Chapter 13The Reformation

Protestant and Catholic The Protestant Revolt: Part 1

Why reform?!

Priests, bishops, popes, and monks:– collected money for

themselves– failed to keep their

promises of celibacy– lacked a high level of

learning/ education– Simony and nepotism– Misunderstanding

indulgences

Why wAS MONEY USED in EXCHANGE FOR AN INDULGENCE?

• Financial contributions / gifts considered to be acts of charity

• Giving money seen by most as a form of penance

• Greed among the clergy • Lack of education among the

people • Lack of education among the

clergy

Martin Luther 1483-1546

• Grew up in extreme simplicity

• Attended Latin School: Ten Commandments/Child’s Belief/Lord’s Prayer

• Monastery…driven there or conversion?

Martin Luther • Rose quite quickly through the ranks

of the monastery, • Was very unhappy• Scrupulosity– thinking that an act is

sinful when it isn’t; thinking something is gravely (very) sinful when it is actually a minor offense

• God is a righteous lawgiver and administrator of Justice

• Tempted with evil thoughts, hatred of God…

• Imagined God would most likely withhold forgiveness and salvation from him

Luther’s Objection to the Church

• Developed from his own personal struggles rather than from ecclesiastical affairs

• Inspired by William of Ockham

• Outraged by indulgences

The Ninety-Five Theses

• Posted in Wittenberg • Did not just spring up

overnight• Reaction to Archbishop of

Magdeburg, who would become Archbishop of Mainz

• Pope Leo X and the Archbishop of Mainz were competing over indulgences

Events Leading to Luther’s Theses

• Archbishop of Magdeburg wanted an appointment to the archiepiscopal see of Mainz

• Could not afford this “bill” • Borrowed the money from

a local wealthy family• The Archbishop asked to

aide in the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica

• Sent Tetzel to go and preach a special papal indulgence

Events Leading to Luther’s Theses

• Tetzel was given a handbook on how to preach/sell the indulgences

• A copy was brought to the University that Luther was at

• Luther was outraged

Duke Frederick of Saxony

• Placed relics on display for the veneration of the faithful

• Upset that pilgrims would bypass his city to go and earn a papal indulgence

• Would later protect Luther

Oct 31 1517: Wittenberg

• Luther posted his theses on a university door • Printing press led to its widespread distribution

Luther’s Theses Not Heretical…

• Undermined the authority of the Church • Luther Criticized:

- The use of indulgences for distracting sinners from true repentance

- Indulgences imply the forgiveness of sin through human as opposed to Divine authority

- The validity of indulgences

From Debate to Dissension

• Posting a thesis on a “wall” was not uncommon

• Theses were invitations for debate

• Luther’s theses went unchallenged ….at first

On to Rome…

• Luther’s theses was sent to Pope Leo X in Rome by the Archbishop of Mainz

The Church Objected To…

• Luther’s questioning of the Church’s infallibility

Luther Invited to Debate

• Met with the highest esteemed Catholic Theologians

• Thought the debate would be a simple matter

• Wanted to state a call to reform

Johann Eck

• Attacked predestination • First to champion Catholic teaching against

“Protestant Error” • Issued reply to Luther (for Bishop)• Exposed Luther’s heresy

Luther's True Philosophy Revealed

• Dismissed the papal supremacy

• Dismissed the authority of the councils

• Committed to the ideas of the justification of faith alone and the limitations of free will

The Debate’s Conclusion

• Luther transformed from being a hero standing up to the Church’s corruption to a heretic

• Pope Leo X issued a bull, giving Luther two months to recant or face excommunication

• Luther burned the bull in public along with the canon code of law

The Diet of Worms • Charles V• Edict of Worms (Reformation) • Forbade anyone to accept Luther’s theology • Private meeting held to determine fate of Luther• Luther disappeared…

Luther’s Theology • Salvation is a Gift of God

only obtainable through Faith in Jesus Christ

• Rejected the Sacrament of Reconciliation: Every Christian is a confessor

• “Faith: and “alone” inserted into Romans 3:28

• Rejected celibacy: unnatural

Luther & Consubstantiation

• The Body/Blood of Christ co-exist with the bread and wine

• “This bread contains my body…this wine contains my blood”

• Christ is truly present – but the bread and wine do not transform into His flesh

Transubstantiation • Catholic Church’s Teaching: the real

presence of Christ in the Eucharist

• The Bread/Wine undergo a change of substance

• The Bread/Wine is no longer the same substance – it is the Body and Blood of Christ

• John 6:51 – “My flesh for the rest of the world.”

Faith Alone?

• Catholicism does NOT teach that we are saved by our own efforts

• James 1:21-25 –must do, not just state • Not everyone who says to me "Lord, Lord" will enter

the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. (Mat 7:20)

• Works Complete Our Faith • 1 Corinthians 13: …and if I have a faith that can move

mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

Sacrament of Reconciliation

• Jesus appeared to His Apostles "breathed on them," and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive men's sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound, they are held bound." (Jn 20:21-23)

• Christ instituted the sacrament of penance and made His Apostles the ministers of it

Luther’s Return to Wittenberg

• Married a nun (Katherine)• Lived out later years peacefully – away from the

spotlight • Due to illness – became angry, senile, and rude• Many friends abandoned him …• Died proclaiming himself to be in the hands of God

Are Protestants heretics today?

• Heretics try to change the Truth within the Catholic Faith/Church

• Protestants do not try to do that

• Vatican II: “Separated Brethren”

• Protestants share in many of our truths

• Ecumenism

PART II

The Peasant Rebellion and the Splintering of Protestantism

The German Princes

• Did not share in the rebellion against the teachings of the Church

• Only sympathized with Luther • Liked Luther because he stood up against the papacy

The German Princes

• Sent armies to help him defend his rebellion

• Troubled Luther with outrageous demands

• For example, one demanded that Luther support his bigamous marriage

The Peasant Rebellion

• Luther advocated Christian liberty and equality. For him, the Christian was accountable to himself.

• Before Luther, denying authority in public was unheard of.

• Luther gave a model for the peasants to follow; peasants entertained the idea that they too could rise up against the establishment - the princes.

The Peasant Rebellion

• Luther summoned to condemn the uprising. • Luther’s response to the princes was:

“Strike, slay front and rear: nothing is more devilish than sedition. There must be no sleep, no patience, no mercy: they are the children of the devil”

• Thousands of men, women, and children were killed

• 100,000 killed• Villages were burned and crops were destroyed

John Calvin

• Born into a middle class family

• Layman who never took vows

• Structured and codified the reform movement

• Turned reform movement into a militant crusade

The Institutes of the Christian Religion

• Ultimate authority is contained in Scripture

• The Bible is the only source of Revelation

• The ability of man to merit through good works

• Denied ALL Sacramental graces

• Directed iconoclastic actions against all crucifixes, statues, sacred paintings, vestments, etc.

Calvin: Predestination

• Some are predestined to heaven, others are predestined to hell

• Those chosen by God = Elect • Necessary to show God's great

justice• Embraced by the middle class• Lower class was = damned

Theocracy in Geneva

• The state is subservient to the church• In Geneva: – No expression of religious freedom was allowed – The old Catholic Creed was forbidden – No prayer could be said in Latin – No words of sympathy or recognition of the pope could be

uttered– Disagreeing with Calvin or criticizing his preaching could

result in punishment – It was rumored that coughing in Church could result in a

prison sentence