Transcript The Reformation of Christianity

The
Reformation
of
Christianity
Erasmus and Christian
Humanism
• As humanism spread to northern Europe
it took on a more religious form.
• Scholars focused on the history of
Christianity instead of Greece and Rome.
• Christian Humanism- a blend of
humanist and religious ideas.
Desiderius Erasmus
• Many northern scholars began to feel that the church
was corrupt and did not teach Jesus' teachings.
Several influential voices began to call for reform of
the church.
• Desiderius Erasmus- Dutch Renaissance scholar
who remained a devout catholic although he wanted
to reform the church from within.
• Erasmus believed that instead of rituals the church
should focus on God and the teachings of Jesus
Reformers Call for Change
• By the late Renaissance people
had begun to complain about the
problems in the Catholic Church.
• Reformation- a reform movement
against the Roman Catholic
Church.
Unpopular Church Practices
• Some thought the bishops and priests
were not religious anymore.
• Pope was too involved with politics
and neglected his religious duties.
• The Catholic Church had become
too rich
Unpopular Church Practices
• Objections arose because of the way the church earned
money.
• The sale of indulgences became common practice.
• Indulgences- document given by the pope that excused a
person from penalties for the sins they had committed.
• An indulgence was believed to reduce the time a person
would spend in purgatory.
• Purgatory- place where souls go to make up for sins that were
committed before going to heaven.
Martin Luther
Martin Luther
• A German priest and professor of theology
• Credited with starting the Reformation. Never wanted to
leave the Catholic Church, but wanted to reform it.
• Created a list of complaints against the church
• Ninety-five Theses- A list of protests
against clerical abuses, especially the
sale of indulgences.
Diet of Worms
• His refusal to retract all of his writings
at the demand of Pope Leo X in 1520
and the Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V at the Diet of Worms in
1521 resulted in his excommunication
by the pope and condemnation as an
outlaw by the emperor.
• Diet- council of nobles and church officials.
Pope Leo X
Charles V
Luther at Diet of Worms
Protestants
• Luther’s ideas eventually led to a
split in the church. This separate
group became known as
Protestants.
• Protestants- those who protested
against the Catholic church.
Luther’s BeLiefs
• Luther taught that anyone could
have a direct relationship with
God. People did not need priests
to talk to God for them.
• He encouraged people to live as
the Bible, not priests or the pope.
Martin Luther
• Translated the Bible into German which gave people
who could not understand Greek or Latin a chance
to read it for themselves.
• He also wrote pamphlets, essays, and songs about his
ideas.
• Many nobles began to support his ideas, especially
his idea that clergy should not be involved with
politics.
Other Reformers
• William Tyndale- believed everyone should be able to read and
interpret the Bible. Catholic teachings stated that only clergy
could interpret the Bible.
• Translated the Bible into English
Other Reformers
• John Calvin-
taught
predestination, the
idea that God
knew who would
be saved even
before they were
born.
King Henry VIII
• Wanted a divorce but the Pope would not grant him
one. He decided that he would not obey the pope
anymore and decided to break away from the
Catholic Church. He broke away for personal reasons
not religious ones.
• He started a new church called the Church of
England or the Anglican Church.
• The rituals and practices of the Anglican Church
stayed similar to the Catholic Church.
King Henry VIII
The Catholic
Reformation
• The effort made to stop the
spread of Protestantism and to
reform the Catholic Church
from within
• Also known as the counter
reformation.
The Political
Impact
• Catholic Reforms
• Catholic reformers created new religious orders
to win people back to the Catholic Church
• The 1st of the new order was founded by Saint
Ignatius of Loyola. It was called the Society of
Jesus, or the Jesuits.
• Jesuits- religious order created to serve the pope
and the church. They were trained to turn people
against Protestantism.
The Political Impact
• The Council of Trent
• Catholic leaders felt that more change was necessary. They
called a meeting for the church leaders in Trent, Italy.
• They restated the importance of clergy interpreting the
Bible but made new rules they must follow. Clergy had to
live in the area that they oversaw.
• The selling of indulgences was banned.
• Luther, Calvin, and other reformers ideas are banned.
The Political Impact
• Pope created religious courts to
punish any people who were
found to be protestants.
• Made a list of books he believed
were dangerous to read. People
could be excommunicated for
reading books on this list.
The Council of Trent &
Pope Paul III
Catholic
Missionaries
• Saint Francis
Xavier- Jesuit
priest who brought
Catholicism to
parts of India and
Japan in the mid1500s.
Political Division
• The Reformation created
division within Europe.
• Spain remained Catholic
while many in the northern
countries were Protestant.
The Political
Impact
• Religious Wars
• France was mostly Catholic. French Protestants were called
Huguenots.
• War broke out between Catholics and Protestants and
lasted from 1562-1598.
• Eventually ended when Henry IV issued the Edict of
Nantes.
• Edict of Nantes- granted religious
freedom in most of France.
Religious Wars
• Countries in Europe
fought for decades
trying to decide what
religion to follow.
• Treaty of Westphaliaallowed rulers to
determine whether their
countries would be
catholic or Protestant.
Social Changes
• Before the Reformation most
Europeans had no voice in
governing the Catholic Church.
• Protestant churches encouraged
congregations to make its own
rules and elect its own leaders.
Social Changes
• As time passed the power of the
congregations did not replace national
governments but national rulers began
to share power with local government.
• Federalism- sharing of power
between local governments and a
strong central government.
Summary
• In the 1500s Protestants challenged the
Catholic Church.
• Catholic leaders adopted religious reforms to
preserve the church’s influence.
• The religious changes of the Reformation led
to conflict and social changes.