Chp. 1-3 pp. 44-48. Setting the Scene During the Renaissance, the Church increasingly came under fire. All levels of society accused the clergy of corruption.

Chp. 1-3 pp. 44-48

Setting the Scene

During the Renaissance, the Church increasingly came under fire. All levels of society accused the clergy of corruption and worldliness.

“Wicked Wolves, Instead of saving souls of the dead and sending them to Heaven, they gorge themselves at banquets after funerals.”

The Protestant Reformation would shatter the Unity that Christians had under the Roman Catholic Church.

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Abuses in the Church

Popes competed with Italian princes for political power. Popes fought long wars to protect the Papal States against invaders.Popes led lavish lifestyles and spent a great deal of money on the arts. The Church increased fees for services such as weddings and baptisms to finance worldly projects. Some clergy promoted the sale of indulgences.Erasmus urged a return to simple ways, and stressed Bible Study and rejected the worldliness of the Church

Beginning in the late Middle Ages, the Church had become increasingly

caught up in worldly affairs.

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The Teachings of Martin Luther

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• Martin Luther was a German monk and professor of theology who triggered the revolt against the Catholic Church

• Early in his life Luther tried to lead a holy life by fasting and praying. He believed though he was doomed to eternal damnation

• He grew away from the church because of the corruption and worldliness, an incident in Wittenberg Germany prompted him to take action.

The 95 Theses• 1517 Johann Tetzel started to preach

outside Wittenberg, Germany• Offered indulgences to any Christian who

donated money to help rebuild St. Peters Cathedral in Rome. Said these payments would not only get them into heaven but they could buy salvation for their dead relatives “ Don’t you hear the voices of your dead parents and other relatives crying out”

• Tetzel’s actions outraged Luther, he drew up 95 Thesis, or problems with the church and indulgences. Luther posted these theses on the Doors of the All Saints Church in Whittenberg, Germany

• Saved ONLY through FAITH [salvation through faith]

Luther Versus the Church• Luthers 95 theses spread quickly across Europe

the Church soon called for Luther to recant his arguments or give up his views, Luther refused

• Luther urged Christians to reject the power of Rome, because the church would not reform itself we must reform it

• 1521 Luther was excommunicated, Holy Roman Emperor summoned Luther to a meeting in Worms, Germany. Luther thought he would have to defend his beliefs, instead the diet told him to recant, he refused saying “Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other, I am captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.”

Luther Versus the Church cont.Charles V [holy roman emperor]

declared Luther an outlaw, making it a crime to give him food or shelter, but Luther had many powerful supporters

A prince at Wartburg, Germany hid him in his castle

All across Germany people were championing Luther and his teachings, they began to renounce the authority of the pope.

Luther’s teachingSalvation by FAITH aloneBible was the sole source of religious truthPriests and the Church officials do not have special powers, Luther translated the Bible into German vernacular so that all had equal access to God through faith and the bible

Rejected five of the seven sacraments because they were not mentioned in the bible, He banned indulgences, confession, pilgrimages, and prayers to saints. He emphasized the sermon and not the ritual surrounding it, clergy could marry. He created the Lutheran Church

Spread of Lutheran Ideals

• Luther’s ideas found a fertile field in northern Germany and Scandinavia.

While the new printing presses spread Luther’s writings, fiery preachers

denounced Church abuses. By 1530 the Lutherans were using a new name,

Protestant, for those who “protested” papal authority.

Widespread Support

• Clergy saw reforms as answer to Church Corruption

• German Princes followed for personal reasons– Throw off the rule of the Church– Throw off the rule of the Holy Roman Emperor– Chance to take Church land

• Many Germans followed because of Nationalism [national loyalty], tired of money going to support the Church in Italy

The Peasants’ Revolt

• 1524 Peasants’ Revolt took place in Germany

• Rebels called for end of Serfdom and demanded changes in their harsh lives

• Luther though favored social order and political authority, he denounced the revolt as it became violent

• Nobles with the support of Luther crushed the rebellions and killed tens of thousands and left many more homeless

•Many peasants took hold of Luther’s ideas, hoping for social and economic change.

The Peace of Augsburg

• 1530’s & 1540’s Holy Roman Emperor Charles V tried to force German Princes back to Catholicism, failed

• After a few wars Charles and the Princes reached a settlement “the Peace of Augsburg”

• 1555 allowed the Princes to decide on religion in the territory they controlled most in the North remained Lutheran, South some stayed Catholic, obviously because of their location

John Calvin/Ulrich Zwingli

• Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin presented further challenges to the Church.

• Zwingli a priest and admirer of Erasmus lived in Zurich, Switzerland, he rejected elaborate rituals and stressed the importance of the Bible

• John Calvin had a logical razor sharp minds his ideas had a profound effect on the direction of the reformation

Teachings• Calvin was born in France, trained as a

priest and lawyer• 1536 published Institutes of the

Christian Religion which sets out his beliefs, and how to run a Protestant church

• He believed like Luther in the Bible and Salvation by Grace

• Predestination though was his idea that God had long ago determined who would gain salvation.

• 2 kinds of people saints and sinners, Calvinists tried to live like saints, because they were the only ones that would reach heaven

Calvin’s Geneva

• Calvin set up a theocracy in Geneva Switzerland [Church run State]

• Followers believed to be the “chosen” few they stressed hard work, discipline, thrift, honesty, and morality

• Fines or worse if they were caught fighting, swearing, laughing in church, or dancing

• Closed theaters and frowned on elaborate dress• Geneva was seen as a model by many Protestants• Calvin, like Luther, believed in educating both boys and girls.

Women though should read the bible in private, but he allowed women to sing in church, many church leaders disagreed

Spread of Calvinism• By the late 1500’s Calvinism spread

to Germany, France, the Netherlands, England, and Scotland with this new challenge to Catholicism wars erupted

• In Germany Calvinists faced opposition from both Catholics and Lutherans, In France wars raged between Huguenots and Catholics

• In the Netherlands sermons were preached in the countryside Calvinism became known as the Dutch Reformed Church

• In Scotland John Knox led a rebellion and overthrew their Catholic queen and set up the Scottish Presbyterian Church