Transcript The Protestant Reformation

John Calvin and Calvinism
• John Calvin presented further challenges to the Catholic
Church.
• Like Luther, he rejected elaborate church rituals and
stressed the importance of the Bible.
• He wrote a book entitled Institutes of the Christian
Religion. In it he set forth his religious beliefs.
• He believed that salvation was gained through faith
alone.
• He too believed that the Bible was the only source of
truth.
• He preached the idea of predestination, which was the
idea that God predetermined who would gain salvation.
• To Calvinists the world was divided into sinners and
saints.
• Calvin set up a religious sanctuary in the citystate of Geneva, Switzerland for Calvinists only.
• He set up a theocracy—which is a government
run by church leaders.
• Calvin’s followers in Geneva saw themselves as
a new “chosen people” to build a Christian
society.
• Calvinists stressed hard work, discipline, thrift,
honesty, and morality.
• Citizens faced fines or other harsher
punishments for offenses such as swearing,
laughing in church, or dancing.
• He closed theaters and frowned on elaborate
dress.
• Like Luther, Calvin believed in religious
education for girls as well as for boys.
The Spread of Calvinism
• Reformers visited Geneva and returned to
their homes to share Calvin’s ideas.
• Calvinism quickly took root in areas in
Germany, France, the Netherlands,
England, and Scotland.
• The challenges to the Catholic Church
resulted in bloody wars.
The English Reformation
• By the 1500’s some religious leaders and England were
toying with Protestant ideas.
• The split with the Catholic Church however was not the
work of religious leaders, but rather King Henry VIII.
• At first Henry stood firmly against the Protestant
Reformation and was rewarded the title “Defender of the
Faith” from the Pope.
• Henry was married and had one child “Bloody” Mary.
• Henry firmly believed that England’s future relied on him
having a son to secede him.
• However, Catherine was unable to provide him with a
son.
• He began to seek an annulment, which was against the
Catholic religion.
• Divorce and annulments were not allowed by the
Catholic Church. Henry decided to take over the
Church.
• He passed the Act of Supremacy which gave
him total authority over the Church.
• This Church became known as the Church of
England or the Anglican Church.
• For the most part, he rejected Protestant ideas.
The Church primarily followed Catholic
teachings.
• His marriage was annulled and he remarried
only to have another daughter, Elizabeth.
• Henry married four more times and had only one
son who took the throne at the age of ten, but
died at a young age.
• After Edward’s death Mary was determined to
return England to the Catholic faith.
• Under Mary hundreds of Protestants were
burned at the stakes, hence her nickname
“Bloody Mary.”
• After her death Elizabeth I took the throne.
• She started a series of reforms known as the
Elizabethan Settlement in which she
compromised between the Catholics and
Protestants.
• She preserved Catholic principles and accepted
moderate Protestant practices.
• While preserving Catholic teachings, she made
England a firmly Protestant nation.
The Catholic Reformation
• The situation in Europe didn’t look very good for the
Catholic Church.
• The Catholic Reformation was supported by the Jesuits,
reform of the papacy, and the Council of Trent.
• The Jesuits, or the society of Jesus worked to restore
Catholic faith through education.
• The papacy was reformed. The pope and an appointed
commission believed that the problems the religion had
were caused by the corruption in the Church.
• The Council of Trent worked to revise Catholic beliefs.
– They believed that the faith and good works ideas were
necessary for salvation.
– Belief in indulgences and purgatory was strengthened, but
selling indulgences was outlawed.
• After the Council of Trent met the Catholic
Church entered a new phase and had a
renewed spirit and confidence.