Reformations and Religious Wars1500-1600
Part One: The Early Reformation
What was the Protestant Reformation?
What are the key words in Protestant Reformation that tell us what this is all about?
Protest Against the Catholic Church
Formation Of new religions
Reform Of Catholicism
What were some early challenges to the Catholic Church?
Background to the Reformation• Causes from the Late
Middle Ages– Doubt in the Church due to
its inability to help Plague victims
– Babylonian Captivity (papacy moved from Rome to Avignon)
– The Great Schism (when there were two, and then three popes) reduced the legitimacy of the Church
– Jan Hus was burned at the stake in 1415 (though he was promised safety) for his criticisms of the Church at the Council of Constance
What had Hus done to deservesuch a death?
Background of the Reformation
• Renaissance Causes– Humanism focused on
the experience of the individual, embraced secular thought, and celebrated works from ancient Greece and Rome about human nature (pre-Christian)
– Invention of the printing press spread literacy and education
I. The Early Reformation
• The Christian Church in the Early Sixteenth Century– Critics of the Church
concentrated on clerical immorality, clerical ignorance, and clerical pluralism.
– There was also local resentment of clerical privileges and immunities.
Who were the early critics of the Catholic Church?
Early Critics of the ChurchJohn Wycliffe (England) 1328 - 1384• English friar• Scripture is the sole
authority• Criticized the taxes
collected by the pope, doctrine of transubstantiation, and the authority of the pope
• Began translating the Bible from Latin to English
Early Critics of the Church• The Brethren of the
Common Life (14th c.) • Founded by Gerard Groote-
a monk who left the monastery in 1369 to try and reform the clergy
• The Brothers and Sisters encouraged Christians to live simple, holy lives and seek a personal relationship with God.
• Brethren houses spread from the Netherlands to GermanyGerard Groote (1340-1384)
Early Critics of the ChurchDesiderius Erasmus• The Prince of the Humanists• A student of the Brethren,
he was a scholar and priest• Wrote, Praise of Folly (1509)
a critique of the abuses of the church and society
• Translated the Greek and Latin New Testament
• “Erasmus laid the egg that Luther hatched.”
Erasmus (1466 - 1536)
What were some of the charges of corruption directed against the
Catholic Church?
Charges of Corruption in the Catholic Church
Corruption –simony (sale of church
offices)–pluralism (holding more than
one office)–Absenteeism–nepotism (favoring family for
offices)–moral decline
Popes having numerous affairs and children
Prostitutes Traded sexual favors for the
absolution of sins–clerical ignorance
Many priests were illiterateThe Pope acting as a moneychanger with the sale of
indulgences and religious dispensations, woodcut, 1521
Johann Tetzel and Indulgences
• "As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs."
Johann Tetzel• Dominican friar, authorized
by Pope Leo X to sell indulgences
• Payments that would reduce a person’s punishment in Purgatory, or that of a passed relative
• Tetzel took advantage of citizens’ fears and superstitions about death
• Indulgence paid for clerical pluralism and the reconstruction of St. Peter’s Basilica in RomeTetzel (1490 - 1545)
Martin Luther• Son of a copper mine owner• Father wanted him to study law • Nearly hit by lightning in 1505 –
he vowed to become a monk• Ordained a priest in 1507 and
earned a doctorate of theology• Professor of scriptures at the
University of Wittenburg• Confused – religious routine,
confessions, fasting – still did not feel he was meeting God’s demands and still had anxiety about sin
• Studied St. Paul’s letters – believed that faith alone will earn salvation – not external observances and penance
Martin Luther (1483-1546)
• Luther, a young monk, found indulgences to be problematic
• He did not feel salvation by practicing religious routine
• Eventually concluded that salvation came from faith alone
95 Theses • October 31, 1517 • Luther nailed the 95
Theses to the doors of Castle Church in Wittenburg
• Criticized most of the sacraments, devotion to Mary, celibacy, the pope, and devotion to saints
• How did the Church respond to Luther’s criticism?
• Why were Luther’s ideas so appealing?
Public Debate• People started to debate
this issue: Where does authority lie in the Catholic church?
• Public disputes – Luther v. Eck
• Papacy gave Luther 2 months to recant
• Luther was excommunicated by Pope Leo X – Luther threw papal bull into
the fireLuther--"Since they have burned my books, I burn theirs”
Luther--The Rebel• Diet of Worms – Luther was
asked to recant but he refused– Excommunicated and
outlawed as a heretic– Called for the burning of his
books and called for his arrest– Frederick the Wise of Saxony
protected Luther by hiding him in Wartburg Castle
– Luther worked tirelessly on a complete translation of the Bible into GermanLuther answering charges
of heresy before the Diet of Worms in 1521
The Aftermath
• 1524-25 Peasants War in Germany• Luther initially supports--then opposes the revolts• In 1525 Luther married a nun 15 years younger than
he and they had six children• Lutheranism spreads to become the dominant
religion in Scandinavia and northern Europe• Religious wars rock Europe for another 100 years
Comparative Christian Ideas
Protestant Thought• Salvation comes by faith
alone• Religious authority in
Scripture alone• Church consisted of
community of believers
• Wine and bread don’t really turn to blood and body of Jesus (consubstantiation) rather, they coexist with each other
Catholic Thought • Salvation comes from faith
and good works • Religious authority in
Scripture and church teachings
• Church consisted of Clergy alone
• Transubstantiation (wine blood, bread body of Jesus)
Sacraments
Protestant• Baptism• Holy Communion • Reconciliation (Absolution)
Catholic • Baptism• Confirmation• Eucharist• Penance and Reconciliation• Anointing the Sick• Holy Orders (Bishop, Priest, Deacon)
• Marriage
Other Protestant Thinkers and Leaders
• Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) – maintained that Eucharist (bread and wine to body and blood) was only a memorial of the last supper
• John Calvin emerged and agreed with Luther about consubstantiation
Appeal of Protestant Ideas • Educated people and
humanists embraced the simple, personal vision of Christianity
• End of clergy privileges was hailed by urban people
• Printing press helped to quickly spread ideas. Vernacular Bibles could be read by all.
• In the first 10 years of the Reformation, 1/4 of the books published in Germany were by Luther.
Peasants’ Revolt (1524-25)• Luther’s idea of a “priesthood
of all believers” was viewed by many as a call for social equality
• Luther supported peasants at first
• Protested excessive taxes and social inequities
• When protests turned to violent revolts, Luther condemned the peasants and supported lords
Peasants’ Revolt• Luther denounced the
peasants in a pamphlet• “Against the Murdering and
Robbing Horde of Peasants”• Called for the death of all who
challenged legitimate authority and who perverted the true Christian message--spiritual, not political
• Luther knew he needed the support of the princes if his reformation was to survive
• Peasants’ revolt was crushed (more than 100,000 killed)The burning of Little Jack (Jacklein)
Rohrbach, a leader of the peasants during the war.
Marriage • Luther and Zwingli married• Marriage = spiritual
equality, husband’s authority, wife’s obedience
• Allowed divorce, (contract vs Sacrament)
• Condemned prostitution• Advocated elementary
schooling for girls• Women’s work still confined
to domestic rolesKatherine von Bora was placed in a convent by her father at age ten as a “bride of Christ”. After reading Luther’s writings she fled the convent and ended up at Wittenberg where Luther married her. She quickly bore him six children.
Learning Objective
• Discuss the central ideas of religious reformers and explain their appeal to different social groups.
1. Discuss the central ideas of religious reformers
2. Explain their appeal to different social groups
________________ and ______________________ were the central ideas of religious reformers during the Reformation, and they appealed to social groups such as ________________ and _____________________
1. Central Ideas of Religious Reformers• Sola Scriptura: Scripture, the Bible, not the Pope and
clergy, is the ultimate religious authority• Sola Fide: Salvation comes from faith alone. “Good
works do not make a good man, but a good man does good works.”--Luther
• Faith is a free gift of God and cannot be “earned” through any human activity, such as pilgrimages, relic veneration, or indulgences. In contrast, the Catholic Church held that adherence to the sacraments (administered by the clergy) was necessary to be received by God.
• Luther: People should read the Bible for themselves • Simplified religious dogma by eliminating veneration of saints,
Mary, and many sacraments
2. Appeal to Different Social Groups
• Educated elite and humanists – liked emphasis on individuality, secularism
• Urban merchant classes – liked taking privileges from clergy
• Peasants – like idea of rebellion against oppressive authority
Create a Thesis Statement
Discuss the central ideas of religious reformers and explain their appeal to different social groups.