Transcript Protestant Reformation

Protestant Reformation
Connections to early colonial
settlements in the Americas
Martin Luther/Lutherans
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German friar that sparked the Protestant Reformation.
1517: nailed his Ninety Five Theses to the door of the
Wittenberg cathedral protesting Catholic doctrines
(set of beliefs).
Taught that salvation is not earned through good
deeds but faith in God. Salvation cannot be bought.
Challenged the authority of the pope and priests
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You can talk to God directly. You don’t need to go
through the clergy to connect with God
Turn & Talk: What is meant by salvation? How might
the Catholic Church have reacted to Martin Luther?
Luther continued…
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Translated the Bible from
Latin into German so the
common people could
read it. Sparked the English
translation of the Bible.
Later became very antiSemitic (Semites = Jews)
which makes him
controversial to some
historians and theologians.
Calvinism/Puritans/Separatists
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All believe that God is omniscient (all knowing and all
powerful).
All believe that people are born with original sin and are
naturally wicked.
All believe in predestination.
Turn & Talk: What do you believe predestination means?
Why might some people not embrace the idea of
predestination?
Puritans
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Religious reformers.
They want to “purify”
the Church
Separatists
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Want to break away
from the Church
completely
WHY?
Henry VIII
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Wants a divorce from his 1st wife,
Catherine of Aragon…Pope
denies this request.
Breaks ties with the Roman
Catholic Church in the 1530’s
Makes himself head of the
Church of England =Anglican
Church
Henry VIII continued…
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Eventually married six
women in his lifetime.
Was content to keep some
Catholic traditions,
rituals…which infuriated
the Puritans who wanted
to de-catholicize the
Church of England.
The New World/North America
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Many English look to the New World as a place to
exercise religious freedom and escape the
overcrowding in England.
They load ships headed across the Atlantic Ocean to
take their chances.
Turn & Talk: What challenges might the colonists face
in the New World?