1. The Protestant Reformation
Mr. Garfinkel 3/3/14

2. Corruption of the Catholic Church
By the 15th century, the Church had grown extremely rich and decadent
Nepotism (or favoritism) was a serious issue
Priests and even Popes were known to be having affairs with women, a strictly forbidden practice for Catholic clergy
A particularly corrupt practice was the sale of indulgences

3. Indulgences
Originally meant to be a reward for good behavior that one could receive to avoid punishment on earth or in purgatory for sin.
By the late Middle Ages, became something that an individual could purchase
The sale of these became extremely corrupt.
Some salesmen began arguing that people could attain heaven simply by purchasing indulgences

4. Martin Luther (1483-1546) http://www.history.com/topics/reformation
Originally a Catholic monk from Saxony
(present-day Germany), he became disgusted by the
corruption of indulgence sales.
Preached that salvation came from accepting
Jesus, not from the Church
Translated the bible into the German vernacular so that it was available to the masses

5. 95 Theses
In 1517, Luther nailed a sheet of 95 Theses, or arguments, against indulgences to the door of the Church in Wittenberg.
Examples of the content, Thesis 86:
"Why does the pope, whose wealth today
is greater than the wealth of the Crassus, build the
basilica of Saint Peter with the money of poor
believers rather than with his own money?"

6. What happens to Luther
Martin Luther is called a “heretic” and is “excommunicated”, or kicked out of the Catholic Church.
His religious protest turned to a political revolt in the Holy Roman Empire
Luther ended up leading the protest movement against the Catholic Church which became “Protestantism.”

7. The Protestant Reformation Time Line
1347
1450
1517
1534
Martin Luther nails his 95 Theses to the Wittenburg Church door
England leaves the Catholic Church as Henry VIII is declared head of the Church of England
Invention of the Printing press by Johannes Gutenberg, public literacy begins to rise
Papacy of Alexander VI, a pope known for his affairs with women and corruption
The Black Death hits Europe, weakening public support of the Catholic Church

8. What happened in England
reformation?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false
Henry VIII

9. Impact of the Printing Press
How will the invention of the printing press impact this potential movement against the Catholic Church?