tothe highest bidder

1452-1498• Dominican priest in Florence, Italy• Preached against the moral

corruption of the clergy• Took political control of Florence

following its overthrow by CharlesVIII of France

• Homosexual practices made acapital offense

• Supporters organized Bonfire ofthe Vanities (burning of objectscondemned by authorities asoccasions of sin)

1452-1498

• Including vanity items such as mirrors,cosmetics, fine dresses, playing cards, andeven musical instruments.

• Other targets included books that weredeemed to be immoral, such as works byBoccaccio, and manuscripts of secular songs,as well as artworks, including paintings andsculpture.

• Excommunicated by the Pope• Tortured on the rack until he signed a

confession• Burned alive

1483-1546

• Classical education• Entered an Augustinian

Monastery• Doctorate in Theology• Teacher• Visit to Rome

“If anyone could have gained heaven as a monk,then I would indeed have been among them.”

1483-1546

“I did not love,indeed I hated thisjust God, if not withopen blasphemy, at

least with hugemurmurings, for I

was indignantagainst Him…”

1483-1546• Conversion: The

Just shall live byfaith (Rom.1:17)

• Decried the sale ofIndulgences

• Relieve the temporalpunishment resultingfrom the effect of sin,and reduced the timerequired to spend inPurgatory forremission

1483-1546• The penitent was still required to have his grave sins

absolved, ordinarily through the sacrament ofConfession, to receive salvation.

• 95 Theses: October 31, 1517 (based on hisobjections to the Church doctrine on the sale ofindulgences and the Holy See's spiritual power toremit sins)

• Debates with Eck• Excommunication• Diet of Worms

(1521)

1483-1546

• A Diet was a formal deliberative assembly.• It is most memorable for the Edict of

Worms (Wormser Edikt/Imperial Act),which addressed Martin Luther and theeffects of the Protestant Reformation.

• It was conducted from 28 January to 25April 1521, with Emperor Charles Vpresiding.

1483-1546

• Condemned priest celibacy, holypilgrimages, the veneration of saints andsacred images, the doctrine of infallibility ofpopes and general church councils.

• Jettisoned the old sacramental rites, exceptbaptism and the Eucharist.

• On the Eucharist, continued to insist in theliteral interpretation of transubstantiation,while Zwingli (another reformer) insisted thatit was only a symbolic, metaphorical ritual.

"Unless I amconvinced by Scriptureand plain reason - I do

not accept theauthority of the popesand councils, for they

have contradictedeach other - my

conscience is captiveto the Word of God. Icannot and I will notrecant anything for togo against conscience

is neither right norsafe. God help me.

Amen."