1. AP EURO Unit #1 – Renaissance and Reformation Lesson #5 German Reformation (Early Reformation)

2. Essential Questions Why did Luther challenge the Church?
What changes did Luther suggest?
What level of success did Luther have?

3. The Church (1500s) Europeans remained religious and pious
Many started questioning the Church leadership
ANTI-CLERICALISM
PLURALISM
ABSENTEEISM
clerical immorality and ignorance
Some called for a reform of the Church doctrine

4. Clerical Immorality Bishops were way too involved with politics
Priests were drunkards, womanizers, gamblers and solicited prostitutes
Paid no taxes
Paid no duties for land
Some were illiterate in Latin
PLURALISM – holding (paid for) two jobs
ABSENTEEISM – paid, but not there
SIMONY – selling religious privilege (or offices)

5. Questions to Ponder What should the Church do?
If they openly work on these issues, what did they just admit?
If they do that, what will happen?
If they do nothing, what will happen?

6. Reaction: Some called for change Some called for a major overhaul
Some called for a new type of Christianity
Gave birth to the PROTESTANT movement
Started the REFORMation era

7. Martin Luther Didn’t mean to start a movement
Started as a law student – caught in a storm
Swore his life to service to God – a Monk
Got a Doctorate in Scholasticism and Divinity
Became a Biblical expert
Decided to only trust the Bible for truth
Felt the Church was never able to relieve him from feeling of being a sinner…
The Church told him to go to confession, then communion, then he’d feel better
Finally, found Bible verses that taught him to surrender directly to God – not to a Church leader
He came to a realization… that no man could ever guide him to salvation (justification), it had to be given by God by a personal commitment (Bible)

8. Justification by Faith Alone
Luther found that writings outside scripture were contradictory
He found scripture taught that you are “saved” by simply choosing to believe that Jesus died to take your sin for you
He said you needed nothing more to be “saved”
He called this belief: JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE
Became and instructor and preacher
His students loved him
3m– teaching

9. Ninety Five Theses In the mean time…
St. Peters (Rome) needed rebuilding
Michelangelo and Raphael helped
Albert of Mainz volunteered to raise $$
Selling of indulgences
Hired expert salesman: Johanne Tetzel
Luther wrote to Albert of Mainz (1517)
His issue: Indulgences undermined the seriousness of penance and piety
Oct (1517) – became locked in lore
Wrote 95 arguments against sale of indulgences (KNOWN AS THE 95 THESES)
Nailed to the door of Wittenberg Cathedral
Johanne Tetzel – 3m

10. Location and Technology
Two issues made Luther’s argument a real movement
Printing Press
Politics in the Empire in a state of flux
A new emperor needed to be “elected”
Luther became and overnight sensation
Debated with Dr. Johanne Eck (1519)
Charles V had (Charles I of Spain) had just become HRE (purchased position)
Electors resented his power
Electors saw Luther as their key to challenging authority
Luther - Trailer
Charles V

11. Diet of Worms Young (new) Charles V –
schemed to shut up Luther
Frederick of Saxony swore to protect Luther
Luther started writing books ideas
Will get him in BIG trouble…
Denied Papal Infallibility
Clergy not having special powers
Clergy need not be celibate
Reason always the same: not in the Bible
Summoned to Worms to recant
“I cannot and will not recant
Here I stand.
I can do no other”
Click – Diet of Worms

12. New ideas of Protestants:
You don’t need a priest to get your sins forgiven…
You don’t need a priest to take communion
Priesthood of all believers
Bread and wine do not transform at communion: CONSTUBSTANCIATION
ANABAPTISM ( a fringe idea)
Free Will (disputed by Calvin)

13. The Appeal of Protestant Ideas
How did all this appeal to Humanists?
How did all this appeal to politicians?
FREDERICK OF SAXONY
How will this appeal to peasants?
leads to Peasant’s Rebellion
Luther rap

14. This was not overnight… it was a SLOW Break
1517 – Ninety Five Theses
1519 – Public debate with John Eck
1520 – faith alone, priesthood of all believers
Pope told Luther to recant 41 of the 95
“Papal Bull” – threat of excommunication
Loyal Catholics then started burning Luther’s books
Luther publically burned Catholic books, and the bull
Diet of Worms
meeting (Diet) for force Luther to recant
Luther refused (“here I stand… I can do no other”
Frederick the Wise (Elector of Saxony) – captured Luther
Luther translated the Bible into “vernacular”
1524 – 1525 – Peasant’s Rebellion (significance!)
1531 – HRE Charles V attacked Lutheran towns
Lutherans formed Schmalkalden League
1555 – Peace of Augsburg
This was not overnight… it was a SLOW Break

15. Why was Luther successful?
Preoccupation of Charles V with foreign wars
Support of folks like Frederick of Saxony
Perceived corruption in the Church
Influence of the Fuggers (lenders)
Distant and “cold” relationship of common man and Church
Disgust with the Church officials and laws
Impact of new technology, and of new ideas
Impact of previous new ideas

16. Why Was Luther Successful?
Political/Military German Princes (Frederick of Saxony) Anti-Italian feelings (invasion of Italy) Wars of Charles V Schmalkalden League
Economic/Social
church land &
Church taxes
peasant unrest
indulgences
Cultural/Intellectual
printing press
use of vernacular
Church scandals
Christian Humanists
Luther the man: courage & conviction