1. The Rise and Fall of the Roman Catholic Church
Or a Brief History of the Protestant Reformation

2. The Catholic Church was based on four basic beliefs
The divinity of Jesus Christ
The keeping of the 7 sacraments
Apostolic succession of bishops
The resurrection of the dead for the apocaplypse

3. During the Dark Ages
The church’s role was to advise, counsel, and lead people in prayer while they awaited the apocalypse and the final judgment
They also maintained all written knowledge in Europe.

4. The Church gained power during the Crusades
The church gained an army
Crusaders donated their lands to the church, so that by 1350 the Pope controlled more land than any king in Europe
Plunder from the Middle East built giant churches throughout Europe
Tithes began to be collected in gold, rather than in wheat

5. The Church got Greedy
Church bishops would “sell” parishes to nobles—picking new priests who paid them for the job
Priests would sell absolution to the wealthy in the form of indulgences
Even the pope could be bought for a price.

6. Humanism and Secularism
Many Renaissance writers, including Erasmus and Machiavelli thought the church had gained too much political power.
Guttenberg’s invention of the printing press in 1445 helped spread these ideas

7. Martin Luther
In 1517 Martin Luther wrote a document called the “ninety-five theses,” listing 95 complaints against the church.
The “Ninety-five Theses” were printed and distributed throughout Europe.
The Pope excommunicated Luther, and the Holy Roman Emperor banished him

8. Luther’s Teachings Only 2 sacraments are mentioned in the bible
All men are evil in thought, word and deed, and so only faith—not works, nor absolution can save them
Everyone ought to read the bible and develop their own understanding of God for themselves

9. Effect:
Many people decided to follow Luther—some because they believed him, others because they wanted to break the Catholic Church’s power
Riots broke out in the countryside. Starving peasants attacked and robbed church lands. Nearly 100,000 died in the fighting

10. Others join in
Other priests in other places decided to reform the church like Luther had.
In the 1520’s Calvin started a movement in France, Zwingli in Switzerland, Wycliffe in England and others elsewhere.
Throughout Europe Catholics and Protestants fought bitter wars for control of the church and land

11. The Peace of Augsburg
In 1555 the Holy Roman Empire announced that the ruler of each town would decide the religion of his territory, and that fighting should end.
France made a similar agreement in the Edict of Nantes.
Spain and Italy stayed Catholic, but England and the Netherlands became protestant
The Catholic Church, had lost at least half of its power.