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.