The Reformation:The Church in Turmoil

HIS 102

Renaissance Preludes• Church seen as impersonal, worldly, and often

corrupt– Mass said in Latin (hoc est corpus meium)– Borgias symbolized corruption in the Church

• Mysticism emphasized individual experience of God’s love– Gerard Groote (1340-1384) – founded Modern

Devotion movement– Brothers (and Sisters) of the Common Life– Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471) wrote The Imitation of

Christ– St. Catherine of Siena represented mystical tradition

Calls for Reform

• Babylonian Captivity & Great Schism spawned several reform movements:– John Wyclif (1328-1384) led Lollard movement in England

• called for vernacular translation of Bible

• denied temporal authority of the Pope

– Jan Hus (1374-1415) led similar movement in Bohemia - burned at the stake as a heretic by Council of Constance

• Northern Renaissance & Christian Humanism emphasized education and reading Bible– Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536) denounced abuses of Pope

Julius II (1503-13) & called for reform

Martin Luther (1483-1546)• Augustinian monk & professor of

theology at Wittenburg University• Experienced breakthrough in

1516: justification by faith• Posted his 95 Theses (Oct. 31,

1517) opposing sale of indulgences– Pope Leo X issued special

indulgences to finance construction of St. Peter’s Basilica

– Albrecht of Brandenburg sold them to pay back loan to Fuggers

– Johann Tetzel was itinerant monk with flare for sales

Luther Develops His Ideas Further

• In Leipzig Debate vs. Johann Eck (July 1519) Luther denied authority of Popes & Church councils altogether

• Wrote 3 Books in 1520:– The Address to the German Nobility sought political support

for establishing an independent, reformed church in Germany

– The Babylonian Captivity of the Church argued Popes used sacramental system to keep gospel in captivity, & called for freedom for clergy to marry

– On the Freedom of a Christian Man argued good works were believers’ response to God’s love, not the means of salvation

The Lutheran Church

• Luther excommunicated by Pope & declared outlaw by imperial Edict of Worms (1521)

• Frederick, Elector of Saxony & other nobles protected & supported Luther– Issued Protest of the German Nobles in 1529– Formed Schmalkaldic League alliance in 1531

• Augsburg Confession (1530) codified Lutheran beliefs:– 3 ordinances: baptism, communion, confession– consubstantiation

The Empire of Charles V

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• Emperor Charles V ( 1519-56) couldn’t devote full resources to Schlmalkaldic Wars (1546-1555)– Fighting French in Habsburg –

Valois Wars (1521 – 1544)– Pope Clement VII (1523 –

1534) sided with Francis I– Fighting Ottoman Sultan

Suleiman the Magnificent (1520 – 1566)

• Peace of Augsburg (1555) allowed each ruler to choose either Lutheran or Catholic church (cuius regio, eius religio)

John Calvin (1509-1564)• French humanist lawyer – became Protestant

in 1533• Wrote Institutes of the Christian Religion

(1536 Latin, 1541 French)– Agreed with Luther on most things– Saw communion as symbolic– Emphasized God’s sovereignty through

predestination• Ecclesiastical Ordinances (1541) est.

presbyterian church government:– Minister– Teacher– Elder (presbyter)– Deacon

• Consistory of Geneva enforced moral laws

The Spread of Calvinism

• John Knox (1510-1572) founded Calvinist Church of Scotland

• Synod of Dort (1618-1619) endorsed “5-Point Calvinism”:– Total depravity

– Unconditional election

– Limited atonement

– Irresistible grace

– Perseverance of the saints

• Puritans tried to make Church of England Calvinist with the Westminster Confession (1647)

Other Reformers

• Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) founded Swiss Free Church– Cathedral priest in Great Minster of

Zurich, 1518

– Quarreled with Luther at Marburg Colloquy (1529)

– Killed in battle, 1531

• Anabaptists embraced pacifism– Melchiorites ruled Munster, 1534-

1535, led by John of Leiden, “King of New Jerusalem”

– Menno Simons (1496-1561) led Dutch Anabaptists (Mennonites)

Ulrich Zwingli

The Church of England

• Henry VIII (1509-1547) wanted to divorce Catherine of Aragon & marryAnne Boleyn– Archbishop Thomas Cramner

annulled marriage– Act of Supremacy (1534) made

King the head of the Church

• Edward VI (1547-1553)– Cramner made Church of

England more Protestant– Wrote Book of Common Prayer

Keeping England Protestant

• Mary I (1553-1558) married Philip II of Spain– Returned England to Catholic

fold– Bloody persecutions angered

people

• Elizabeth I (1558-1603) restored Protestantism– Allowed mild persecution of

Puritans & Separatists– Aided Dutch Protestants’ revolt

against Spanish rule – Defeated Philip II’s Spanish

Armada (1588)

What the Protestants Agreed On

• Sola Fide – salvation by faith alone

• Sola Gratia – salvation is a free gift of God’s grace

• Sola Scriptura – scripture is the only infallible authority for Christians

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The Catholic Reformation

• St. Theresa of Avila (1515-1582) formed stricter branch of Carmelite order

• Capuchins returned to simplicity of St. Francis of Assisi

• St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) founded Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1540– Spiritual Exercises called for zealous

service to Church– focused on education & missions– St. Francis Xavier (1506-1552) took

gospel to Africa, India, Japan & ChinaThe Ecstasy of St.Theresa of Avila

Pope Paul III and Ignatius of Loyola

The Council of Trent (1545-63)• Pope Paul III (1534-1549) appointed reform commission

to study the issues• Regensburg Colloquy (1541)

– Cardinal Contarini reached agreement with Protestants on salvation by faith, but not on Communion

– Rejected by hardliners, led by Cardinal Caraffa, who became Pope Paul IV (1555-1559)

• Council of Trent (1545-1563)– Authority of scripture & church tradition– Salvation by faith and works– 7 sacraments– Mandatory clerical celibacy– Marketing of indulgences banned– Seminaries established in every diocese