1. The Reformation
While the Renaissance promoted the growth of a secular spirit in the civilization of Western Europe, religious concerns remained important to Europeans. Abuses in the Roman Catholic Church led to growing demands for reform and resulted ultimately in the emergence of the Protestant Reformation.
The Reformation destroyed religious unity of Western Europe, thereby ending what had been one of the central figures of Western Civilization during the Middle Ages.
The Reformation produced 4 major movements: Lutheranism, Calvinism, Anglicanism, and Anabaptists.

2. Causes of the Reformation

3. Crisis of the 14th and 15th centuries
Babylonian Captivity, 14th century
Great Schism
Conciliar Movement
Babylonian Captivity- when Pope Clement V took up residence in Avignon, a papal possession in southern France. A succession of French popes resided in Avignon for almost seventy years. During this period, the popes were subject to a substantial degree of control by the French Monarchy.
Great Schism- in 1377, Pope Gregory XI decided to move back to Rome. Following his death- cardinals elected an Italian Pope, Urban VI
A group of French cardinals declared that Urban VI election had taken place under duress and was invalid. They elected a Frenchman- Clement VII- he took up residence in Avignon – this began the Great Schism
Next 4 decades there were two popes – one in Rome and one in France
Council of Constance ended the Great Schism
Conciliar Movement- 14th 15 th cent council had say over pope

5. Corruption in the Catholic Church
Simony – Sale of Church offices
For example, in 1487 the pope sold 24 offices
Reformers upset because unqualified people would become bishops or cardinals
Pluralism- an official holding more than one office at a time
Absenteeism- an official not participating, but receiving payment and privileges

6. Collecting the Tithe (a tithe barn)
1/10 of annual produce or earnings taken as a tax for support of the church and clergy

10. Sale of Indulgences
People paying money to the Church to absolve their sins or sins of their loved ones
*Johann Tetzel reading and discussion*

13. Corruption in the Catholic Church
Nepotism
Favoring family members in the appointment of Church offices
Two popes (Leo X and Clement VII) were sons of Florentine Medici rulers
Pope Paul III made two of his grandsons cardinals
Moral decline of the papacy
Clerical ignorance
Many priests were virtually illiterate
Moral Decline- Pope Alexander VI ( ) had numerous affairs and children out of wedlock
20% of all priests in the diocese of Trent kept concubines during the early 16th century
Some priests abused their power such as trading sexual favors for the absolution of sins during confession

14. Critics of the Church
All, for the most part, emphasized a personal relationship with God as primary

15. Early Critics- John Wyclif (1329-1384)
England
Stated that the Bible was the sole authority
Foreshadowed Luther’s views
Stressed personal communion with God
Diminished the importance of sacraments
Translated the Bible into English
Followers known as Lollards, many from the lower classes
Church suppressed the movement

16. Early Critics- John (Jan) Hus (1369-1415)
Czech, Bohemia
Ideas similar to Wycliffe
Represented both a religious and national revolt
Hussites
Appeared before Council of Constance to respond to charges of heresy
Burned at the stake for his views

17. Early Critics- Erasmus
In Praise of Folly (1509)
Criticized the corruption in the church and the hypocrisy of the clergy
Inspired Martin Luther
“laid the egg that Luther hatched”

18. Impact of Renaissance Humanism
Christian humanists of the Northern Renaissance criticized the church and questions validity of the Latin Catholic Bible
Italian Renaissance a time marked by de-emphasis on religion while emphasizing individualism and secularism among high Church leaders
Criticism of those who opposed the moral decline of the Church
Textual Criticism and new translations of the Bible undermined Catholic authority
LeFevre in France
Erasmus in much of Europe
Ximenes in Spain

19. Martin Luther ( )

20. Martin Luther Born in Saxony in central Germany
Originally planned to become a lawyer, but experienced a religious conversion and became and Augustinian Monk in 1505.
Great fear and respect for figures of authority– decision to be a monk
Devoted himself with intensity
In 1508, became a teacher of theology at the university at Wittenberg in Saxony.

21. 95 Theses- Oct 31, 1517
Luther criticized the selling of indulgences but went further than others before him by questioning the scriptural authority of the pope to grant indulgences
The printing press facilitated the spread of Luther’s work with astonishing speed
Excerpt from Luther
Whether Luther actually nailed his 95 Theses to the Wittenberg church door, or sent them to his resident bishop instead, is a matter of historical dispute

22. Challenges Church Authority
In 1518, Luther defied the Pope by refusing to stop his crusade
Debated with Johann Eck- one of the great Catholic theologians- at Leipzig in 1519.
Luther denied the infallibility of the pope and the infallibility of the general council
He claimed the Church had erred when it executed John Hus for heresy
Point of no return for Luther
Pope Leo X issued a bull (1520) excommunicating Luther- he burned it
Initially, the pope viewed the issue of Luther’s 95 Theses as an insignificant disagreement between Augustinian and Dominican monks – theological debates among clergy members was not unprecedented
In Leipzig- Luther acknowledged that his views were similar to those of John Hus – executed – rejected the authority of the Church’s hierarchy

23. Luther’s Theology of Reform
Salvation could be achieved through faith alone- Rejected “good works” as the means
Bible was the sole authority
Only two sacraments- baptism and communion- were valid
Church consisted of a “priesthood of all believers” not a hierarchical structure
Criticized sale of indulgence and simony
Encouraged German princes to reform the Church in their states
Rejected Catholic monastic tenets of poverty, chastity and obedience
c) Rejected transubstantiation – wine and bread in the Eucharist transform into the actual blood and body of Christ
d) Christians were not subject to the pope’s interpretation of the Bible
The Bible contained all that was needed for a person to lead a Christian life- a church hierarchy of bishops and priests was unnecessary

24. Diet of Worms (1521)
Tribunal of the Holy Roman Empire with power to outlaw and sentence execution through stake-burning
Charles V not allow anyone in his empire to be excommunicated unless a fair trial
Charles demanded that Luther recant his writings
Luther refused
“Here I stand, I can do no other”
Clip from Luther

25. Edict of Worms Luther is outlawed as a heretic by the HRE
Luther is kidnapped by agents of Frederick III (Frederick the Wise) of Saxony and taken to his castle where he is protected and continued to write
1523- Luther translated the Bible into the vernacular, profoundly influencing the development of the modern German Language
Democratize religion
Frederick faked an attack on Luther to kidnap him

26. Political Battle over Lutheranism in Germany
Many German states in the north tuned to Lutheranism
Many German princes were politically motivated
Could now escape the authority of the Catholic Church
Confiscated Church lands for their benefit
The southern part of Germany largely remained Catholic
Denmark and Sweden became Lutheran states as well

28. Emperor Charles V
Tried to maintain religious unity and sought to stop Protestantism to preserve Catholic
But he was distracted (Ottomans and French) so could not do much about it

29. Peasants’ War – German Peasants’ Revolt (1524-1525)
Twelve Articles
Peasants demanded an end of serfdom and tithes, and other practices of feudalism that oppressed the peasantry (hunting rights etc)
Many of the peasants inspired by Luther
Ironically, Luther’s views on the peasant movement conservative
Believed people should obey their political authorities
He was disgusted by the violence of the peasant movement
As many as 100,000 peasants died during the uprising
Both Catholic and Lutheran forces took part in squashing the revolt

30. Peace of Augsburg (1555)
Temporarily ended the struggle in Germany over Lutheranism
Princes in Germany could choose either Protestantism or Catholicism
“whose the region, his the religion”
If you were of the other religion, could move
Resulted in a permanent religious division in Germany
This division stunted German nationalism- Germany not a unified state until 1871