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