The Protestant Reformation Chapter 13 Section 3

Corrupt Church Popes were living a rich and luxurious lifestyle Popes were also hiring painters and sculptors to beautify churches To finance these projects, the Church increased fees for marriages and baptisms

Need More $$$ The Church still needed more money Decided to sell indulgences

Indulgences Were believed to lessen the time a person’s soul would have to spend in purgatory They used to only be granted for good deeds, such as fighting in the Crusades

Martin Luther 1517 Did not approve of the sale of indulgences

Not this Martin Luther Just so there is no confusion….

Luther’s Protest Sold indulgences to anyone who In 1517, Johann Tetzel set up a pulpit on the outskirts of Wittenburg Sold indulgences to anyone who Contributed money towards the rebuilding of St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome

Tetzel’s Indulgences Tetzel made big claims about his indulgences He claimed that the purchase of these indulgences would assume entry into heaven not only for the purchasers but for their dead relatives as well. “Don’t you hear the voices of your dead parents and other relatives crying out?”

95 Theses Written by Luther Posted it on Church door

95 Theses He argued that indulgences had no basis in the Bible, that the Pope had no authority to release souls from purgatory, and that Christians could be saved only through faith

Luther vs. The Church Almost overnight, copies of the 95 Theses were printed and distributed across Europe The Church wanted Luther to recant or give up his views

Luther Refuses Luther would refuse and began urging Christians to reject the authority of Rome Luther would be excommunicated by 1521

Diet of Worms Ordered to attend by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V Luther went expecting to defend his writings, but the emperor simply ordered him to give them up

Luther is Found Guilty Luther was declared an outlaw, making it a crime for anyone in the empire to give him food or shelter Luther had powerful supporters and hid out in castles Remained in hiding for nearly a year and thousands saw him as a hero

Luther’s Teachings Rejected the Church doctrine that good deeds were necessary for salvation Upheld the Bible as the sole source of religious truth Rejected the idea that priests and the Church hierarchy had special powers

Teachings Continued… Rejected five of the seven sacraments because the Bible did not mention them Banned indulgences, confession, pilgrimages, and prayers to saints Simplified the ritual of mass and instead emphasized the sermon

A Few More… Permitted clergy to marry These became the foundation of the Lutheran Church

Spread of Lutheran Ideas Followers of Luther were called Protestants Those who “protested” papal authority

Who Supported Him? Many clergy saw Luther’s reforms as the answer to Church corruption Others supported him on the basis of national loyalty, they were tired of German money going to support churches and clergy in Italy

Peace of Augsburg Signed in 1555, allowed each prince to decide which religion, Catholic, or Lutheran, would be followed in his lands. Most northern German states chose Lutheranism, the south remained largely Catholic

Calvinism In 1541, Protestants in Geneva asked Calvin to lead their community

Calvin Believed salvation was through faith alone Preached predestination the idea that God had long ago determined who would gain salvation Calvinists believed the world was divided into two kinds of people, saints and sinners

Calvin’s Government He set up a theocracy government run by church leaders Saw themselves as the “chosen people”

Lifestyle Citizens faced fines or other harsher punishments for offenses such as fighting, swearing, laughing in church, or dancing Believed in religious education for both boys and girls Women should read the Bible in private, allowed them to sing in church

Spread of Calvinism Germany, France, Netherlands, England, and Scotland Faced opposition from Catholics and Lutherans Wars raged between French Calvinsits, called Hugenots, and Catholics

Field Preachers To avoid persecution, “field preachers” gave sermons in the countryside, away from the eyes of town authorities John Knox, a Calvinist preacher in Scotland led a religious rebellion Scottish Protestants overthrew the Catholic queen and set up Scottish Presbyterian Church