the protestant reformation - mr. nash's history site · • the protestant reformation...

The Protestant Reformation •  The16thcenturyProtestantReformationwasareligious,political,intellectualandculturalmovementthatsetthestageforthemodernstateofEurope.•  TheReformationrepresentedthewishtorediscoverasimplerandmoreauthenticversionofChristianlife.

The (Protestant) Reformation

•  InnorthernandcentralEurope,alargenumberofreformerslikeJohnHus,JohnWycliffe,MartinLuther,JohnCalvinandHenryVIIIchallengedpapalauthorityandquestionedtheCatholicChurch’sabilitytodefineChristianpractice.•  TheProtestantReformationcenteredonreligiousandpoliticalredistributionofpowerintothehandsofBible-andpamphlet-readingpastorsandprinces.•  Thedisruptiontriggeredwars,persecutionsandtheso-calledCounter-Reformation,theCatholicChurch’sdelayedbutforcefulresponsetotheProtestants.

Martin Luther

BorninGermanyin1483,MartinLutherbecameoneofthemostinfluentialfiguresinChristianhistorywhenheacceleratedtheProtestantReformationinthe16thcenturywiththehelpofJohannGutenberg’sinventionoftheprintingpress.HecalledintoquestionsomeofthebasictenetsofRomanCatholicism,andhisfollowerssoonsplitfromtheRomanCatholicChurchtobegintheProtestanttradition.

Johann Gutenberg

•  JohannesGensfleischzurLadenzumGutenbergwasaGermanblacksmith,goldsmith,printer,andpublisherwhointroducedprintingtoEurope.• Gutenberg’sprintingpressrevolutionizedthecreationofbooksandhelpedmakethemaffordable,usheringinaneweraofaffordablebooksandliterature.

Johann Gutenberg

•  ThemostinfluentialbookpublishedbyGutenbergwastheGutenbergBiblein1455.• HisprintingpresseswerelaterusedtomassproduceBibles–helpingtospreadthemostinfluentialbookoftheera.•  TheCatholicGutenbergBibleisacclaimedforitshighqualityofdesignandquality.

Johann Gutenberg

• ChurchindulgenceswerethefirstthingGutenbergprinted.•  TheprintingpresswasalsousedasapowerfulweaponintheReformation.• MartinLutherhadhis95Thesesprintedandcirculatedwidely.

Martin Luther

• MartinLutherwasborn1483,inEisleben,Saxony,inmodernsoutheastGermany.• Hisparents,HansandMargaretteLuther,wereofpeasantlinage,hisfatherwasaminerandoresmelter.•  In1501hereceivedaMasterofArtsdegree(ingrammar,logic,rhetoricandmetaphysics).Hewasonhiswaytobecomingalawyer.In1505,Lutherhadalife-changingexperienceinahorrificthunderstormwherehefearedforhislife,LuthercriedouttoSt.Anne,thepatronsaintofminers,“Saveme,St.Anne,andI’llbecomeamonk!”Thestormsubsidedandhewassaved.

Sowing Seeds of Rebellion

•  Thedecisiontobecomeamonkwasdifficultandgreatlydisappointedhisfather,buthefelthemustkeepapromise.•  LutherwasalsodrivenbyfearsofhellandGod’swrath,andfeltthatlifeinamonasterywouldhelphimfindsalvation.• Hedidnotfindthereligiousenlightenmenthewasseeking.• Atage27,hewasgiventheopportunitytobeadelegatetoachurchconferenceinRome.Hecameawaymoredisillusioned,andverydiscouragedbytheimmoralityandcorruptionhewitnessedthereamongtheCatholicpriests.

Martin Luther the Reformer is born

• UponhisreturntoGermany,heenrolledintheUniversityofWittenberginanattempttosuppresshisspiritualturmoil.Heexcelledinhisstudiesandreceivedadoctorate,becomingaprofessoroftheologyattheuniversity.•  Throughhisownstudiesofscripture,MartinLutherfinallygainedthereligiousenlightenmenthesought.•  Luthercametotheconclusionthat,itwasthroughfaithinJesusChrist,notworks,thatoneissaved.• Healsosoughttoseparatereasonfromrevelation.

The Pope’s Sale of Indulgences

•  In1517,PopeLeoXannouncedanewroundofindulgencestohelpbuildSt.Peter’sBasilica.• OnOctober31,1517,anangryMartinLuthernailedasheetofpaperwith95thesesontheuniversity’schapeldoor.•  Theylaidoutadevastatingcritiqueoftheindulgencesascorruptingpeople’sfaith.

95 Theses nailed to the Church at Wittenberg

• Aidedbytheprintingpress,copiesoftheNinety-FiveThesesspreadthroughoutGermanywithintwoweeksandthroughoutEuropewithintwomonths.•  InJanuary1521,MartinLutherwasofficiallyexcommunicatedfromtheRomanCatholicChurch.• OnMay8,1521,thecouncilreleasedtheEdictofWorms,banningLuther’swritingsanddeclaringhima“convictedheretic.”

Luther Translation of the Bible

• FriendshelpedhimhideoutattheWartburgCastle.• Whileinseclusion,hetranslatedtheNewTestamentintotheGermanlanguage,togiveordinarypeopletheopportunitytoreadGod’sword.

Literacy and the Reformation

•  TheessenceoftheProtestantReformationwasthatindividualsshouldreadtheBibleandstudy“theWord”forthemselves.Therefore,therewasanenormousemphasisonliteracy.• By1530,over10,000publicationsareknown,withatotaloftenmillioncopies.TheReformationwasthusamediarevolution.