The Protestant Reformation

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Causes of the Reformation: The renaissance caused people to think for themselves. People wanted to read and understand the bible however they wanted. The founder, Martin Luther, felt that the Catholic Church wasn’t interpreting the bible correctly. People started understanding Luther’s point of view.

About the Reformation: The Protestant Reformation was a 16 th century movement for religious reform. Was founded by Martin Luther, a German monk. Started in 1517, when Luther posted the 95 theses. In the picture at the right, people are paying indulgences, to the catholic Church.

The 95 theses: The ‘95 theses’ was a decree that stated certain practices of the Roman Catholic Church and Luther's beliefs. The 95 Theses were posted on Oct. 31, They were posted on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. Said that, People could win salvation only by faith in god’s gift of forgiveness. Said, all church teachings should be clearly based on the words of the bible. Pope’s church traditions were false authorities. Said, all people’s faith was equal, therefore, people did not need priests.

Some Background At the time, in Germany, it was common to publicly debate political and social issues. People were becoming angry at the wealth of the Church and at it’s seeming lack of care for the ‘regular’ person. Linked to this were the questions, “How do we know that what the Church teaches is correct? Is Holy Scripture (the bible) the only thing we can truly rely on?’ There was also a desire to have the bible in everyday language (the vernacular) not just Latin. (Of course for these people that was German.)

Martin Luther: Martin Luther was the one that gave birth to Protestantism. He was born in Germany. He was a German monk that felt that the Catholic church was practicing illegal things. Although he was a monk he had a guilty conscience. Luther’s beliefs said that Faith+good works= Earth instead of the Catholic Church teachings that said that Faith+ good works=heaven

Indulgences The church taught that it could give indulgences (time off in Purgatory) from ‘the treasury of merits, or graces, left from the sacrifice of Christ and the saints.’ In Luther’s time abuses had crept in. Indulgences were being sold to make money for the re-building of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and for paying the debts of some Bishops. His disgust at this practice was one of the main reasons behind Luther’s 95 theses.

Lutheran Church Priesthood of all No ‘Religious Life’ Married clergy No Pope A ‘National’ Church 2 Sacraments Baptism/Eucharist No ‘Mass’ Different view of ‘Real Presence” Vernacular Bible and Worship Stress on Preaching Good Works – rejected (eg. Fasting, pilgrimages, indulgences, etc.) Hierarchical priesthood Religious Life Celibacy Authority of Pope and Bishops A Universal Church 7 Sacraments Mass Christ actually present in the Eucharist Latin (until 1960s) Stress on Tradition & Authority Value of faith and working out your salvation through ‘good works’ Catholic Church FAITH ALONE GRACE ALONE SCRIPTURE ALONE SCRIPTURE & TRADITION FAITH & WORKS AUTHORITY - POPE & BISHOPS

Edict of Worms The Edict of worms was an issued imperial order that threatened Martin Luther with excommunication unless he took his statements back. In 1520, Pope Leo X threatened Martin Luther with excommunication. Martin Luther did not take his statements back. A month later, King Charles issued an imperial order (Edict of Worms) that declared Luther an outlaw and heretic. According to this Edict, no one in the empire was to give Luther food or shelter. All his books were burned. In this picture we can see the confession That was presented to Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, of the Edict of Augsburg In 1530.

Germany at war: Peasants revolt against Luther’s beliefs. Bands of angry peasants went about the country side vandalising monasteries, pillaging and burning. (Against protestants). Many northern German princes supported Lutheranism. Other princes didn’t support Luther for selfish reasons.

1529, German princes who remained loyal to the pope, agreed to join forces against Luther's ideas and followers. Each day, more and more became followers of Martin Luther. Princes who supported Martin Luther signed a protest against that agreement. The Holy Roman Emperor Charles was against the war. After many years of fighting, the Roman Catholic Church won the war. Despite the fact that Protestantism lost the war, there were still many protestants.

English Reformation: The protestant Reformation led to the English reformation. While all the protestant reformation was going on in Germany, in England King Henry VIII was trying to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Since the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church wouldn’t divorce Henry and his first wife, he decided to form his own church and become Protestant. In other words, he broke away from the Roman Catholic Church.

Consequences of English Reformation: The English Reformation caused a big fuss in England since a lot of people had their own religion, which was Catholic. The people didn’t like the idea of having to change religion only because the king wanted to divorce.