Chapter 14Reform & Renewal in the Christian Church

The Protestant ReformationDespite the secular emphasis of the Renaissance, religious concerns were still very important to people.Church abuses led to demands for reform and ultimately resulted in the Protestant Reformation.The Reformation destroyed the religious unity of Western Europe.The Reformation produced 4 major movements:Lutheranism, Calvinism, Anglicanism, and Anabaptism.

Causes of the ReformationEurope was full of stories of:Drunkenness, gambling, and neglect of celibacy among clergy.Lack of education and low standards of admission to orders.Pluralism (holding of several offices) and wealth that conflicted with the gospel.Popes and bishops (typically nobles) who were fabulously wealthy and corrupt.1/3 of all Euro land held by the church and church officials.

Causes of the ReformationThe lowest point of the Churchs reputation came during consecutive papacies:Rodrigo de Borgia (Alexander VI, 1492-1503)Interests were gold, women, and the careers of his bastard children.

Causes of the ReformationGiuliano della Rovere (Julius II, 1503-13)Rebuilder of St. Peters and refounder of the Papal States.Method of financing?Indulgences

Causes of the ReformationWhats an indulgence?A paper certificate guaranteeing relief from punishment in Purgatory.Credits built up by the saints, transferrable to sinners.In return for a cash contribution, of course!

Martin Luther (1483-1546)German.Originally planned to be a lawyer.Had a religious conversion and became an Augustinian monk in 1505.1508, a teacher of theology at the university at Wittenberg in Saxony.1508, on a visit to Rome, was shocked to the bones by the wealth of the Church.

Martin Luther (1483-1546)Inordinately rude, bad-tempered and foul-mouthed.

Impatient.

Saw Rome as the Beast of the Apocalypse.

Luthers TheologyLuther was troubled about the possibility of achieving salvation.While reading St. Augustine, he found a passage from St. Paul, where he had written, The just shall live by faith.Luthers conclusion was that salvation could be achieved only thru faith in the goodness and mercy of Christ.Performing good works, participating in ecclesiastical rituals, and receiving the sacraments would not be enough.Luthers theology is based on this justification by faith.

The Beginning of the Reformation1517, Johann Tetzel, a Dominican friar, selling indulgences around Wittenberg.Income from sales used to pay the costs of construction on St. Peters.Tetzel had been banned from the territory by the Elector (Prince) of Saxony.Luther challenged Tetzels theological credentials.

The Ninety-Five ThesesLuther questioned the doctrine of indulgences.Inconsistent with his doctrine of justification by faith.October 31, 1517, Luther posted the Ninety-Five Theses.Intended as a challenge to other scholars to debate the issue of indulgences.

The Ninety-Five ThesesThe debaters became hostile to one another.1519, Luther debated Johannes Eck, a noted theologian, in Leipzig.Luther acknowledged that his views were similar to those of condemned heretic, Jan Hus.

The Ninety-Five ThesesPope Leo X threatened Luther with a document of excommunication.Luther responded by burning the document.

The Diet of Worms1521, HRE Charles V ordered Luther to appear before the Diet of the HRE, meeting at Worms.German politics was split between advocates and opponents of Luthers punishment.Asked to recant, Luther refused, declaring:Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise.

The Diet of WormsCharles declared Luther an outlaw. Excommunicated.Elector (Prince) Frederick the Wise of Saxony granted Luther refuge at Wartburg Castle.While in hiding, he translated the New Testament into German.

Acceptance of Luthers ReformsWith Fredericks backing, Luther returned to Wittenberg and reformed the local church with his ideas. His theology won strong public support and began to spread, especially in the northern and eastern German states.

The Doctrines of Lutheranism3 Fundamental Tenets:Justification by faith.Peace comes only in the word of Christ through faith.Religious truth and authority lie only in the Bible.No papal infallibility.Only 3! sacraments: baptism, penance, & holy communion.Rejection of the hierarchical nature of the Church.No priests. Just mere ministers.Not a formal organization. A community of believers.

The Peasants RevoltGerman peasants revolted against landowners in 1524/25.Poverty caused by heavy taxes and obligations to landowners.Peasants in SW Germany sought Luthers support.Luther, a socioeconomic conservative, opposed the peasants and supported the landowners.

The Spread of LutheranismThe Diet of Augsburg (1530).Luther ordered to appear before Charles V, where he presented a statement of his faith--The Confession of Augsburg. Unacceptable.The Peace of Augsburg (1555).German Lutheran states formed the Schmalkaldic League, a religious and military alliance against the Catholic Hapsburgs.Civil war raged from 1546-55.Under a compromise, each German prince gained the right to determine the religion of his state--either Catholic or Lutheran. No recognition of Calvinists or Anabaptists.Result: N/E Germany = Lutheran; S/W Germany = Catholic.

AnglicanismThe Reformation in England culminated a long period of attempted reform.Key issues in England were the wealth of the clergy and disagreement over scriptures.

AnglicanismKing Henry VIII (r. 1509-1547)Conflict with the Papacy:Henry wanted his marriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled. How come??No male heir. Only a daughter, Mary.Annulment was denied by the Pope.

AnglicanismHenry infatuated with Anne Boleyn.Annulment request based on canon law.Marriage annulment granted by new Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer.Henry married Anne.

AnglicanismSeparation from Rome.Henry sought support of Parliament. Three acts were passed, ultimately separating England from the Catholic Church.1. Act of Annates (1532): Cut financial payments to Rome.2. Act of Appeals (1533): Curtailed Romes ecclesiastical jurisdiction.3. Act of Supremacy (1534): Abolished papal authority completely, raising the King to Supreme Head of the Church of England.

AnglicanismFurther controversy.Henry attacked Church wealth by dissolving the monasteries. 1536/1539 acts of Parliament dissolved all Catholic monasteries which Henry then sold.Lord Chancellor, Thomas More, and Bishop of Rochester, John Fisher refused to swear to support the Act of Supremacy and were executed in 1555.Most English subjects supported Henry due to their resentment of the wealth of the Church.

AnglicanismKing Edward VI (r. 1547-1553) Son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour (3rd wife).Succeeded Henry at age 10.England became more Protestant during his reign.

AnglicanismProtestant ideas were expressed in the worship of the Anglican Church, set forth in Cranmers Book of Common Prayer (1549).

A Threat To AnglicanismMary I (Mary Tudor) (r. 1553-58).Henry VIIIs oldest daughter (Catholic), succeeded Edward VI.Attempted to re-Catholicize England.Also married her cousin, King Philip II of Spain (a devout Catholic).Persecuted English Protestants.Bloody Mary: more than 300 burned at the stake.

Cementing AnglicanismElizabeth I (r. 1558-1603).Protestant daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.Politically savvy: concerned about the impact of religious discord on national unity.1559, repealed pro-Catholic laws of Marys reign and again established the monarch as the head of the Anglican Church.Interfered regularly in Spains European affairs.

Cementing Anglicanism1563, Parliament passed the Thirty-Nine Articles, defining the teachings of the Anglican Church.Compromise legislation: Church generally Protestant, but continued to be governed by bishops.Elizabeths compromise was opposed by ardent Protestants:Puritans wanted the English church purified of all remaining Catholic elements.Separatists wanted to leave the Anglican Church completely.Pilgrims who settled at Plymouth (1620) were Separatists.

Elizabeths Dealings With DissentersElizabeths compromise was also opposed by Roman Catholics.Duke of Norfolk: led an unsuccessful revolt against Elizabeth, resulting in his execution.Persecution of Catholics: 200-300 executed.

CalvinismStart of the Swiss reformation.ZwingliCatholic priest/humanist: hoped the Church would reform itself.Led the church in Zurich in its break from Roman Catholicism.Supremacy of the Bible, but rejection of baptism and communion.Killed by Catholic forces during a Swiss civil war (1531).

CalvinismJohn CalvinFugitive French lawyer and theologian.Led the reformation in Geneva.

The Doctrines of CalvinismThe Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536), written by Calvin.Agreed with Luther re: Supremacy of the Bible and the limitation of sacraments.Disagreed with Luther re: doctrine of salvation by election, or predestination.At creation, God determined those who would be saved (the elect) and those who would be damned.Emphasized a life of abstinence.Required church attendance, banned card playing, gambling, dancing, theatergoing, alcohol consumption, and swearing.

Calvinist Theocracy in GenevaTheocracy = church-run state. Violators of puritanical code of behavior suffered severe penalties.Persecution of religious dissenters.Ex: Michael Servetus, on the run from the Catholic Inquisition. Sought asylum in Geneva.Seized by Calvinist authorities, and burned at the stake.

The Spread of CalvinismJohn KnoxA Calvinist disciple, brought the new faith to Scotland.Known as Presbyterianism.1560, adopted by Scotlands parliament as the countrys official religion.

The Spread of CalvinismMid-16th century, Calvinism spread to France.French Calvinists = Huguenots.In England, Calvinists were known as Puritans.

AnabaptismAnabaptists (rebaptizers): the radicals of the Protestant Reformation.Rejected infant baptism.Only true Christians were those who had undergone a conversion experience and had then been baptized.Opposed oath-taking and bearing of arms.Supported separation of church and state.

The Catholic (Counter) ReformationA matter of viewpoint: Protestants assume it was born to oppose the Protestant Reformation.Catholics see it as a stage in a continuous movement for Church reform.

The Catholic (Counter) ReformationPope Paul III (1534-1549)Revitalized the College of Cardinals.Established the Holy Office.Patronized the Jesuits.Launched the Council of Trent.

The Catholic (Counter) ReformationSociety of JesusCombined the fierce piety and military lifestyle of its founder Inigo Lopez de Recalde (St. Ignatius Loyola).Operated under direct papal command.Convert the heathen, reconvert the lapsed, and educate.Periods of success and periods of fear and resentment.

The Catholic (Counter) ReformationThe Holy Office and the InquisitionEstablished in 1542 as the supreme court of appeal in matters of heresy.Supervised the Inquisition.Rid Italy of non-Catholics.Goal: Reaffirm authority of the pope over Church members.Powers of arrest, imprisonment, execution.Issued the first Index (1557).Censorship designed to curtail humanist thinking.

The Catholic (Counter) ReformationThe Council of Trent (1545-63)General Church council that reaffirmed Church doctrine and reorganized the institutional structure of the Church.Doctrine:Church alone could interpret Scripture.Religious truth from Catholic tradition and the Bible.Institutional organization:Rules of behavior for religious orders.Forbade indulgences.Established seminaries.

The Catholic (Counter) ReformationStandardized the Mass.After 1563, the same Latin Mass could be heard in most Roman Catholic churches throughout the world.Sparked a new style of art and music called baroque.Use of asymmetry, exaggeration, calculated theatricality.