The Protestant Reformation

DO NOW ASSIGNMENT Take a Renaissance handout from the resource table. Complete the handout. Copy down these lesson objectives: –Describe Christian humanism. –Describe Luther’s role in the Reformation.

What caused the Protestant Reformation? Christian humanism –Believed in the ability of human beings to reason and improve themselves –Wanted to reform the Catholic Church Erasmus –Wanted to reform the Catholic Church –He developed the “philosophy of Christ,” meant to show people how to live good lives on a daily basis rather than how to achieve salvation. –He did not want to break away from the church.

People were calling for reform in part because of the corruption in the Catholic Church. Between 1450 and 1520 a series of popes failed to meet Church’s spiritual needs. They were more concerned with the political interests. Julius II, the “warrior-pope,” even led armies against his enemies. Indulgences: release from all or part of punishment for sin.

Martin Luther Was a monk and a professor where he lectured on the Bible. Through his study of the Bible, Luther began to reject the Catholic teaching that both faith and good works were necessary for salvation. He believed that human deeds were powerless to affect God and that salvation was through faith alone. Justification by faith alone is the Protestant Reformation’s chief teaching. The Bible, not the Church, became the primary source of religious truth. The widespread selling of indulgences upset Luther. Legend says, Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. Who knows? What historians do know is that he sent the letter to his church superiors. The Ninety-five Theses attacked abuses in selling indulgences.

Thousands of copies were printed. Luther called the German princes to overthrow the papacy and establish a reformed German church. The Church excommunicated Luther. Charles V summoned Luther to appear before him and the Legislative Assembly and asked him to change his ideas. He refused. Charles V issued the Edict of Worms which deemed Luther an outlaw. Lutheranism became the first Protestant religion. Many individual rulers in the German states supported Luther. Charles V was forced to make peace with the Lutheran princes with the Peace of Augsburg. It accepted the division of Christianity.

German states could choose between Lutheranism and Catholicism. Rulers could choose their subjects’ religion. The settlement did not recognize the rights of subjects to choose their own religion. It did not recognize religious tolerance.

ASSIGNMENT Explain the significance of each of these terms to the Protestant Reformation. –Martin Luther –Christian humanism –Selling of indulgences –The Ninety-Five Theses –Printing –Lutheranism –Edict of Worms –The Peace of Augsburg