1. Why do we Study Religion when we study History? Historically there is a gray area between the power of kings (Politics) and the power of the Church (Religion) Many of the great and powerful men from the past were both members of the King’s government and members of the church So when you study history you must study religion because both politics and religion are inexplicably linked

2. The Power of the Church During the Middle Ages the power of the Church was immense In fact, the most powerful person in all of Europe was not a king, queen, emperor, or empress – It was the Pope! So where did that power come from?

3. Power and Wealth Much of the Catholic’s church’s power was based upon the wealth that it possessed Wealth = Power With everyone in Europe paying 1/10 of their income to the Church (the Tithe) it is not surprising that they were so wealthy In addition, the Church was the largest landholder in all of Europe Land = Money = Power

4. The Power of Education When kings were looking for educated people to fill important posts in their government they often looked to clergy members Hence, a lot of the most powerful men in the king’s government were also powerful men in the Church

5. The Importance of Religion amongst the People The power of the church was also based on its massive followership Most Europeans were devout and attended Church It was expected of you

6. The Church and Fear Those people who did not attend Church were viewed with suspicion It was not in your best interests to be labeled a heretic or infidel Frequently such people were persecuted terribly

7. The decline of the Catholic Church In the late Middle Ages, however, the power of the Catholic Church and the Pope declined The Protestant Reformation led to the creation of new churches that were separate and apart from the Catholic Church The Reformation created many Protestant alternatives to the Roman Catholic Church Suddenly the Roman Catholic church was no longer the “One and only church” Not everyone paid the tithe to the Church Not everyone was obedient to the pope anymore The Pope was no longer the most powerful man in the land

8. The Protestants: New Kids on the Block So who were these New Kids on the Block (Protestants) They were still Christians Still believed in God, they still believed in Jesus and they still believed in the bible, but did not see the Pope as their religious leader Believed churches and church services should be plain and simple Believed that the bible was the word of God and did not believe the Pope or the clergy were worthy Christian authorities

9. A Whole lot of Christians CatholicsProtestants Anglicans Lutherans Presbyterians, Anabaptists, Methodists, Puritans

10. Strength in Numbers? Not really Protestants were not united except in their opposition and hatred toward the Catholic Church They hated the Catholics the most, but often they didn’t like one another either

11. England: A Different Kind of Protestant In England the Protestant Movement developed differently In Europe, the protestant movement evolved because of dissatisfaction with the Roman Catholic Church So reformers like Martin Luther protested against the Catholic Church and demanded that it change When they wouldn’t, new and different Protestant Churches were created

12. That Crazy Man of History The Protestant Church came into being in England because of the amorous desires of one crazy man: King Henry VIII During his life time Henry acquired six wives, two of whom he had beheaded Henry VIII is one of the most intriguing figures in history He changed the world forever But how he changed the world had a lot to do with the wives he married and then disposed of

13. Catherine of Aragon Henry’s first wife was a Spanish princess: Catherine of Aragon Catherine was the prized daughter of the most powerful monarch in the world the time, Spanish King Ferdinand II Catherine produced a daughter, Mary, but was not able to produce what Henry wanted the most: a son

14. The Bewitchment Henry became very much enamored of a beautiful young woman: Anne Boleyn Henry, very much wanting a son, requested that the Church give him a divorce from Catherine

15. The Church says no! Getting a divorce in the 16 th century was not easy Catherine was the daughter of the Spanish King, the most powerful monarch in Europe Pope Clement VII, fearing the wrath of the Spanish, refused Henry’s request

16. Fine, I will create my own Church! The pope’s refusal to grant Henry a divorce made him resort to extreme measures Since the Church would not grant him a divorce, Henry decided to create his own Protestant Church He created the Church of England or the Anglican Church Instead of the pope being the head of this church, Henry would be

17. A Footnote Henry’s infatuation with Anne would eventually end Anne produced a daughter (Elizabeth) but no son Anne was executed for witchcraft on May 19, 1536 Shortly afterwards, Henry would marry Jane Seymour, the only woman to produce a son for him (Edward)

18. Different Church, Same practices Although Henry had created a Protestant Church, in practice it remained much the same as the Catholic Church The only difference really was who was the head of it: instead of the Pope it was now the king of England Unlike the new plain and simple Protestant Churches, the Church of England still had richly decorated churches and complicated services Even today, Catholic and Anglican Churches are very similar

19. The True Protestant Movement in England While Henry created a Catholic-like Protestant Church, there was a more traditional Protestant movement in England This protestant faith was very similar to the one created by Luther in Europe There were many different Protestant denominations of this type, but the most powerful were the …..

20. The Puritans Hated the Catholic Church with a passion Since Anglican Church was very “catholic” they hated them as well Plain and simple churches

21. Puritan Beliefs and Lifestyle Their lifestyle was quite somber Wore dark clothing Led dull, sober lives Disapproved of drinking, gambling, dancing, theater and even Christmas (Saturnalia) Believed that people needed to devote every waking moment of their life to prayer Believed that stern laws were needed to prevent people from straying into sin Believe it or not, Puritanism was very popular among the Middle Class during this period

22. Stuart Kings versus Puritans The Stuart Kings hated the Puritans and vice-versa King James vowed to “harry them out of the land” Many became pilgrims and immigrated to the Americas i.e. the Mayflower, Plymouth Rock These Pilgrim/Puritans would get back at the English in a big way by sparking the American Revolution

23. The Puritans: A Force to be Reckoned with In spite of the persecution, however, many Puritans would choose to stay They were heavily represented in the middle class dominated House of Commons of Parliament

24. Puritans: A force to be reckoned with Puritans would become the key opponents of the king during the English Civil War The Puritan led Parliament would win the English Civil War The Puritans would have King Charles I’s head