THE PROTESTANT REVOLUTION 16th century

Causes of the Protestant Revolution Religious Political Economic

Religious causes Abuses in the Catholic church – Ignorant priests – Members of the clergy leading scandalous lives They ran taverns, gaming houses and other establisments for profit They ignored the vow of chastity, kept mistresses and had children They lived in princely magnificence – The sale of religious offices – The sale of dispensations From fasting From the church marriage laws – The sale of indulgences, based on the scholastic doctrine of the Treasure of Merit – The sale of sacred relics, connected with Christ, the Virgin or the saints

Clash between two different systems of theology The Augustinian system, based on the notion of an omnipotent God, the theory of predestination and the idea that human nature is hopelessly depraved and therefore absolutely dependent upon God. The theology of Peter Abelard and Thomas of Aquinas, based on the idea that God had provided man with free will to choose between good and evil. The sacraments were believed to be necessary to help man reach salvation, and the clergy had the authority to cooperate with God in forgiving sins. The Reformers rebelled against the scholastic system of theology

Decline of respect for the papacy, due to: The Babylonian Captivity The Great Schism

Political causes The growth of national consciousness The rise of absolute monarchs

Economic causes The desire to confiscate the wealth of the church Resentment against papal taxation Conflicts between the middle class and the ideals of the church

Martin Luther ( ) Germany

The 95 theses at Wittenberg

Luther’s main doctrines Justification by faith alone, as opposed to salvation by ‘good works’ The doctrine of consubstantiation instead of transubstantiation. The use of German instead of Latin in the mass Abolition of clergical celibacy The rejection of the ecclesiastical system of Pope, archbishops, bishops and priests Abolition of monasticism Abolition of sacraments, except baptism and eucharist Abolition of the practices of fasting, pilgrimages, veneration of saints

The Anabaptists: main doctrines Baptism at the age of reason Abolition of the theory of priesthood (no clergy at all) Literal interpretation of the Bible They denounced the accumulation of wealth All men equal in the sight of God They condemned military service They abstained from political life They demanded complete separation of church and state

John Calvin ( ) Switzerland

Calvinists religions The Huguenots in France The Puritans in England The Presbiterians in Scotland The Reformed Church in Holland

Calvinist doctrines The theory of predestination Abstention from dancing, attending theatre, playing cards, gambling, swearing, drinking alcohol, working on the Sabath. They broke with anything related to Catholicism, such as the clergy, sacraments, images and even the celebration of Christmas and Easter

The Anglican Church Henry VII ( ) The Tudor king, after being denied the annulment of his marriage with Catherine of Aragon, broke with the papacy and declared himself the head of the church in England.

Bibliography McNall Burns, Edward: Western Civilizations, volume 1. Chapter 16: The Age of the Reformation (1517-ca.1600). USA 1969 Google images