Reformation

John Wycliffe

• England• Felt everyone should have access to the Word

of God• Produced first Bible in English language• Taught that once a part of the Body of Christ,

no one could take that away.

John Huss

• Bohemia• Spoke out against the papacy and corruption

of the Roman Church

Martin Luther

• Germany• Became angry when indulgences were being

sold in his church• Wrote the Ninety-five Theses to argue the

indulgences• Realized that salvation is a gift from God that

cannot be earned

Katharina Bora

• Roman Church threatened to excommunicate him (dismiss him from the church)

• Translated the Bible into German

Ulrich Zwingli

• Switzerland• Wrote Sixty-Seven conclusions that rejected

the Roman Catholic doctrines

Anabaptists

• Rejected infant baptism. • Anabaptist (those who baptize again)• Among the first to support separation of

church and state

John Calvin

• France• Wrote Institutes of the Christian Religion– A defense of the Protestant movement to the King

of France• He is associated with predestination – God’s

deciding one’s destiny before birth

Common Doctrines between all the above men

1. Scripture Alone – Scripture is the only authority on anything it speaks of

2. Faith Alone – salvation cannot be earned, but is a gift received by faith

3. Priesthood of the Believer – Each believer has direct access to the saving benefits of Christ without the need of priests or sacraments

Results of the Reformation

1. Religious Freedom – people sought the right to worship according to one’s own conscience no matter where one lived.

2. Citizenship – encouraged Christians to work hard at their occupation

3. Family Life – knew families were a gift from God

4. Education – placed a high priority on teaching everyone to read and to diligently study

What did the Roman Church do in Reaction?

• It was called the Counter Reformation and consisted of 4 parts:

1. Society of Jesus – called Jesuits– Founded to stop the spread of the Reformation– Used any means necessary to gain converts for

Rome2. Inquisition – assumed anyone accused of

heresy was guilty3. Index of Prohibited Books – most versions of

the Bible and Protestant literature

4. Council of Trent – meeting of high officials to make changes in the Roman Church– Wrote a statement of Roman Catholic beliefs and

practices– First written statement that contained all Catholic

doctrines

Religious Wars

• France– French Protestants (called Huguenots) – 20,000 Huguenots were massacred in their homes

in 1572• Europe– Thirty Years’ War– Between Catholic and Protestant forces– Protestants won