The Reformation of Christianity

Reformers Call for Change During the late Renaissance people complained about the Catholic Church. They asked leaders to end corruption (actions that are wrong or dishonest) and focus on religion Reformation= Reform movement against the Roman Catholic Church

Unpopular Church Practices Priests and Bishops not religious anymore Church grown too rich. They are one of the riches institutions that did not have to pay tax. Pope is to involved with politics, abandoning his duties People didn’t like the way the church earned money through indulgences.

Indulgences Sale of indulgences = paying the church to be excused from sins Originally an indulgence could be gained only by performing works of charity. – Fasting – Giving money to the poor – Pilgrimage to the holy land

Martin Luther In Oct. 31, 1517 Martin Luther calls for a reform He nailed a list of complaints to the door of the churches called the 95 Theses Due to the printing press copies spread quickly and angered many Catholics

Martin Luther is Excommunicated Pope Leo X (formally Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici) excommunicates Luther. Germany’s ruler, the Holy Roman Emperor, called Luther an outlaw & ordered him to leave the Empire

The Church Splits His ideas lead to a split in the church. Those who protested against the Roman Catholic Church are called Protestants The Protestants who specifically followed Luther’s teachings were called Lutherans

Luther’s Teachings Anyone can have a direct relationship with God. You do not need a priest to talk to God. Follow what the Bible says not priests or pope Translated the Bible into German, which allowed others to read it. Clergy shouldn’t interfere with politics. The church should not sell indulgences. These teachings challenged the traditional structure & power of the church

Other Reformers William Tyndale = Englishman who thought everyone should be able to read & interpret the Bible. When he had the Bible translated into English, the church had him executed. John Calvin = Believe it is important to live a good life & obey God’s laws. Developed Calvinists Henry VIII= Asked pope to divorce his wife. The Pope said NO!!! In 1534 he declared himself head of a new church. The Anglican Church

The Counter Reformation Protestantism spread in the late 1500’s and early 1600’s Catholic leaders tried to stop the spread and reformed the Catholic Church from within, this was known as the Counter Reformation

Catholic Reforms At the Council of Trent Catholic leaders got together to make reforms. They restated the importance of the clergy in interpreting the Bible, but gave new rules to follow.

The Changes of the Church 1.Bishops had to live in areas they oversaw 2.They rejected the protestant teachings 3.Picked books that were too “Dangerous” for people to read, if caught they would be excommunicated 4.The selling of indulgences was banned

Social Changes Before people had to follow the teachings of Priests with no say, which began to change. People began to question information based on someone else’s authority. This desire to investigate led people to turn to science.

Political Impact The Reformation created a division within Europe, which led to political conflicts. Wars broke out in France (which led to the Edict to Nates = gave political freedom in France from Henry VI 30 yr war broke out The Treaty of Westphalia 1648 which allowed rulers to choose Catholic or Protestant. And made Germany an independent state from the H.R.E.