1. Protestant Reformation

2. Corruption in the Catholic Church
During the Renaissance, there was a new focus on human potential; many people began to think for themselves & criticized some corrupt practices of the Catholic Church (Erasmus, More, etc.)
Intellectuals
Catholic Church

3. Corruption in the Catholic Church
Members of the Church (called Clergy) took vows of Chastity—meaning they would not engage in sexual relationships
BUT…some clergy members broke church law and were married, had families, or had children. Even several popes fathered and raised children

4. Chastity

5. Corruption in the Catholic Church
During Feudalism, just as vassals received fiefs from nobles a similar practice was used to name some members of the clergy
Lay Investiture was a practice by which some bishops and priests received their church offices from powerful nobles. Therefore, the nobles were able to control the clergy members
Henry IV king of Holt Roman Empire & Pope Gregory VII—1073 AD Argument over Lay Investiture—Henry wanted it but Pope wanted to control priests—Pope told Germans to elect a new leader, Henry gave in and begged for forgiveness from the Pope who accepted Henry’s apology.

7. Corruption in the Catholic Church
During Middle Ages, clergy members were among the few who could read & write & were supposed to be well-educated
BUT…many parish priests were illiterate and did not know how to perform religious services. During Renaissance, more people could read & noticed how poorly some clergy members could read

8. Education

9. Corruption in the Catholic Church
Several clergy members used their positions in the Church to gain wealth. This wealth led clergy members to lives of luxury
Some clergy members used wealth to buy Renaissance art
The ways clergy members were raising money became the most heavily criticized actions of the Catholic Church

10. Wealth

11. Corruption in the Catholic Church
During Middle Ages, clergy had access to land & a good income
Simony was practice of selling church positions to the highest bidder regardless of the buyer’s religious training. This illegal practice was widely used & led to poorly educated clergy members & increased wealth of high church members

12. Simony

13. Corruption of the Catholic Church
The most profitable & criticized fundraiser was selling of Indulgences—certificate bought from a priest to cancel sins. Indulgences were sold to cleanse deceased family members
This led people to believe that heaven could be attained not by being faithful, but by buying more indulgences
“Once you hear the money’s ring, the soul from purgatory is free to spring”

14. Indulgences

15. Corruption of the Catholic Church
Great Schism ( ) further weakened the power of the Church. In 1378, pope Urban VI angered French clergy, who elected a new pope, Clement VII.
As a result, Catholics had 2 popes. Which one was legitimate? Each pope excommunicated the other. Led to confusion & criticism

16. Great Schism

17. Corruption of the Catholic Church
All of these corrupt practices were examined by intellectuals during the Renaissance leading to the Protestant Reformation:
Protest—Identify Problems with Church
Reform—Offer Solutions to these Problems

18. Rank the major problems from the one you feel was the most influential to the least.
Write a summary describing why you feel the first and the last are in that position.

19. Protestant Reformation
Early Responses to Catholic Corruption

20. Role of the Renaissance
During Renaissance more people began to read & value education; New artistic styles, literature, science led people to question & criticize other aspects of life (including religion)
During the Northern Renaissance, ideas spread from Italy to northern Europe

21. Printing Press
Invented by Johannes Gutenberg in 1456 in Germany; used movable metal type to reproduce documents
Made books quick to produce and inexpensive
Humanist texts and ideas spread rapidly throughout Europe

23. Role of the Renaissance
As Renaissance ideas spread to northern Europe (especially in Germany), people began to use Humanist ideas to criticize the Catholic Church
Christian Humanists called for an end to Church corruption and wanted to see an increase in the importance of individuals in religion

24. 3 Early Humanists Call for Church Reform:
John Wycliffe
John Huss
Desiderius Erasmus

25. John Wycliffe
Taught religion at the University of Oxford in England from ; promoted his new ideas:
Jesus Christ was the true head of the Catholic Church, not Pope
Upset by wealth of some clergy; should not own land or wealth
Bible was most important source of authority; people did not need church to get into heaven

26. John Wycliffe
Upset that English people could not understand the Bible because it was written in Latin—so he translated the Bible into English

27. John Wycliffe How did the Church respond?:
Catholic bishop charged Wycliffe with heresy and convicted him to death by fire; but English supporters rioted & forced bishop to free him

28. John Huss
Head of Prague University in Bohemia; influenced by Wycliffe:
Clergy should not have wealth
Opposed indulgences & simony
Because Bible & church services were in Latin, people could be manipulated by corrupt church; wanted Bible & services conducted in vernacular (the local language, like German)

29. John Huss How did the Church respond?:
Tried and convicted of heresy; was excommunicated & burned at the stake in 1415

30. Desiderius Erasmus
Became a priest, but quit to become a writer, teacher, scholar during the Renaissance; traveled throughout Europe sharing ideas:
Wanted Bible available in vernacular
Some of church’s practices were unnecessary; but church had an important place in peoples’ lives & disagreed many criticisms of church

31. Desiderius Erasmus How did the Church respond?:
Erasmus was never attacked by Catholic leaders & stayed in the Church until he died

32. Who Did It? Review