The Protestant Reformation
The Break Up of theWestern Church
Reformation
• Reform- change
› time of religious change
• What was the Protestant Reformation?
- A change that divided the Western Church into Catholic and Protestant Groups
Reasons for Change• Christian Humanism
- belief in the ability of human beings to reason and improve themselves
- Desiderius Erasmus“The Philosophy of Christ”
Reasons for Change cont…
• What else caused this change?- Renaissance Popes failed to
meet the spiritual needs of those involved within the church
• People wanted to ensure their salvation
• Selling of indulgences
Martin Luther
• Objected to the selling of indulgences
• Wrote Ninety Five Theses- attacked those abusing this
practice• Kept two sacraments
- baptism- communion
Martin Luther cont…
• Cast out of the church, 1521• Edict of Worms
- Emperor Charles V- outlawed from Holy Roman
Empire and burned his works
Martin Luther cont...
• Lutheranism- set up services to replace Catholic Mass- Read the Bible- Preached God’s word- Songs (hymns)
Germany
• The Peace of Augsburg- agreement accepting the
division of Christianity- division accepted in Europe
Switzerland
• Ulrich Zwingli- Zurich, Switzerland- Removed paintings &
decorations from the church leaving the walls bare
- held new services- replaced mass with scripture
reading, prayer, and sermons
Zwingli
John Calvin
• Wrote Institutes of Christian Religion- 1536
• Emphasis on predestination• Established Geneva
- community- led by church government- powerful center for
Protestantism• Calvinism
Calvin
England
• Accepted split in the Catholic Church of England in 1534
• New Church of England- Anglican Church- Anglicanism
Anabaptist Movement
• Group of Adult Believers- baptism of adults vs. infants
• Believed in complete separation of church and state
Women’s Role
• Male was to remain head of household
• Obedience to husband• Bear Children• Raise Family and maintain household• Little change from Renaissance Era
Catholic Resurgence
• Three Main Groups emerge- Jesuits- Papacy- Council of Trent
• Forbid the selling of indulgences• Upheld belief in purgatory• Renewed confidence in beliefs