Early 16th C 1

Lecture 3: Early 16th C

Ann T. Orlando

23 January 2006

Early 16th C 2

Introduction to Next Three Lectures (3,4,5) All three will have Martin Luther as the main

‘player’ Lecture 3: focus on start of Reformation and

impact in Germany Lecture 4: Martin Luther’s Life and political

impact beyond Germany Lecture 5: focus on theology and doctrinal

issues NB: these really are interlocking themes

Early 16th C 3

Outline Lecture 3

Historical Review of Early 16th C Popes of early 16th C and political situation The Beginning of the Reformation Political Conflicts precipitated by Luther in

Germany

Early 16th C 4

Historical Review 14th – 15th C Black death, Hundred Year’s War Avignon Papacy Great Schism: 2 Popes Conciliar Movement: 3 Popes Development of strong, competing nations Fall of Constantinople, 1453

Early 16th C 5

Recap: Situation Early 16th C Byzantine Empire destroyed; Powerful Ottoman Turks in control of Eastern

and Southern Mediterranean Spain newly unified after expulsion of Muslims France and England in uneasy truce France and HRE in occasional battles over

eastern France Popes in very weakened political situation after

Avignon papacy; reliant on sale of indulgences and simony for funds

Early 16th C 6

Popes of Early 16th Century Alexander VI (1492-1503), most notorious Borgia Pope Julius II (1503-1513), leads armies in battle to solidify Papal States,

decides to rebuild St. Peter’s Basilica; Old St Peter’s built by Constantine in very bad condition What had been largest church in Christendom now a mosque Donation of Constantine accepted as a forgery

Leo X (1513-1521), “Now that God has given us the Papacy, let us enjoy it.”

Popular joke is ROMA = Radix Omnia Malorum Avaritia (Avarice the Root of All Evil)

Note, however, that these same Popes were also patrons for some of the most important artists of Renaissance and early Baroque

These same Popes were champions of learning and encouraged establishment of major libraries, including Vatican library

Early 16th C 7

Very Strong ‘National’ Rulers Early 16th C Francois I of France Charles V HRE (Spain, Germany,

Netherlands) Henry VIII in England Sulyman the Magnificent in Ottoman

Empire

Early 16th C 8

Martin Luther (1483-1546)

Luther was influenced by humanism; studied Biblical languages and the early Church Fathers, especially Augustine

Driven by internal and external events Internal struggle

As a young Augustinian monk, Luther struggles to appease God for his sins

Finally realizes that nothing he can do can appease God; salvation must be God’s free gift that one accepts by faith

Early 16th C 9

The Proximate Cause of the German Reformation In 1517, Albert of Mainz wants to be Archbishop Albert buys his archbishopric from Rome, with money

borrowed from Rome (Pope Leo X); Rome needs the money in part to help pay for rebuilding

of St. Peters Rome authorizes the preaching of a special indulgence

in Germany, with the money to go to Albrecht, so he can repay his loan back to Leo X

Indulgence is preached by Johan Tetzel, “When the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs”

Early 16th C 10

Martin Luther’s Response

Luther is deeply offended by this corruption Responds to this situation with 95 Theses

A thesis was an academic hypothesis which was ot to debated among scholars

Luther’s theses go far beyond denouncing sin of simony and corruption; fundamentally calls into question Rome’s primacy, theology of indulgences; denounces scholasticism

German princes, especially Fredrick the Wise of Saxony, support Luther against Rome and against Charles V

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Map Central Europe 1500www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/08/euwc/ht08euwc.htm

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Case Study: Indulgences

The Commission of Indulgences Purpose is to reconstruct St. Peter’s Indulgence remits all pain of purgatory for living and dead Money given depends on social status; no prayer needed, just give money

95 Theses Pope cannot remit punishment due to sin; only God can Certainly cannot effect dead who have already been judged by God 28 “It is certain that when the penny jingles into the money-box, gain and

avarice can be increased, but the result of the intercession of the Church is in the power of God alone.”

Much better to give money to poor and engage in works of mercy than to buy pardons

50 “Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the pardon-preachers, he would rather that St. Peter's church should go to ashes, than that it should be built up with the skin, flesh and bones of his sheep. “

Gospel is true treasure of Church

Early 16th C 13

‘German’ Political Situation Early 16th C Germany (all of Central Europe) actually composed

of separate dutchies, loosely confederated into the Holy Roman Empire HRE goes back to Otto I in the 10th C Diet an assembly of more important princes, or Electors,

who administered much of ‘Germany’; also chose the HRE By 15th C Emperor almost always chosen from Hapsburgs

who ruled Austria Roughly three classes: nobility, knights, peasants But a growing new class of merchants, small

business owners; Luther’s father

Early 16th C 14

German 16th C Social Unrest

Major nobility (electors) becoming increasingly powerful But recognized that Charles V was a very strong Emperor Concerned that Pope could appoint powerful bishops and

funds leaving Germany through simony and indulgence selling

Knights losing place in society Rulers using lawyers for counsel and standing armies or

mercenaries for military Knights become mercenaries

Peasants economically oppressed by nobility and urban merchant class Printing press is increasing literacy among peasants

Early 16th C 15

Luther and Politics

Luther’s primary political supporter was Fredrick the Wise of Saxony He establish University at Wittenburg Protected Luther after Diet of Worms; taking him to

Wartburg Battled Charles V and succeeded in getting the Peace of

Augsburg signed But Frederick also allied with Pope Leo X against Charles

V and the Turks Luther interpreted Rom. 13 as requiring Christians

to support their rulers, regardless of circumstances

Early 16th C 16

Luther and Peasants and Jews Peasant unrest throughout 16th C

Misunderstand Luther’s call to freedom of Christian and priesthood of all believers as call to greater social autonomy

Publish 12 Articles of Grievances of Peasants 1525 Peasant Revolt of 1525 led by one of Luther’s supporters,

Thomas Muentzer Luther repudiates Peasant Revolt, encourages nobility to

crush revolt in Against the Murderous and Thieving Hordes of Peasants

Jews in 16th C Recall popularly blamed for plague Competitors to rising merchant class Luther was deeply anti-Semitic, The Jews and Their Lies

Early 16th C 17

Appeal to German Nobility, 1520 Three walls built around Roman Church

Popes decree that temporal powers have no jurisdiction over them

Only Pope can interpret Scripture Only a Pope can summon a council

Luther’s response No difference between laymen and priests Scripture does not say that only Pope can interpret

Scripture When Pope acts contrary to Scripture it is the duty of

Christians to oppose him

Early 16th C 18

Political Response Against Luther and German Princes Pope Leo X did not want to cross Fredrick the Wise

Check on Charles V power Wanted Germans to take up arms against Turks

Luther appeared before Diet of Worms, 1521 Luther is condemned by Charles V ‘Kidnapped’ by Fredrick the Wise and taken to Wartburg Castle to

prevent capture by Charles V Schmalkaldic League formed in 1531 by German nobles

opposed to Charles V Sporadic Battles between them and Charles V until 1555

Early 16th C 19

Peace of Augsburg, 1555

Cuius regio, eius religio, “whose reign, his religion”

Only valid for Lutheran and Catholic princes “Final” answer to who is in charge: the prince Note there is still no separation of Church

and State

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Assignments

1. Bokenkotter, Chapter 18, 19 2. Archbishop Albert Mainz. The Commission of Indulgences in

The European Reformations Sourcebook. ed Carter Lindberg. Malden: Blackwell, 2000. 29-30.

3. Martin Luther. 95 Theses, available at http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/luther/web/ninetyfive.html

4. Martin Luther. Appeal to German Nobility and Babylonian Captivity of the Church. in The European Reformations Sourcebook. ed Carter Lindberg. Malden: Blackwell, 2000. 36-39.

5. Peace of Augsburg available at http://www.uoregon.edu/~sshoemak/323/texts/augsburg.htm