The Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a time during the 16th century where politics, culture, and religion were all changing. The reformation especially splintered the Catholic Europe. Reformers from northern and central Europe such as, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Henry VIII challenged the papal, and the Catholic Church's authority. The disruption of the revolution caused persecutions, wars, and even Counter- Reformations, or the Catholic Church's delayed response to the reformation.
There was a lot of church corruptions during the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation itself caused a lot of disruption in the Catholic Church. Reformers would continue to fight, and along the way would gain followers causing even more disruption. The church was also slowly falling because of additional forces. The Renaissance, and its movement, caused secular and individual uprisings against the church.
Martin Luther was a reformer, in fact he was one of the main reformers. Martin Luther, growing up, was expected to be a lawyer, but instead he became a monk. He had already been very educated in the Catholic religion, so the thought of salvation itself was irresistible to him. Martin Luther was caught in a very dangerous thunderstorm, and death seemed imminent, during the storm he vowed to be a monk if he got out alive.
Martin Luther taught scripture at the University of Wittenberg. During his teaching time, a friar named Johann Tetzel started to sell indulgences or pardons to help fund the rebuilding of the St. Peter's Cathedral. Indulgences in this case are like excuses that you can buy to excuse your sins, and help you get to heaven. Martin Luther strongly disagreed with what was happening and in response wrote the 95 Theses and posted it on the Cathedral door. The 95 Theses attacks the church about their wrong doings and about the indulgences as well as other problems Martin Luther believed were relevant. The 95 Theses was posted on the cathedral doors on Oct. 31, 1517, someone who had read the document then took it and got copies of it printed. These copies were then sent all over Europe making Luther known, as well as the church's wrong doings. Martin Luther then went beyond criticizing only indulgences, he wanted the whole church to change.
The three main ideas of Martin Luther's teachings are:
Pope Leo excommunicated Luther.
In 1521, a devout Catholic and Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, summoned Luther to the city of Worms and ordered him to recant, or take back, his statements. Luther refused. This event was known as the Diet of Worms. A month after Luther was summoned, Charles issued the Edict of Worms. The edict said that no one in the empire was to give Luther shelter, or food, and all of his books were to be burned. Going against the edict, Prince Fredrick the Wise of Saxony sheltered Luther for over a year in one of his castles. While Luther was staying in Fredrick's castle, he translated the New Testament into German. In 1522, Luther returned to Wittenberg to find that his teachings were actually being put into action. So, instead of continuing on speaking about the reform, Luther and his followers became a separate religious group, the Lutherans.
After countless revolts, and the coming and going of Lutheran followers, Lutheranism was beginning to spread. Many German Princes supported Lutheranism, some shared similar beliefs, while others liked his ideas for personal reasons. In 1529, German princes who remained loyal to the pope agreed to join forces and try to stop Luther, while the princes who supported Luther signed a protest agreement. This soon developed the name Protestants, referring to all Christians that weren't Catholic. Charles V was so determined for all of his people to stay Catholic, that he went to was with the protesting princes. He defeated them in 1547, but he still failed to force them back into the church. By 1555 Charles had grow very tired of all the fighting. So, at what is now known as the Peace of Augsburg, Charles V summoned all German princes, both Protestant and Catholic, tot he city of Augsburg. In Augsburg, all of the princes came to the agreement that each ruler would decide the religion of his state.
There was a lot of church corruptions during the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation itself caused a lot of disruption in the Catholic Church. Reformers would continue to fight, and along the way would gain followers causing even more disruption. The church was also slowly falling because of additional forces. The Renaissance, and its movement, caused secular and individual uprisings against the church.
Martin Luther was a reformer, in fact he was one of the main reformers. Martin Luther, growing up, was expected to be a lawyer, but instead he became a monk. He had already been very educated in the Catholic religion, so the thought of salvation itself was irresistible to him. Martin Luther was caught in a very dangerous thunderstorm, and death seemed imminent, during the storm he vowed to be a monk if he got out alive.
Martin Luther taught scripture at the University of Wittenberg. During his teaching time, a friar named Johann Tetzel started to sell indulgences or pardons to help fund the rebuilding of the St. Peter's Cathedral. Indulgences in this case are like excuses that you can buy to excuse your sins, and help you get to heaven. Martin Luther strongly disagreed with what was happening and in response wrote the 95 Theses and posted it on the Cathedral door. The 95 Theses attacks the church about their wrong doings and about the indulgences as well as other problems Martin Luther believed were relevant. The 95 Theses was posted on the cathedral doors on Oct. 31, 1517, someone who had read the document then took it and got copies of it printed. These copies were then sent all over Europe making Luther known, as well as the church's wrong doings. Martin Luther then went beyond criticizing only indulgences, he wanted the whole church to change.
The three main ideas of Martin Luther's teachings are:
- People could win salvation only by having faith in God's forgiveness. Where as, the church taught that faith and "good works" were needed for salvation.
- All church teachings should be based on the bible. Both the church traditions and the pope were false authorities.
- All people that have faith are equal. So, people shouldn't need priests to interpret the bible for them.
Pope Leo excommunicated Luther.
In 1521, a devout Catholic and Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, summoned Luther to the city of Worms and ordered him to recant, or take back, his statements. Luther refused. This event was known as the Diet of Worms. A month after Luther was summoned, Charles issued the Edict of Worms. The edict said that no one in the empire was to give Luther shelter, or food, and all of his books were to be burned. Going against the edict, Prince Fredrick the Wise of Saxony sheltered Luther for over a year in one of his castles. While Luther was staying in Fredrick's castle, he translated the New Testament into German. In 1522, Luther returned to Wittenberg to find that his teachings were actually being put into action. So, instead of continuing on speaking about the reform, Luther and his followers became a separate religious group, the Lutherans.
After countless revolts, and the coming and going of Lutheran followers, Lutheranism was beginning to spread. Many German Princes supported Lutheranism, some shared similar beliefs, while others liked his ideas for personal reasons. In 1529, German princes who remained loyal to the pope agreed to join forces and try to stop Luther, while the princes who supported Luther signed a protest agreement. This soon developed the name Protestants, referring to all Christians that weren't Catholic. Charles V was so determined for all of his people to stay Catholic, that he went to was with the protesting princes. He defeated them in 1547, but he still failed to force them back into the church. By 1555 Charles had grow very tired of all the fighting. So, at what is now known as the Peace of Augsburg, Charles V summoned all German princes, both Protestant and Catholic, tot he city of Augsburg. In Augsburg, all of the princes came to the agreement that each ruler would decide the religion of his state.