Transcript Reformation Notes

The
Protestant
Reformation
Causes of the Reformation
Success of Catholicism led to criticisms
 Won hearts, spirits, and $$ of Western Europe
 Church corruption
 Abuses of Church practices and positions
 Indulgences: Cancellation of the penalty given by
the Church to a confessed sinner.
 Johann Tetzel: “As soon as a coin in the coffer
rings, the soul from purgatory springs.”
 Raised $ for Church activities
 Simony: Buying church positions
Causes of the Reformation 2…
► Conciliarism: Theory that a general council of
the church has greater authority than the pope
and may, if necessary, depose him
► Printing Press: Credited to Johannes Gutenberg in
1450
 1 of the most significant inventions in history
 Increased the output of printed material
 Made such material available to much of the
population = increased literacy rates
The Spread of the Printing Press
Martin Luther (1483-1546)
► Augustinian friar
► Professor at university in
Wittenburg, Saxony
► Came to believe that personal
efforts—good works such as a
Christian life and attention to
the sacraments of the
Church—could not “earn” the
sinner salvation
► “Justification by faith alone”
(1515)
October 31, 1517
► 95 Theses,
statements, about
indulgences were
nailed to the door
of the Wittenburg
church and
challenged the
practice of selling
indulgences
► Wanted to
REFORM the
Catholic Church
Selling Indulgences
Luther’s Relations with the Pope and
Governments/Writings
► Excommunicated by Pope
Leo X in 1521
► Diet of Worms (1521):
publicly condemned by
HRE Charles V
► Wanted nobles and
clergy to reform the
Church
► 1534: Translated the
Bible into German
City of Worms
The Peasant Revolt - 1524
Important Protestant Events
► 1524: Peasant Revolt: Nobles repressed it with
Luther’s blessing: killed 70k-100k peasants
► 1529: Word ‘Protestant’ is 1st used
► 1530, Augsburg Confession: Comprehensive
statement of Luther’s beliefs
► 1555: Peace of Augsburg established the
permanent religious division of Germany into
Lutheran and Catholic churches
 “Curius regio, eius religio”
 “His region, his religion”—meaning that the religion of the
region follows the religion of the person ruling there
Reformation
Europe
(Late 16c)
Resources
► historyteacher.net:
Susan M. Pojer
► http://www.reformation.org/luther.ht
ml
► REA AP European History Book