Transcript protestant reformation - Fulton County Schools

Protestant
Reformation
Background on Christianity


Rooted in Jewish tradition/Torah and
the person of Jesus of Nazareth
Jesus – rabbi? who encouraged ethical
self sacrifice –
 Love God
 Love others
 Care for the vulnerable/outcastes
Gospels



Many stories written about the
teachings of Jesus of Nazareth
Canon of 4 gospels established 4th
century CE
Place Jesus as Messiah of Judaism;
also: son of God and resurrection
Paul (Saul of Tarsus)



Proclaims special revelation: Jesus’
message meant to be universal – not
just for the Jews
Travels & begins inclusion of
Gentiles in synagogues…eventually
separate churches
Some conflict with Jerusalem church
Letters / Epistles





Most from Paul
Advice to early church communities
How to live in the world
Imminent 2nd coming of the Christ
(Messiah/Savior)
By 2nd century – church leaders begin
collecting manuscripts
Christianity in power




315 CE – Edict of Milan – Constantine
Christianity becomes legal
325 CE Council of Nicaea – uniform
Christian doctrine
Later 4th century (Emperor Theodosius)
Christianity becomes state religion of
Roman Empire
382 CE – Latin Vulgate: New Testament
Christological disputes




What is the Nature of Christ?
“Heresies” – unofficial ideas/ ideas
that go against official church
Eg: Nestorians, Arians
Nicene creed meant to settle
Eventually  doctrine of the Trinity
Early Middle Ages



Roman Catholic/Latin Church
becomes unifying factor among
Germanic tribes & others
Charlemagne sees himself as the
military protector of the Church
High Middle Ages- church power at
height
Great east-west Schism



1054 – Latin West v. Byzantine Emp
 Latin Church (Roman Catholic)
 Eastern Orthodox
Excommunicated each other;
After 1453 – Moscow/Muscovy
declared self center of Orthodoxy
Scholasticism

Reconciling classical reasoning
(Aristotle) and Christian faith

Thomas Aquinas - Summa
Theologica
 Forms the theological basis of
the Roman Catholic Church
Corruption v. Heresy




Wealth & power of upper clergy
(nobles)
 Investiture: simony & nepotism
Lack of discipline among clergy
Lack of education/knowledge among
clergy
Avignon Papacy & Great Schism
“Heretics”



John Wycliffe – theology prof @ Oxford
 English translation of NT
John Huss – theology prof @ Prague
 Burned at the stake
This heresy: objected to worldliness of
clergy; advocated personal salvation;
challenge to church authority
Northern Renaissance




Renaissance Humanism outside of
Italy:
Different emphasis – concern over
problems in society
Search for more personal religious
practices
“New Monarchies”



The Protestant Reformation ended
the unity of the Christian church in
the West –
Christianity was eventually
fragmented into dozens of
denominations…
Why did Christian unity come to
an end and how did that impact
society?
Origins of the Reformation




Began in German states because it lacked a
strong central government
Holy Roman Empire included over 300 semiindependent states
Some wanted independence from the Holy
Roman Empire
Weak emperor could not control
independent ideas about religion within the
German states
Martin Luther




started Reformation
German monk, became
professor of theology at
University of Wittenberg
Came to believe in Justification By Faith: a
person could be made just, or good, simply by
faith in God's mercy and love
How did it start…?
Selling Indulgences


Pope Leo X sold church positions and
indulgences to raise money for the church
Indulgences - certificates issued by the Church
that were said to reduce or even cancel
punishment for a person's sin
People purchased indulgences,
believing it insured them a spot in
heaven
 John Tetzel, Church's agent for selling

indulgences in N.Germany, promised
peasants that indulgences would relieve
them of guilt for future sins….
•Could also buy indulgences for salvation of their
dead relatives! - "Once you hear the money's
ring, the soul from purgatory is free to spring."
•Purgatory - place in the afterlife where people
are made fit for heaven
Luther’s Protest

October 31, 1517:
nailed on door of
Wittenberg Church the
95 Theses –


arguments to debate -
Criticized sale of
indulgences
Printed copies of
Theses spread
Two Main Teachings
of Luther

justification by faith

only God’s grace through Christ saves; no
amount of good works could do it...

priesthood of all believers

all Christians are equal before God
these ideas challenged basic church
doctrine…that is, they were heresy

The Empire
Strikes
Back!
•1521: Pope Excommunicated Luther
•Diet of Worms (Germany) - tried to get Luther
to recant criticisms
•Luther refused; condemned as a heretic
•Went into hiding; translated Bible into
German
Lutheranism vs. Catholicism



Emphasized
salvation by faith
alone
Bible only source
of religious truth
Church =
community of
individual
believers



Stressed faith and
good works in
salvation
Church authority
& teachings
important as spiritual
guide
Church = clerical
hierarchy
Lutheranism vs. Catholicism



All occupations
were vocations in
which people
could serve God
Ministers –
guides
only baptism &
communion



Priesthood only
calling in which
people could
serve God
Priests –
special powers
administer 7
sacraments
Religious War




Luther’s conflict with the church led to
violence
Peasants revolted - the Lutheran princes
crushed the rebellion
Civil War between the HRE supported by
Catholic princes & the Lutheran princes
1555 Peace of Augsburg – gave each
German prince the authority to chose the
religion of his state (Cath. or Luth)
The Spread of
Protestantism
Huldrych Zwingli



Swiss priest wanted to break completely
with Catholic tradition and the Holy Roman
Empire
1525 established a protestant
THEOCRACY (church-run state) in
Zurich, Switzerland
1531 died in battle between Catholics &
Protestants
John Calvin





Frenchman who fled to Switzerland
argued that God determines
fate of every person before bornPREDESTINATION
Those predestined (chosen beforehand)
were called “the elect”
Calvin turned Geneva into model religious
community (theocracy)
Consistory (Church council) required citizens
to attend services; inspected homes - Geneva
earned title "City of God."



While Lutheranism spread in
Northern Germany and Scandinavia
Calvinism spread into Scotland
(presbyterians), England (puritans),
Netherlands (Dutch Reformed)
especially
Huguenots were Calvinists in France
John Knox




Leader of the Reformation in Scotland
Founded Presbyterian Church based on
Calvin’s teachings
Presbytery - group of elected
decision makers of the church
“Priesthood of all believers”
--equality
Anabaptists



Only baptized adult members
Denied authority of local governments to
direct their lives - said Christ was their
only authority (separation of church and
state)
1534 - radical Anabaptists seized power
in German city of Munster (burned
books, took property) Lutherans &
Catholics united to crush them
Sketch of the 1535 execution of leaders of the
sect in Münster, and photo of the church where
their corpses were displayed. The cages still
remain.
Henry VIII


England’s King Henry
wanted to divorce his wife,
Catherine of Aragon for
not producing a male heir
to the throne
(daughter: Mary)
Catholic Church forbade
divorce - refused to
dissolve Henry’s marriage




Henry withdrew England from Catholic
Church married Anne Boleyn and created a
new church 
Act of Supremacy - Parliament created
Church of England (Anglican Church) with
king as its head
King took church lands and abolished
monasteries
important Englishmen were required to swear
oath accepting king as head of the church
instead of the Pope...
 Sir




Thomas More -
King Henry’s former chancellor who
refused to take the oath….
As humanist believed in
religious tolerance - but was
loyal to the Catholic Church
(author of Utopia!)
Beheaded for treason
Henry’s wives
Div
Beh
Died
Div
Beh
Surv
&
Children
Catherine of Aragon
Mary
 Anne Boleyn
Elizabeth
 Jane Seymour
Edward
 Anne of Cleves
 Catherine Howard
 Catherine Parr
Son Edward inherited throne 1st

Changes in the English Church




Henry was NOT a protestant
The English church was separated from
the Roman Catholic Church
But few changes were allowed in the
church by Henry
However, changes were made during the
reign of Henry’s son and the English
church became protestant
Edward VI – under a regent






The boy king, Edward, was under a regent
because of his minority
The 1st regent – his uncle – introduced Protestant
reforms into the church:
English liturgy – Anglican Prayer Book
Salvation by faith
Images, ornamentation & much ritual removed
When sickly Edward died at 16 some protestant
nobles attempted to keep his sister Mary from
inheriting the throne because she was Catholic
{ Lady






Jane Grey }
Edward’s 15 year old cousin Lady Jane Grey
was claimed Queen by some dominant nobles
Duke of Northumberland had arranged a
marriage between her and his son, Guilford
Dudley
But quickly people rallied to the support of the
rightful heir, Mary Tudor
Troops abandoned Jane for Mary
Guilford & Jane were executed for treason
She had been queen 9 days
Mary I






Catholic daughter of Catherine
of Aragon
Married to Catholic Philip II
of Spain
Sought to revive Catholicism
Protestants revolted
Persecution of Protestants led to her
being known as:
Bloody Mary
Elizabeth I





(1558-1603)
25 years old; ruled 45 years!
Protestant; re-established the Anglican
Church as the National Church
“The Virgin Queen” never married
because….
“Courted” the English people
Emphasized loyalty for England over
religion




Subject of assassination plots
1587 – forced to give the order to execute
her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots
Catholic Mary (Stuart) had been living in
England after haven been driven from
Scotland by scandal
Mary communicated with Catholic Spain
who wanted Elizabeth dead so Mary
could take the throne
War with Spain!



After Mary’s execution, Spain attempted
an invasion with their feared “invincible”
Armada (navy)
English “pirates” had been attacking
Spanish ships and New World ports
The Armada was defeated by the
weather and the smaller, faster English
ships
Other Religious Wars



Spain tries to put down Protestantism in
the Netherlands
Dutch Netherlands eventually gains
independence from Spain
France endures religious wars through 4
kings – eventually protestants
(Huguenots) are given some religious
freedom – for a while…