1.2.Ideas & the Human Experience Unit 1 WH3219 October 2016 Part 3

C. The Protestant Reformation By the 1530s, Western Christendom would be split between the Catholics and the Protestants Western Civilization would be changed forever What events led to this remarkable change? Enter Martin Luther

Martin Luther German monk & theology professor at the University of Wittenburg Catholic teaching had stressed that salvation is acquired through both faith & good works such as fasting & prayer Remember the 7 Sacraments?

Luther’s Beliefs Justification By Faith: humans are not saved through their good works but through their faith in God (one of the chief teachings of the Protestant Reformation) The Bible was the only guide to salvation Emphasized the role of the individual. Every believer was to be their own priest and interpret the Bible themselves.

Luther & Indulgences The main issue that sparked the Reformation was the selling of indulgences Indulgences - certificates issued by the Church that were said to reduce or even cancel punishment for a person‘s sin They were a method used by the Church to raise funds to pay its huge & enormous costs Pope Leo X sold church positions & indulgences

Luther & Indulgences They were first issued during the Crusades when the pope agreed to cancel penalties for any sins a crusader committed Over time, people purchased indulgences, believing it insured them a spot in heaven Could also buy indulgences for salvation of their dead relatives

The Sale of Indulgences On a pole, in the form of a cross, hangs the Papal authorization for the sale; on the ground lie scales; two sacks of coins show the profit.

John Tetzel: Selling Indulgences In 1517, John Tetzel, Church's agent for selling indulgences in N. Germany, was collecting money to help the pope build St. Peter’s Church in Rome He promised peasants that indulgences would relieve them of guilt for future sins "Once you hear the money's ring, the soul from purgatory is free to spring.“

Indulgence Certificate Translation: By the authority of all the saints, and in mercy towards you, I absolve you from all sins and misdeeds and remit all punishments for ten days. (indulgence as sold by John Tetzel.)

Luther’s Protest October 31, 1517: Luther criticized the sale of indulgences & the Catholic Church by nailing his 95 Theses on door of Wittenberg Church He became the enemy of the Pope & the Catholic leadership in Rome Luther also published essays questioning many other Church practices / beliefs while advocating justification by faith

Luther & the printing press Luther benefited from the Printing Press A single pamphlet would be carried from town to town &, duplicated by the thousands Within months, the 95 Thesis had spread across all Europe All of Luther’s subsequent works were disseminated in the same manner.

Reaction to Luther In January 1521, Luther was excommunicated He was later summoned to appear at the Diet of Worms (Germany) by Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V in an attempt to get Luther to take back criticisms & bring him back into the Catholic Church Luther refuses; condemned as a heretic Went into hiding; translated Bible into German

The Significance of the Protestant Reformation What is the significance of this event on the development of Western civilization and the Scientific Revolution? It effectively ended the dominance of the Catholic Church in Western Europe & saw the beginning of new branches of Christianity such as Lutheranism and Anglicanism The Reformation challenged the authority of the Roman Catholic Church and hence accepted beliefs. This made it possible for academics and scientific thinkers to advance ideas which might have seen them punished tortured or killed at an earlier date. Protestants were much more open to new scientific ideas because of the idea that God revealed himself in both the Bible and in nature. So nature should be studied because it helped to better understand God.