Medieval Church Authority
The Catholic Church was the only church in Medieval Europe
The Bible was only to be read by Priests or Bishops
Church Services were only in Latin.
What did people believe at the start of the 16th c?
If you went on a Crusade or a Pilgrimage you could earn time out of Purgatory
You could buy a special letter from the Pope called an Indulgence which was like a get out of jail for free card but for Purgatory
What was the Protestant Reformation?
Prior to the Reformation all Christians were Roman Catholic
The [REFORM]ation was an attempt to REFORM the Catholic Church
People like Martin Luther wanted to get rid of the corruption and restore the people’s faith in the church
In the end the reformers, like Luther, established their own religions
The Reformation caused a split in Christianity with the formation of these new Protestant religions
Causes of the Reformation
100 Years War and Black Death
Scientific Advances which contradicted the Church
The Corruption within the Catholic Church
Indulgences-The selling of Documents for the Forgiveness of Sins
Martin Luther
Lived from 1483-1546 in Germany
Father encouraged him to study law
A sudden religious experience inspired him to become a monk.
Martin Luther was a monk and all monks lives were revolved around community work, prayer, rest, and work in the monastery.
A doctor of theology at the University of Wittenburg, Germany. Luther argues that faith alone saves the human sinner
In 1517, he nails his Ninety-Five Theses, which confront the church and call for reform, on the door of the Wittenburg cathedral.
Luther rejects all but two of the sacraments, baptism and holy communion.
He became troubled over the possibility of not going to heaven
He turned to the Bible, and confession for comfort
In the Bible he found the answer he was looking for
You Don’t have to go to Church to get your soul cleaned.
The Church is wrong to sell indulgencies which buy time out of Purgatory.
Read the Bible in your own language and not Latin.
“The righteous shall by his faith.”--Luther realized that only faith (in the ultimate goodness of Jesus), not good deeds, could save a person. No good works, rituals, etc. would save a person if they did not believe.
Luther’s 95 Theses
A list of things he thought were wrong with the Catholic Church (95 Complaints)
He criticized:
The Power of the Pope
The Extreme Wealth of the Church
Indulgences (Catholic concept of Salvation)
Gutenberg’s Printing Press made it possible for Luther to spread beliefs
Posted his 95 Theses on Church doors in Germany
Gained support from people and criticism from Church
Luther on Trial
The Diet of Worms
1520 Pope Leo X order Luther to give up his beliefs
Luther burned the order and was excommunicated
Luther went into hiding where he translated the New Testament into German
Acceptance of Reforms
Some Local German Churches accepted Luther’s ideas
Lutheranism was formed
Supported by German Princes who issued a formal “protest” against the Church for suppressing the reforms
The reformers came to be known as [PROTEST]ants - Protestants
John Calvin: believed in
Salvation through Predestination
At birth it is decided if you will go to heaven or hell
Only elect will be saved.
Foreknowledge
God knows everything that will happen in your life
Purified approach to life:
No drinking, swearing, card playing, gambling etc..
Henry VIII and England
Henry VIII -Dissent over divorce
Wives of Henry 1st -Catherine of Aragon 2nd-Anne Boleyn 3rd-Jane Seymour 4th-Anne of Cleves 5th-Catherine Howard 6th-Catherine Parr
The Anglican Church forms when Henry VIII of England divorces his first wife, is excommunicated by the Pope, and decides to break off from the Catholic Church and form a new Church of England
Changes:
The Act of Annantes / 1532 / Stopped all payment to the Catholic ChurchThe Act of Appeals / 1533 / Ended Rome’s Religious hold on England
The Act of Supremacy / 1534 / Made Henry VIII the head of the Church of England
Executions / Any subject who wouldn’t denounce the Catholic Church