The Protestant Reformation

1. The Protestant Reformation

2. Erasmus and Christian Humanism • The major goal of Christian Humanism was to reform the Catholic Church • Humanists believed in the ability of humans to reason and improve themselves. • Believed if people read the classic works of Christianity, they could become more pious. This inner piety would bring about a reform of Catholicism. • Erasmus was the best known of the Christian Humanists. • He believed that Christianity should show people how to live good lives on a daily basis rather than provide a system of beliefs that people have to practice to be saved • Erasmus wanted reform within the Catholic church…he didn’t want to break away from the church. However, his work paved the way for the work of Martin Luther • “Erasmus laid the egg that Luther hatched.”

3. Why Reformation? • CORRUPTION IN THE CHURCH!! • The Renaissances popes were often more concerned with politics, and power, than religious affairs. • They were also preoccupied with money and used their church positions to gain wealth…they were unaware of their spiritual obligations. • Since the leaders in the church were failing in their duties, people wanted reassurance of their salvation, or acceptance into Heaven. As a result, the process of obtaining salvation became mechanical. • How to get into Heaven? • People began collecting relics in exchange for an indulgence which is a release from all or part of the punishment for a sin. • The Church also sold indulgences in the form of certificates… Pay your money, get into Heaven.

4. Martin Luther • Martin Luther was a monk and professor • He studied the bible in order to find the answer to a problem – the certainty of salvation – which had bothered him for a while. • Catholic teaching stressed that both faith and good deeds were needed, but Luther believed that faith in God alone would earn one entrance into Heaven. God’s grace could not be earned through good deeds. • This idea was called “justification”

5. The 95 Theses • Luther was PISSED about the selling of indulgences! • In October of 1517, sent a list of 95 Theses to his church superiors. These theses were an attack on the corruption of the church and the sale of indulgences. • Thousands of copies of the Theses were printed and spread through all of Germany. • The Catholic church didn’t worry • “Some drunken German who will amend his ways when he sobers up”

6. A Break with the Church • Luther called on German princes to overthrow the Pope and establish a reformed German church. • He abolished all of the Catholic Sacraments except for Baptism and Communion. • He also allowed the priests to marry which went against the long-standing Catholic requirement that priests remain celibate/unmarried. • Through all of these changes, Luther continued to emphasize the doctrine that faith alone leads to salvation. • The Catholic church excommunicated Luther in 1521. He was later made an outlaw within the Catholic empire.

7. The Rise of Lutheranism • During the next few years, Luther’s religious movement became a Revolution. • German rulers began to support Luther’s ideas and took control of the Catholic churches, forming instead state churches whose affairs were supervised by the government. • The doctrine developed by Luther became known as Lutheranism, and the churches as Lutheran churches. This was the first protestant faith.

8. Protestantism Spreads • A man names Ulrich Zwingli sought an alliance with Martin Luther to reform Catholic Churches in Switzerland. • German and Swiss reformers saw a need for unity to defend themselves against Catholic authorities. • In 1531, war broke out between Protestants and Catholics in Switzerland. Zwingli was killed, cut up, and burned. The leadership of Protestants in Switzerland passed to John Calvin. • Calvin placed an emphasis on the all-powerful nature of God and believed in “predestination,” meaning that God had already chosen in advance who would be saved and who would be damned. • Calvinism punished people for such crimes as dancing, singing, drunkeness, swearing, and playing cards. • By the mid 16th century, Calvinism had replaced Lutheranism as the most important form of Protestantism.

9. In England… • The English Reformation was mostly about politics, not religion. • King Henry VIII (remember all his wives?) used religion as a way to gain power. He helped to establish The Church of England which favored Protestant ideas. • After Henry died, his daughter Mary took the throne and worked to restore England to its Catholic roots. • She had over 300 heretics burned at the stake, earning her the title “Bloody Mary” • Instead of moving people towards Catholicism, her violence only led more people to join the Protestant movement.

10. Effects on Family • Protestants were important in developing a new view of the family. • They eliminated the idea that special holiness came with celibacy, and the family was placed at the center of human life. • Although “mutual love between man and wife” was often preached, reality often reflected the traditional roles of husband as the ruler and wife as the obedient servant. • Luther stated: “The rule remains with the husband, and the wife is compelled to obey him by God’s command. He rules the home and the state, wages war, defends his possessions, tills the soil, builds, plants, etc. The woman on the other hand is like a nail driven into the wall…so the wife should stay home and look after the affairs of the household, as one who has been deprived of the ability of administering those affairs that are outside and that concern the state. She does not go beyond her most personal duties.”

11. What about the Catholics? • Catholicism also had a revitalization in the 16th century, giving it new strength. • The Society of Jesus, known as the Jesuits, took a special vow promising loyalty to the pope and used education to spread their message endorsing Catholicism. • Pope Paul III saw the need for change in the Catholic Church and set up a reform commission. • The commission saw the corruption to be the corrupts popes’ faults. • Paul set up the Council of Trent which was a meeting of Cardinals, archbishops, bishops, abbots, and theologians. The council decided to reaffirm traditional Catholic teachings, while forbidding the sale of indulgences. • After the council, Catholic faith was renewed, and the Catholic faith entered a new phase, ready to do battle for their faith.