THE REFORMATION

RISE OF CHRISTIANITY

• Christianity as a religion started in Palestine (modern day

Israel, Lebanon, Palestine).

• Originally it was seen as part of Judaism by the Roman

Empire

• Christians became persecuted by the Romans during the reign

of Nero (54-68 AD). As they were blamed for a fire that
destroyed Rome.
 THE SPREAD OF CHRISTIANITY

• Even though they were

persecuted Christianity
spread across the roman
empire.

• Christianity spread
because it was popular
with all classes.
• Salvation/Eternal Life was
promised to all social
classes
• The Roman Emperor
Constantine converted to
Christianity.

• He issued the Edict of Milan –

proclaimed official tolerance of
Christianity in the Roman
Empire. (No more persecution
of Christians)

• Theodosius the Great made

Christianity the official religion
of the Roman Empire.
 A SPLIT BEGINS

• Considerable religious,
cultural, and political
differences between the
Eastern and Western
churches will lead to a split

• They had different views

on:
• Icons
• Church Doctrine
• Date of Easter
 THE GREAT SCHISM

• 1054 AD, Pope Leo IX excommunicated the patriarch of

Constantinople, the leader of the Eastern church.

• The Patriarch condemned the Pope in return, and the Christian

church has been officially divided into West (“Roman
Catholic") and East (“Greek Orthodox") ever since.
 DESIDERIUS ERASMUS

• Erasmus was a Dutch scholar, humanist,

and theologian.

• Instead, he studied theology and classical

Greek at the universities of Paris and
Cambridge.

• Erasmus was critical of some of the

practices and doctrines of the Catholic
Church.
Desiderius
Erasmus • Erasmus sought to reform the Catholic
CALLS TO REFORM THE CHURCH
• In Praise of Folly - by Erasmus
• Best-seller (only the Bible sold more by 1550)
• Erasmus was a devout Catholic who sought to reform
the Church, not destroy it
• Criticized immorality and hypocrisy of Church leaders
and the clergy
• The book inspired renewed calls for reform, and
influenced Martin Luther
 WHY REFORM?
• Popes corrupted by power & lose focus of spiritual leadership

• Scientific advances contradicted the Church

• People wanted to know how to save souls

 MARTIN LUTHER

• German Priest
• Translated the Bible into German
• Critic of Roman Catholic Church

• Oct 31, 1517 – Posted 95 Theses on church door in

Wittenburg, Germany
• His criticisms of Church
• 1000s of copies distributed through
Germany
 THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION
• Martin Luther was critical of the
following abuses conducted by the
Catholic Church:
• Selling church positions
• Selling indulgences = certificates
The selling of indulgences issued by the church that reduced or
canceled punishment for a person’s
sins  people would buy them to
ensure going to Heaven
• Luxurious life of the popes
• Corruption and immorality of some
clergy

Pope Leo X (above) sold church positions and

indulgences to raise money to rebuild St. Peter’s
Basilica in Rome
 MARTIN LUTHER’S BELIEFS
• Salvation = came through faith alone;
God’s grace is freely and directly
granted to believers

• Source of religious authority = the

Bible (as interpreted by the individual),
not the Pope or church leaders

• These ideas = created a massive rift

between Catholic and Protestant
Christianity
 THE REFORMATION BEGINS
• By 1521 Luther moving toward split from Church

• Wanted German princes to overthrow Papal power in

Germany & establish a German Church

• By Jan 1521 – Luther excommunicated

• Emperor Charles V,
wanted Luther to change his
ideas, Luther
• Edict of Worms issued, making
Luther an outlaw
• Luther kept in hiding by
his prince
 LUTHERANISM
• Followers of Luther’s religious practices

• Gained support of many German princes

• Germany in turmoil – Catholic? Lutheran?

• To achieve peace Holy Roman Emperor Charles V accepted
the Peace of Augsburg (allowed German princes to choose the
faith of their region)
SPREAD OF PROTESTANTISM

• Reformation thinking spread quickly within

and beyond Germany thanks to the invention
of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg
• Luther’s 95 Theses, many pamphlets, and his
German translation of the New Testament
were soon widely available
 SPREAD OF PROTESTANTISM

• As the movement spread to the rest of Europe, it splintered, creating

a variety of different Protestant churches
• Ex: Lutheran, Calvinist, Anglican, Quaker, Anabaptist, Puritan,
etc.
SPREAD OF PROTESTANTISM
PROTESTANTISM SPREADS - ZWINGLI

• Ulrich Zwingli – priest in Zurich, Switzerland

• Zwinglian Reformation
• Banned all religious relics & images
• Whitewashed all church interiors
• No music in church services
• Does not merge w/Luther b/c
can’t agree with the meaning
of communion
 PROTESTANTISM SPREADS - CALVIN

• John Calvin replaces Zwingli (he was killed in a war)

• French, fled for safety to Switzerland
• 1536 – began reforming Geneva, Switz.
• Created a church govt of elect & laity
• Used consistory (moral police)
• Sent missionaries to convert Catholics
CALVINISM

• Ideas spread  France, Scotland,

Netherlands

• Mid 16th Century – Calvinism

more pop than Lutheranism

• Preached predestination = God

determines the fate of every
person
 REFORMATION IN ENGLAND
• Political, not religious motives for reform
• Henry VIII – King of England
• Needs a male heir to carry on
the Tudor Dynasty

• Married Catherine of Aragon

(Aunt of Charles V, HRE Emperor)

• No son, so Henry wants a divorce!

In the Catholic Church, you
need an annulment, granted by the
Church. The Pope grants it for a King.
 REFORMATION IN ENGLAND (CONT)
• The Pope refused to grant the annulment, too political (King of
Engandvs. HRE Emperor)

• After a long argument, Henry decided to break from Catholic

Church

• Archbishop of Canterbury granted divorce

• Act of Supremacy(1534) established Church of England

• King control over doctrine, appointments, etc
• Dissolves Catholic claims, sells land & possessions
• Remained close to Catholic teachings
THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND

• King Henry VIII had the Church of

England end his marriage with
Catherine & he married Anne Boleyn
• Anne bore him a daughter =
Elizabeth I
• Henry VIII married 4 more times
after this & only got 1 son =
Edward VI (got the throne, but
died in his teens)
 HENRY & HIS WIVES

• Henry was desperate

for a son. So much so
he married 6 times!!
• The saying goes…
Divorced, Beheaded,
Died
Divorced, Beheaded,
Survived
 THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND

• Henry’s daughter Mary tried

to restore Catholicism when
she became Queen
• Burned hundreds of
Protestants at the stake
• Nicknamed “Bloody
Mary”
ANGLICANISM

• Mary’s sister Elizabeth I became

Queen when Mary died 
blended features of the Church of
England and Catholicism
• Religion called Anglicanism
• Pleased most people
• Radical Protestants called “Puritans”
wanted to purify the English Church
of all its Catholic elements  ended
up leaving for North America where
they could have more religious
freedom
 CATHOLIC COUNTER-REFORMATION

• Pope Paul III wanted to reform the

Catholic Church to win back followers
and stop the growth of Protestant
faiths

• Council of Trent (1545-1563)

1) Reaffirmed Catholic teachings and
practices
2) Put an end to Church abuses, such as the
selling of indulgences and church
positions
3) Put emphasis on creating a better-
educated clergy
4) Ended the selling of indulgences
THE JESUITS
• Most significant agency of
Catholic reform

• Founded by Ignatius of Loyola

• Spanish soldier
• Converted after being injured in a
battle
 ROLE OF JESUITS
• Missionaries
• Convert former and non-Catholics

• Urged the religious education of

children

• Devoted to religious and secular

education
• Secondary schools
• Colleges/Universities
• Seminaries
 RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS
• 1562 – 1598 = violent conflict
between Catholics and
Protestants in France
 French Protestants = called
Huguenots = the minority
• In one day (in 1572) = about 3,000
Huguenots were massacred by
Catholic mobs
 RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS

• 1598 = King Henry IV issued the Edict of Nantes

• Granted religious toleration to French Protestants
• Idea = soon they’d return to the Catholic Church

Massacre of the Huguenots, 1572

 RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS

• Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) = war

between Catholics and Protestants
• Started in Holy Roman Empire; soon
took over most of Europe
• Destructive war
• 15-30% of German population died from
violence, famine, or disease

Painting of the Beginning of the 30 Years’ War

 RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS

• 1648 = Peace of Westphalia signed

• Redrew some European political boundaries
• Said each state was independent and could control its own religious
affairs