Transcript Causes of the Protestant Reformation

Causes of the
Protestant Reformation
Declining Prestige of the Papacy
 Babylonian Captivity
 Great Schism
 Pope Alexander VI & Cesare Borgia
 Pope Leo X (Medici)
Corruption in the Church
 Simony
 Pluralism
 Absenteeism
 Clerical Ignorance
 Immoral Conduct
Early Critics
 John Wycliffe
 Jan Hus
 Christian Humanists (Erasmus)
Secular Factors
 Political
 Beginnings of nationalism
 Dynastic claims use religion to gain support
 Desire for princely independence
 Social
 Protestant teachings on equality
 Economic
 Rulers desire to divest church of land and wealth
Martin Luther (1483-1546)
 German, Catholic Monk, Professor
 “Father of the Reformation”
95 Theses (1517)
 Luther’s objections to the sale of Indulgences
 Posted on church door in Wittenberg
Luther’s Theology
 “Sola Fide”
 “Sola Gratia”
 “Sola Scriptura”
 “Solo Cristo”
 “Soli Deo Gloria”
Church’s Reaction
 Luther debates Johann Eck 1519 at Leipzeg
 Luther ordered to retract ideas & refuses
 Luther’s books are burned
 Pope Leo X excommunicates Luther
Diet of Worms 1521
 Luther ordered by Emperor Charles V before imperial
assembly
 Luther again refuses to recant
 Made an outlaw in the H.R.E.
 Bans Luther’s works
 Cannot be given shelter
 Can be killed
Luther After the Diet of Worms
 Protected by Frederick the Wise of Saxony at Wartburg
Castle
 Luther writes from within castle
 German edition of Bible (1523)
 Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation
Spread of Lutheranism
 Many German Princes become Lutheran
 Confiscate church lands, assert independence
 Denmark & Sweden too
 HRE Charles V too busy with Turks and French to stop them
Peasants War/Revolt (1524-1525)
 Uprising seeking end of serfdom, tithes, and other feudal
duties
 Opposed by Luther
 Against the Murderous,Thieving Hordes of the Peasants (1525)
 Put down by both Catholics and Lutherans
Augsburg Confessions 1530
 Moderate statement of faith hoping to reconcile with
Emperor and Pope
 Written by Luther’s friend Philip Melanchthon
 Faith Alone, Biblical Authority, Priesthood of all believers
 Rejected by Charles V
League of Schmalkalden (1531)
 Alliance of Protestant German Princes to defend themselves
from Charles V
 Ally with French King (Catholic)
 Francis I wants to weaken Charles V
Habsburg-Valois Wars 1521-1555
 5 wars between France and Habsburgs (HRE & Spain)
 Charles wins, but Lutheranism had taken hold by 1550s
 Almost exclusively in the North
Peace of Augsburg (1555)
 “Cuius regio, eius religio”
 Allows princes to choose their region’s religion
 Lutheran or Catholic only
 Causes long term divisions in Germany
 Won’t be united until 1871
Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1564)
 Swiss Humanist, Reformer
 Saw communion as only symbolic
 Favored stripped down church service
The Anabaptists (formed 1525)
 Rejected secular agreements
 Rejected infant baptism
 Tragedy at Munster (1534)
 Extreme element take over city, institute
primitive communism and polygamy ,
crushed by combined Catholic
and Lutheran army
 Other Anabaptist groups are not so radical
ie. Mennonites, Amish, Quaker, Baptist
John Calvin (1509-1564)
 French Lawyer
 Institutes of Christian Religion (1536)
 Outlines Calvinist Theology
 Exiled to Switzerland
 Establishes theocracy in Geneva
 Gov. run by church
 Strict moral codes
Calvin’s Theology
 Sovereignty of God
 Predestination
 T-Total Depravity
 U-Unconditional Election
 L-Limited Atonement
 I-Irresistible Grace
 P-Perseverance of the Saints
 Good works and earthly success a sign of election
Other Calvinist Groups
 Presbyterians
 John Knox, Scotland
 Huguenots
 French Calvinists, brutally suppressed
 Dutch Reformed Church
 Calvinist church in the Netherlands
 Leads to revolt against Philip II of Spain
 Puritans
 Will try to cleanse English church from Catholicism