Overview of the Reformation Period

Reformation: A period in history during which the teachings of the Catholic Church were questioned and the authority of the Pope was challenged. Causes: (pick 2) Cause 1: The influence of the Renaissance People questioned old beliefs during the Renaissance. As more people learned to read, more people read the Bibles for themselves. They often came to different interpretations than the Church. The ideas of the reformers could spread quickly around Europe with the invention of the movable type printing press. Cause 2: The Abuses in the Church There were many abuses of power within the Catholic Church. These made people think that the popes, bishops and priests were more interested in their own wealth and power than in serving God. Simony is the buying or selling of positions within the Church. Nepotism is the appointing of relatives to Church jobs regardless of merit. Absenteeism is a priest or bishop being absent from their parish or diocese for long periods of time. Pluralism is holding more than one Church job at the same time. The sale of indulgences was the selling of special prayers claimed to reduce the time a soul spent in purgatory. Martin Luther Martin Luther spent a lot of time studying the Bible to make sure that he was doing all that he could to get into heaven. He came to believe that only God could forgive sins and only faith in God would help him. This was called justification by faith alone. John Tetzel was selling indulgences in Wittenberg in 1517, promising that those who bought them would go to heaven. This annoyed Luther who wrote to the Archbishop of Mainz, but he was ignored. Luther wrote out his 95 theses in Latin. He is said to have nailed these to the door of a church in Wittenberg, although some historians dispute this. Luther initially wanted to encourage debate at the university. However, his ideas were translated into German and spread around Germany thanks to the printing press, and they turned into a full-scale attack on the authority of the Pope. Luther’s theses include that the Pope could not forgive sins and indulgences do not save people from punishment for their sins. The Pope then sent Luther a papal bull, threatening him with excommunication. Excommunication is expulsion from the Catholic Church and being unable to receive the sacraments. Luther publicly burned the papal bull and was excommunicated in 1521. The Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, called a meeting (diet) of his German princes at Worms in 1521. Luther was given safe passage there to discuss his beliefs, but he refused to change his mind. After the Diet of Worms, Charles issued the Edict of Worms and this made Luther an outlaw. Luther’s supporters protested against this and after became known as Protestants. Luther was to be arrested for heresy. Prince Frederick of Saxony arranged a fake kidnapping of Luther and hid him in Wartburg Castle for a year. While hiding there, Luther translated the Bible into German so that more people could read the Bible for themselves. Luther preached until his death in 1546. His beliefs spread rapidly and had huge consequences for Germany and Europe. Many princes rejected Charles V’s decision at Worms and wanted to follow Luther’s teachings. This led to civil war after his death until the Peace of Augsburg in 1555 when it was agreed that each ruler would choose the religion in their own state. The Reformation spread throughout Europe. Eventually, the CC had to bring in reforms to address many of the problems Luther raised and this was called the Counter-Reformation. Spread: * 1531: Ulrich Zwingli launches the Reformation in Switzerland * 1534: Henry VIII established the Church of England as separate from the CC, with himself as head * 1541: John Calvin was invited to Geneva, Switzerland, to set up his version of Protestantism called Presbyterianism. Calvin believed in predestination, which is the belief that God decided before a person was born whether they would go to heaven. His religion was strict and banned statues in churches, dancing, gambling, fancy clothes and anything else he thought might lead people into sin. * 1572: John Knox introduced Presbyterianism to Scotland.

Reformation: A period in history during which the teachings of the Catholic Church were questioned and the authority of the Pope was challenged.

Causes: (pick 2)
Cause 1: The influence of the Renaissance
People questioned old beliefs during the Renaissance. As more people learned to read, more people read the Bibles for themselves. They often came to different interpretations than the Church. The ideas of the reformers could spread quickly around Europe with the invention of the movable type printing press.
Cause 2: The Abuses in the Church
There were many abuses of power within the Catholic Church. These made people think that the popes, bishops and priests were more interested in their own wealth and power than in serving God. Simony is the buying or selling of positions within the Church. Nepotism is the appointing of relatives to Church jobs regardless of merit. Absenteeism is a priest or bishop being absent from their parish or diocese for long periods of time. Pluralism is holding more than one Church job at the same time. The sale of indulgences was the selling of special prayers claimed to reduce the time a soul spent in purgatory.

Martin Luther 
Martin Luther spent a lot of time studying the Bible to make sure that he was doing all that he could to get into heaven. He came to believe that only God could forgive sins and only faith in God would help him. This was called justification by faith alone.
John Tetzel was selling indulgences in Wittenberg in 1517, promising that those who bought them would go to heaven. This annoyed Luther who wrote to the Archbishop of Mainz, but he was ignored.
Luther wrote out his 95 theses in Latin. He is said to have nailed these to the door of a church in Wittenberg, although some historians dispute this. Luther initially wanted to encourage debate at the university. However, his ideas were translated into German and spread around Germany thanks to the printing press, and they turned into a full-scale attack on the authority of the Pope. Luther’s theses include that the Pope could not forgive sins and indulgences do not save people from punishment for their sins.
The Pope then sent Luther a papal bull, threatening him with excommunication. Excommunication is expulsion from the Catholic Church and being unable to receive the sacraments. Luther publicly burned the papal bull and was excommunicated in 1521. 
The Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, called a meeting (diet) of his German princes at Worms in 1521. Luther was given safe passage there to discuss his beliefs, but he refused to change his mind. After the Diet of Worms, Charles issued the Edict of Worms and this made Luther an outlaw. Luther’s supporters protested against this and after became known as Protestants. Luther was to be arrested for heresy. Prince Frederick of Saxony arranged a fake kidnapping of Luther and hid him in Wartburg Castle for a year. While hiding there, Luther translated the Bible into German so that more people could read the Bible for themselves.
Luther preached until his death in 1546. His beliefs spread rapidly and had huge consequences for Germany and Europe. Many princes rejected Charles V’s decision at Worms and wanted to follow Luther’s teachings. This led to civil war after his death until the Peace of Augsburg in 1555 when it was agreed that each ruler would choose the religion in their own state. The Reformation spread throughout Europe. Eventually, the CC had to bring in reforms to address many of the problems Luther raised and this was called the Counter-Reformation.

Spread:
* 1531: Ulrich Zwingli launches the Reformation in Switzerland
* 1534: Henry VIII established the Church of England as separate from the CC, with himself as head
* 1541: John Calvin was invited to Geneva, Switzerland, to set up his version of Protestantism called Presbyterianism. Calvin believed in predestination, which is the belief that God decided before a person was born whether they would go to heaven. His religion was strict and banned statues in churches, dancing, gambling, fancy clothes and anything else he thought might lead people into sin. 
* 1572: John Knox introduced Presbyterianism to Scotland.

Transcript for:Overview of the Reformation Period

Transcript for:
Overview of the Reformation Period