The 500th Anniversary of the Reformation Martin Luther John Calvin Ulrich Zwingli The 500th Anniversary of the Reformation Session 2: Preaching the Reformation Herr Reverend Professor Doctor Dean Edward Roslof St. Alban’s Episcopal Church Washington, DC
Recap: European Christianity on the Brink Christianity in Western Europe at the beginning of the 16th century was faith practiced by the living on behalf of the dead.
Recap: European Christianity on the Brink Christians were responsible for their dead kin: Faith part of social scorekeeping. Dead still your kin. You needed to care for them or they would haunt you Common dead (not Saints) waited for the Last Judgment. Mortal remains in communal graves, souls purged in Purgatory for unforgiven sins. Christians expected to help deceased kin. Bought masses and indulgences to take time off their sentences in Purgatory.
Catholic Christianity in 1500 AD
Turning Points in Luther’s Life Thunderstorm (1505) 2. Journey to Rome (1511)
Turning Points in Luther’s Life Sent to Wittenberg (1511) 95 Theses (1517)
Indulgences: Key Points Sacrament of Penance Contrition Confession Satisfaction Absolution Treasure of Merit Papal Indulgence
A clip from “Luther” (2003) Cast: Girolamo Aleander Cardinal Thomas Cajetan Pope Leo X (aka, Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici) John Tetzel Hanna Martin Luther Albert Archbishop of Mainz
Reformation’s Five Solae Sola fide Sola gratia Sola scriptura Solo Christo Soli Deo gloria
Reformation’s Five Solae Sola fide (by faith alone) Sola gratia (by grace alone) Sola scriptura (by Scripture alone) Solo Christo (through Christ alone) Soli Deo gloria (glory to God alone)
Luther’s sola fide and sola gratia: Influence of Augustine of Hippo Augustine’s theology Original Sin (Luther accepted) Two Cities (Luther modified) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBAxUBeVfsk
Luther’s sola scriptura The influence of the Renaissance Ad fontes (to the sources)
Watch “Crash Course World History: The Renaissance” https://www
Luther’s Evangelical Christianity: Simple, Personal Sola fide Catholics: both faith and good deeds needed for salvation. Luther on reading Romans 1:17 (“The righteous shall live by faith.”): “I felt as if I had been born again and had entered Paradise through wide-open gates.” Sola Scriptura Catholics: God reveals will to humans through Bible, councils, papal pronouncements. Luther: only the Bible is divinely inspired. Priesthood of all believers Catholics: priests have special spiritual powers from Apostles, in sacraments Luther: all Christians have direct access to God through prayer. “Priests” are men called to care for spiritual needs of parishioners full time Papal usurpation. Catholics: Pope is Vicar of Christ on earth. Luther: Popes had illegally seized position as head of Christianity. They were not even good priests. They were the Antichrist. 5. Sacraments Catholics: baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, marriage, ordination, penance, unction Luther: Eucharist and baptism
Next Week: Responses to Preaching the Reformation Radical Catholic