The Protestant ReformationThe Protestant Reformation was a split in the Catholic church in the 1500’s, due to certain types of corrupt Church practice.

What abuses were occurring within the Catholic Church?

■ Popes were competing with princes for power in Italy.■ Patrons of the arts■ Extravagant lifestyles

■ To finance these lifestyles, the Church raised fees and began to sell indulgences.■ Indulgence – a reduced

sentence in purgatory, before one’s soul could enter Heaven.

An indulgence was purchasing forgiveness for a sin.

How might that be wrong?

What was the big deal anyway?■ 1517 – A priest named

Johannes Tetzel used indulgences to raise money for rebuilding the Cathedral of St. Peter.

■ Buying an indulgence means you go to heaven, and so does your ENTIRE dead family.

■ Luther, a monk in school to become a priest, was outraged.

What did Martin Luther do?■ Luther published 95 theses

against indulgences.

■ Theses = arguments

■ Said indulgences are not in the Bible (true).

■ Pope has NO authority to release people from sins.

■ Christians can only be saved through faith, not good deeds.

What was the Church’s reaction?■ Luther’s protest spread quickly.

■ Invention of the printing press – allowed texts to be quickly copied.

■ The Church ordered Luther to recant at the Diet of Worms.

■ Recant – to take back something you said.

■ Luther refused, so the Pope excommunicated him for heresy.

■ Luther went into hiding and translated the Bible into German so common people can read it.

What were the teachings of Lutheranism?

■ Salvation based on faith in God, not on good deeds.

■ Bible is sole source of religious truth.

■ Rejected church hierarchy – all Christians should have equal access to the teachings of Christ.

■ Banned indulgences, confession, pilgrimages, and prayers to saints because they were not mentioned in the Bible.

Who was John Calvin?A Protestant reformer in Switzerland who’s ideas came to influence much of Europe and later, North America.

•He believed in strict Bible study, hard work, thrift, and the rejection of pleasure.

•A key idea was predestination, the belief that God has already chosen who will be saved.

•Calvinists’ stress on austerity led them to target the wealth & showiness of the Catholic Church, destroying icons & art.

What was the Peace of Augsburg?By 1530 (13 years after 95 Theses) the Protestant

church was formed.■ Clergy saw it as an answer to corruption.■ Rulers wanted to weaken the Church.■ More people were reading the Bible and saw the

corruption first-hand.

The Holy Roman emperor Charles V tried to force Lutheran princes back into the Catholic Church.

•They refused.•The Peace of Augsburg allowed each prince to decide which religion would be followed in his lands.

What was the English Reformation?1. King Henry VIII

■ Strong Catholic (anti-Protestant)

■ 1st wife had no sons to inherit throne, so Henry tried to get an annulment. Pope refused.

■ Henry took the Church of England away from the pope and put it under his own control.

■ Henry appointed Thomas Cranmer archbishop and Cranmer annulled marriage.

■ A series of marriages followed.

What was Henry VIII’s legacy?

■ Son Edward becomes King after Henry’s death.

■ Daughter Mary becomes Queen after Edward dies in his teens.■ Devout Catholic, burned many

Protestants. “Bloody Mary”.

■ Daughter Elizabeth becomes Queen after Mary’s death. ■ Ruled Protestant, but with

compromise. Ruler of England’s “Golden Age” – peace & exploration.

Roman Catholicism

Lutheranism Calvinism Anglicanism

Founder Jesus Christ Martin Luther John Calvin King Henry VIII

Leadership Pope is head of church

Ministers lead congregations

Council of elders governs each

church

English monarch is head of church

Salvation Salvation by faith and good works

Salvation by faith alone

God predetermines who will be saved

Salvation by faith alone

Bible Church and Bible traditions are

sources of truth

Bible is sole source of truth

Bible is sole source of truth

Bible is sole source of truth

Worship Service Worship service based in ritual

Worship service based on ritual and

preaching

Worship service focused on preaching

Worship service based on ritual and

preaching

Interpretation of Beliefs

Priests interpret the Bible and Church

teachings for believers

Believers interpret the Bible for themselves

Believers interpret the Bible for themselves

Believers interpret the Bible using

tradition and reason