The Reformation. The Catholic Church Faces Problems By 1500, two major different forces weaken the Catholic Church 1) New ideas of the Renaissance 2)

The Reformation

The Catholic Church Faces Problems

• By 1500, two major different forces weaken the Catholic Church

• 1) New ideas of the Renaissance• 2) New technology of the printing press

• High Renaissance popes collected art,- this leaves little time for spiritual duties.

• Negative outlook on lower clergy (priests, monks)—poorly educated.

• Some had semi-official wives.• People expect higher standards of conduct from church

leaders

• Two groups of people led a demand for reform of the church-popular religious leaders and Renaissance writers.

• Savonarola– called for a reform of the church by giving speeches- told people to throw “vanities” into a giant fire. Many people followed him.

• This shows how someone can turn religious passions into revolutionary directions

• Erasmus- most famous book-In Praise of Folly- poked fun at illiterate priests.

• Thomas More- wrote a book-Utopia- about a nearly perfect society based on reason and mercy where greed and corruption are ruled out

The Printing Press Spreads New Ideas

• The impact of the printing press could be compared to the impact of the computer in today’s society

• Johann Gutenberg- printed the bible in 1455. The bible is the first printed book.

The Printing Press Prepares a Way for a Religious Revolution

• Four reasons:• 1) Many writers were able to criticize

Renaissance popes• 2) Printed books encouraged faith in God• 3) The printing press made the bible available

for all to read. • 4) New ideas spread quicker than ever before.

Martin Luther (1483-1546)• Martin Luther’s goal in life was to be a good Christian- does not set out to

start a religious revolution• While he was a monk, he confessed his sins to great extent and fasted

regularly,• One day he reads a passage in the bible-”The just shall live by faith”• This changes his life- he starts to believe that praying and fasting are not

the keys to salvation. A strong faith in God is all that mattered.• Luther is offended by Indulgences- pardons from the church for certain

sins.• An indulgence can save a sinner if he/she pays a certain amount of money.• Johann Tetzel- sells indulgences and gives people the impression that they

can buy their way into heaven• Luther writes 95 Theses- formal statements that attack “pardon-merchants”.

Luther posts his thesis in Wittenberg. Someone takes them to a printing press and within six months, Luther is famous in Germany- Starts the Reformation

Three Ideas of Luther’s Teachings

• 1) Salvation by Faith Alone- people did not need to follow what the Catholic Church called good deeds, faith in God was the only way to salvation

• 2) The Bible Is The Only Authority For Christian Life- The Bible is the supreme law, the pope is a false authority

• 3)The Priesthood of All Believers- each person has a relationship with God and all people with faith were equal. Therefore, people do not need priests to interpret the Bible

Charles V opposed Luther• The Roman emperor Charles V declares Luther a heretic at the Diet

of Worms• He makes a rule (Edict of Worms) that states • 1) no one is to give Luther food/shelter • 2) all Luther’s books are burned.• 2 Reasons that Luther still could live comfortably and his ideas still

practiced• 1) The Roman Empire was to big for Charles V to govern effectively.• 2) German people are divided politically, and have great

nationalism. They don’t like sending money to Rome. They like the fact that Luther is against the pope.

• 1529- Princes who “protest” the pope and the Catholic Church make up the Protestant religion

King Henry VIII• Protestantism spreads in northern Europe.• Henry VIII (England) doesn’t support Luther,

but his political goals become more important than religion

• Henry and his wife Catherine of Aragon only have one female child.

• Henry feels that a civil war will break out if he doesn’t have a male child to inherit his crown.

• Catherine cannot have any more children, he needs a new queen to give him a son.

• He wants to marry Anne Boleyn (20)-The pope denies his request

• Henry asks Parliament to strip the pope’s power in England- Reformation Parliament.

• Parliament grants the divorce legal-Henry married Anne

• Parliament then passes a law that states the pope cannot interfere with Henry’s divorce/remarriage.

• The English king, not the Roman pope, becomes the leader of the Church of England (Anglican Church)

Henry enforces his changes

• Act of Supremacy- The king is the head of the Church of England

• Most people in England took Henry’s side rather than the pope.

• Henry closes all monasteries and seizes their land-Increases Henry’s power and personal wealth.

• Henry, however remains more Catholic in religious practices than Protestant

Henry’s later marriages • Henry becomes married 6 times• Anne Boleyn(2) becomes very unpopular with Henry after failing to

give him a son• She is beheaded: “rumored” to be having an incestuous relationship

with her brother.• Three months after her death he marries Jane Seymour(3)- finally

Henry gets a son-Edward. Jane dies 12 days later• To win an alliance with Lutheran princes he marries Anne of

Cleves (4), Whom he never met. After a few months he divorces her.

• Catherine Howard(5)- young and foolish; she is charged with adultery after a year of being a queen-executed

• Catherine Parr(6)- Loyally cared for Henry until he died

• “Divorced, Executed, Died, Divorced, Executed, Survived

Henry’s Children

• All three of Henry’s children eventually inherit the throne

• His son Edward IV is the first to rule- Is a real Protestant- Protestants gain power during his reign

• Edwards Half sister Mary is next- returned the English Church to the pope

• Anne Boleyn’s daughter Elizabeth I- returns the Church of England back to Protestantism

John Calvin• John Calvin (France) studied at

the university of Paris• ** Men and women are naturally

sinful, however, a few people can be saved from sin “elect”

• Predestination • Calvin says that it is the duty of

the “elect” to rule the society--- church should dominate the state.

• Theocracy- government controlled by church leaders-prohibited card playing, dancing, flashy dress

• This is the major difference between Lutheranism and Calvinism

John Knox

• John Knox- preacher from Scotland who used put John Calvin’s teachings to work in Scottish towns

• Protestant nobles led by John Knox overthrow Mary Stuart- they put her 1 year old son in power. Real power lies within the nobles

Jesuits

• Founded by Ignatius of Loyola- later known as St. Ignatius.

• Society of Jesus- “The Jesuits”• Jesuits have a strict emphasis on discipline and

obedience• 3 accomplishments• 1) founded schools• 2)convert non-Christians to Catholicism • 3) Prevent the spread of Protestantism

Counter Reformation

• Paul III and Paul IV have 2 goals 1) strengthen and purify the church 2) combat Protestantism

• Council of Trent- An attempt to examine the church’s basic doctrines and goals. denouncing Luther’s teachings

• Index of Forbidden Books- books offensive to the Catholic Church (Protestant Bible) are burned—Part of the Inquisition– a Catholic agency that seeks and punishes Heretics

• Protestants call these reforms Counter-Reformation. Catholics call it Catholic Reformation

Religion divides Europe

• Charles V becomes sick of fighting

• Peace of Augsburg- states that religion of each German state is to be decided by its ruler. Either Catholicism or Lutheranism.

• Instead of creating unity, this leads to religious division

Scientific Revolution

• As a religious revolution was taking place a different kind of thinking started to begin-The Scientific Revolution.

• Before 1500, whatever Aristotle said about nature was true, unless the bible said otherwise.

• Prior to the Scientific Rev-much reliance on authority (Aristotle, Ptolemy) rather than evidence

• This revolution is based upon careful observation and the willingness to question religious beliefs.

• Both Aristotle and Ptolemy said that the earth is the center of the universe-Geocentric Theory. The church said that God made earth the center of the universe

• Nicholas Copernicus 1473-1543 observes the movements of the sun, moon and planets for 30 years.

• Comes up with the Heliocentric theory- sun centered. He waits until the end of his life to publish his theories.

• This angers both Protestant and Catholic churches.

• Kepler- also observes planets- • Scientific Method- using a logical procedure to develop ideas-

hypothesis• Galileo- developed a system by using a pendulum to check a

person’s pulse.• Successfully developed a telescope, soon he developed powerful

telescopes that could reach Jupiter. Also discovers that there are mountains and craters on the moon.

• Contridicted the bible• His discoveries upset the church. Some say the telescope is the

work of the devil• He remains publicly silent, but then writes a book “Starry

Messenger” supporting the now banned Copernicus’s theory. • Under the threat of torture, he rejects Copernicus’s theory. He is

put on house arrest.

Isaac Newton• English Mathematician and scientist 1642-1727—worked off

Galileo’s theories• Came up with a mathematical equation that all objects obeyed—

gravity• The force of gravity-not god or angels, governed the elliptical

movements of the earth• Many educated Europeans view the earth differently- no longer did

everything move in constant attention according to God or his angels

• However, most viewed God as the creator of the universe • Most people believed the universe was like a clock– once wound up

by a divine clockmaker, it moved according to the natural laws of science

Scientists

• Andreas Vesalius- publishes a medical book On The Fabric of the Human Body- both the text and drawings in this book show that humans and animal anatomy were different.

• William Harvey- showed that the heart acted as a pump and Galen’s theory that blood came out of the liver is false

• Anton van Leeuwenhoek- uses a microscope to discover bacteria as well as red blood cells.

• Gabriel Fahrenheit- made a thermometer using mercury

• Evangelista Torricelli- made a barometer to measure atmospheric pressure to help predict weather.