From Disorder to Beauty and Hope:

1
Chapter 6

• From Disorder to Beauty and Hope
• The Road to the Renaissance
• 1300 1500 A.D.

2
Decline of Unity

• Church-State Conflicts
• 1302 A.D. Pope Boniface VIII issued Unam Sanctam
• Latin title meaning - one holy
• Stating that all rulers are subject to the pope
  and that it was necessary for salvation for all
  people to be subject to the pope
• Powerful statement of papal authority
• Prelude to the Avignon Papacy
• A.k.a. Great Western Schism

3
Avignon
4
Avignon Papacy

• Babylonian Captivity of the Papacy
• Period during which the pope resided in Avignon
  (France) in the kingdom of Naples
• Lasted from 1309 to 1377 A.D.
• Reference to the Jewish captivity in Babylon
• Key figure St. Catherine of Siena
• Responsible for convincing Pope Gregory XI to
  return to Rome

5
Popes and Anti-popes

• Nine of the sixteen cardinals that elected
  Gregory XI were French, causing anger among the
  Roman population
• Compromise election of Urban VI from Bari,
  Italy
• Problem did not agree with the cardinals that
  elected him, so they met in northern Italy to
  elect Roger of Geneva as the pope
• Mutual excommunication of Urban and Roger
• Urban (Rome) / Roger (Avignon)
• Secular leaders took sides ? the Western Schism

6
Great Western Schism

• Chaotic period in Church history lasting from
  1378 to 1417 A.D. during which two and then three
  rivals claimed papal authority
• Popes in 1414 A.D.
• Gregory XII in Rome
• Benedict XIII in Avignon
• John XXIII in Pisa

7
End of the Schism

• John XXIII forced to call a council in Constance,
  Italy
• Resignation of Gregory XII
• Exile of Benedict XIII
• Arrest of John XXIII
• Martin V elected as the true successor of St.
  Peter held office from 1417 to 1431 A.D.

8
Conciliarism

• Consiliarism
• Belief that Church councils have greater
  authority that the pope
• Council of Constance 1417 A.D.
• Hanc Sancta text
• Frequens text
• Question Who should have more authority, the
  pope as Vicar of Christ or councils?

9
Black Death

• Bubonic Plague a.k.a. Black Death
• Major epidemic that swept through Europe during
  the 14th century that killed an estimated 25
  million people
• Given the name Black Death because of the
  physical appearance of victims
• Symptoms include high fevers and aching limbs and
  vomiting of blood. Most characteristic is a
  swelling of the lymph nodes. These glands can be
  found in the neck, armpits and groin. The
  swelling protrudes and is easily visible its
  blackish coloring gives the disease its name the
  Black Death.

10
Black Death (cont)

• Characteristics
• The swellings continue to expand until they
  eventually burst, with death following soon
  after. The whole process, from first symptoms of
  fever and aches, to final expiration, lasts only
  three or four days. The swiftness of the disease,
  the terrible pain, the grotesque appearance of
  the victims, all served to make the plague
  especially terrifying
• Introduction and Spread
• Carried by rats aboard ships first in Genoa,
  Italy
• Quickly spread throughout the continent by
  travel, trade, and flies
• Major impact on all aspects of European life

11
Spread of the Black Death
12
Pictures of the Plague
London Coffins used to remove the dead from the
city
13
Historical Timing

• The middle 14th century was not a good time for
  Europe
• The plague itself was disastrous enough
• Major impact on population
• Depression and frustration also occurring
• Famines due to climate changes
• Avignon Papacy
• Hundred Years War
• The above factors contributed to and were worsen
  by the Plague

14
Impact on Religious Life

• The Plague did not spare religious men and women
• Reduction in the number and quality of local
  priests and monastic communities
• Priests received little or no training before
  exercising their ministry
• Less priests less access to the sacraments
• Large numbers of people left without consolation
• Lack of evangelization or teaching of the
  faithful
• Monasticism in England forever weakened
• Less monks led to monasteries falling into
  disrepair

15
Responses

• Search for scapegoats and miracle cures
• Various explanations were offered
• End of the world to enemies poisoning water
• Anti-Semitic theories
• People tried superstitious practices
• Witchcraft
• Religious rites and images as protection
• Related to the belief that the Plague was a
  punishment
• Focus on death and the afterlife
• Images of purgatory and Hell
• Desire of people to have Mass said for their
  souls
• Part of what would lead to the Protestant
  Reformation

16
Personal Testimony
17
Ever-Changing Geography

• Two major events would shape the future of
  Christianity during the 15th century
• Fall of Constantinople in the East
• End of the former Roman Empire
• Spread of Christianity in the West
• Beginnings of Christianity in the New World

18
Relations with the East

• 1439 Union of Florence
• A short-lived agreement between leaders of
  Eastern and Western Christianity on certain
  doctrines of faith
• Eastern delegates sent to seek help from the West
  because Muslim forces threatened Constantinople
• Agreed to accept papal supremacy
• Eastern delegates met opposition at home
• Mob attacked Hagia Sophia, forced delegates to
  negate the agreement
• 1453 Final Siege of Constantinople
• Moscow ? Third Rome

19
Western Opportunity and Chaos

• 15th century Spain was a major factor regarding
  modern Christianity
• 1469 Marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella
• Two Christian rulers with the goal of riding
  Spain of all non-Christians
• Being a Christian and a loyal citizen one in the
  same
• Ferdinand and Isabella
• Two of the most influential Christian monarchs

20
Spanish Inquisition

• 1478 Sixtus IV (24) begins the Spanish
  Inquisition
• The process in Spain for identifying and
  punishing non-Christians and those said to be
  heretics
• 1483 Tomas de Torquemada named Grand Inquisitor
  to correct abuses
• Responsible for torturing and burning over 2000
  Jews to force conversion
• Became one of the darkest periods in Church
  history
• Another cause of the Protestant Reformation

21
A Whole New WorldAt home and abroad

• 1492 Key Year
• Ferdinand and Isabella gained complete control of
  Spain from the Muslims
• Also expelled all Jews from Spain
• Conversos
• Jews and Muslims who converted to Christianity,
  either willingly or unwillingly following the
  Christian takeover of Spain
• Columbus sailed the Ocean Blue
• Christianity would soon emerge on a new stage

22
Renaissance

• Period from 1304 to 1576 A.D. time of renewal in
  Western Europe
• Renaissance term for rebirth or revival
• The humanistic revival of classical art,
  architecture, literature, and learning
• Focus on the human form in intellectual and
  artistic activity to demonstrate the importance
  of the human person in the world (creation)
• Return to classical Greek art styles
• Blend Christianity with the teachings of the
  Greek philosophy and culture
• Fostered an overall sense of human creativity and
  ingenuity

23
Renaissance Artists

• Two main figures of the Renaissance
• Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
• Artist, scientist, inventor, scholar
• Remembered as a true Renaissance Man
• Michelangelo (1475-1564)
• Poet, sculptor, painter
• La Pieta statue of Mary hold the crucified Jesus
• Sistine Chapel private papal chapel
• Tomb of Julius II elaborate sculpture

24
Michelangelos Work
La Pieta
Tomb of Julius II
Sistine Chapel
25
Renaissant Dissent

• The Renaissance encouraged people to analyze and
  evaluate their lives
• Led to the questioning of beliefs and structures
• Precursors to the Protestant Reformation
• John Wyclif (1324-1384)
• Argued that Scripture was more important than
  Tradition for Christian teaching
• Argued that Christ, alone, was head of the Church
• John Hus (1369-1415)
• Called for a return to Gospel poverty and
  simplicity
• Condemned at the Council of Constance executed
• Girolamo Savonarola (1452-1498)
• Fiery preacher who sought reform in Florence,
  Italy
• Criticized the pope for immorality
• Attacked, tortured, and burned as a heretic by an
  angry mob

26
Chapter 7

• Challenge and Response
• The Church in Disunity
• 1500 1600 A.D.

27
The Protestant Reformation

• Political and religious event beginning in 16th
  century
• Resulted in the division of Western Christianity
  into Catholic and Protestant faiths
• Total transformation of the political and
  religious landscape of Western Europe
• Major impact on Christianity in the modern era
• Begun with a debate over indulgences
• Initial intention reform the existing Church not
  create a number of different religions

28
Protestant Reformers

• The Protestant Reformation is so named because
  its members initially protested certain practices
  of the Church in an attempt to reform it from
  within
• Reformers saw themselves in the same light as
  previous reformers such as Benedict and Gregory
  the Great
• Once they felt that reform was unlikely, new
  churches were started with the attempt to return
  to a true Christianity as instituted by Christ
• By the middle of the 16th century the reformers
  differed about the movement and founded new
  Christianities with various beliefs

29
Causes of Reformation

• Extravagant lifestyle of Church leaders
• Secular and religious influence and power
• Buying and selling of Church offices
• Positions for sale rich families control
  appointments
• Poorly trained and uneducated lower clergy
• Effect of the Black Death
• Lack of systematic educational system
• Spirituality of Laypeople
• Flowing from the Renaissance, humanism sparked a
  desire for learning among the common people

30
Causes (cont)

• Nationalism
• Fade of the Holy Roman Empire
• City-states joining together regional then
  national identity
• Discovery of New Lands
• Opening of Europe to the outside world growing
  importance of the laity
• Invention of the Printing Press
• 1455 Johannes Gutenberg prints first book, the
  Bible
• More people access to the Scriptures in the
  vernacular
• Rise of the Middle Class and Social Unrest
• Taxation issues Peasants Revolt of 1525-26 A.D.

31
Beginnings

• Martin Luther is credited with beginning the
  Reformation, but he was reacting to practices
  that many felt needed to be addressed
• October 31, 1517 Wittenberg, Germany
• Fr. Martin Luther O.S.A sent a letter to
  Archbishop Albrecht outlining some issues with
  the current state of affairs in the Church
• Focusing on indulgences and the sacrament of
  Reconciliation
• Attempt was to stimulate debate not fracture the
  faith
• Luthers ideas became known as the 95 Theses
• Would become one of the most famous documents in
  world history

32
Martin Luther

• Augustinian priest and university professor
• Focus of study, Church Fathers and Scripture
• Influential and well-respected among peers
• Key doctrine
• Justification is through faith alone and the
  Bible is the sole source of religious truth

33
Luther and Indulgences

• Luther attacked the practice of selling
  indulgences
• Indulgences
• The remission before God of the temporal
  punishment due to sin the guilt of which has
  already been forgiven
• Indulgences sold to raise money to rebuild St.
  Peters Basilica in Rome
• Message spread quickly through Europe
• 1518 Luther condemned at Augsburg and prodded to
  recant his Theses
• CCC 1475 Communion of Saints

34
Break with Catholicism

• 1520 Pope Leo X issued Exsurge Domine
• Papal bull excommunicating Luther unless he
  retracted his beliefs
• Luther responded by gathering some students and
  burning the document
• 1521 Leo X counters with another papal bull
• Decet Romanum Pontificem
• Formal excommunication of Luther
• Diet of Worms (vertz)
• Meeting of the leadership of the Holy Roman
  Empire during which Luther refused to recant his
  beliefs

35
Break (cont)

• At Worms, Luther refused to recant (pg. 153)
• Charles V issued the Edict of Worms
• Declaring Martin Luther a heretic who could be
  punished by death
• Led to the spread of Luthers ideas
• Luther fled in exile to Wartburg to refine his
  theology and translate another German edition of
  the Bible
• Other reformers used Luthers arguments to
  support their own issues
• Beginning of a snowball effect

36
Peasants Revolt

• The turmoil caused by Luther and the Churchs
  response led to the Peasants Revolt
• A series of uprisings by German peasants against
  their landowners
• 130,000 peasants killed during these uprisings
• Luther and his reforms now used as political
  arguments
• Was this what Luther intended?

37
Attempts at Reunion

• For three decades, attempts were made to
  reconcile differences to foster unity
• Peace of Augsburg, 1555 A.D.
• The prince or king of each state could select
  either Catholicism or Lutheranism as the official
  religion of the territory
• People who didnt want to join the local religion
  could move to a different territory
• Thus, Luthers call for scholarly debate had
  become the basis for a state-supported religion
  separate from Catholicism
• Western Christianity remains fragmented today

38
Differences in Teaching

• Initially, the reformers focused on ridding the
  Church of corrupt practices
• As time passed, several key theological positions
  were developed in opposition to Church teaching
• Three main differences have lasted in some way to
  today separating Catholics and Protestants
• Scripture versus Tradition
• Justification by faith or works
• Priesthood of all believers

39
ProtestantScripture

• One of Luthers fundamental principles was sola
  scriptura
• Scripture alone is the source of divine
  revelation and truth
• Bible as infallible divinely inspired
• Humans not perfect thus subject to error
• Critique of papacy and councils
• Return to the Scriptures for guidance in the
  spiritual life
• Scripture alone as the authority for Christian
  life

40
CatholicScripture

• Scripture and Tradition inseparable
• New Testament written by members of the first
  Christian communities
• Canon of Scripture established by the early
  Church
• Scripture and Tradition are unified channels of
  revelation and are the basis for truth
• Both are from God inspired by God
• Tradition is based on reflecting and applying
  Scripture to various life situations

41
ProtestantJustification

• Luther witnessed a confused understanding of how
  someone was saved
• Rural Christians treated sacraments as magic
  rites granting salvation
• Humanism placed the importance of action and
  growth entirely on the human person
• Luther rejected both
• Justification by faith
• Gods gracious act of rendering a sinful human to
  be holy as acceptable to God
• Complete trust in God faith as a gift from God
• Works are a way of expressing faith not
  increasing it

42
CatholicJustification

• Humans are active recipients of Gods grace
• Faith is not a personal, exclusive relationship
  between an individual and God
• Faith is expressed in the context of the
  community
• Jesus as our Lord and Savior
• Actions (sacraments) are a necessary part of
  living out a life of receiving Gods grace
• James 214-26

43
ProtestantPriesthood

• Luther opposed a separate priestly caste
• Praised the Christian family as the ideal state
• As a priest himself, he later married and
  fathered children
• Priesthood of all believers
• By the virtue of faith, all Christians are
  priests
• No need for a separate ordained priesthood
• Less importance placed on ritual actions
• The Word more important than ritual actions
• Pulpit replaces altar in significance
• Only Baptism and Eucharist recognized by most
  Protestants
• Only ones specifically instituted by Christ

44
CatholicPriesthood

• All Christians share in the priesthood of the
  Baptized
• All responsible to preach the Good News
• Christ instituted the priesthood at the Last
  Supper
• Washing the feet of the Apostles
• Priesthood in terms of service
• Priests also responsible for offering sacrifices
  on behalf of the people
• Referring to the Jewish priesthood
• Various rites sacraments (outward signs of Gods
  love)
• Acting in persona Christi
• Seven sacraments

45
Spread of Protestantism

• France
• The Protestant didnt have as much influence in
  France
• Government had better control of internal affairs
• French scholars negated Protestant ideas early on
• French Protestants
• Huguenots did gather strength during the 16th
  century
• Edict of Nantes, 1598
• Decree granting some rights to Huguenots
  including building churches in specific villages
• Ended a series of religious wars in France
• Protestant-Catholic conflicts created a critical
  attitude toward Church leaders
• Spain
• Avoided Protestant influence due to three
  factors
• Reforms of Isabella
• Threat of force from the Inquisition
• Exceptional spiritual figures

46
Henry VIII Anglican Church

• Henry VIII lacked a male heir to the throne
• Petitioned for an annulment denied
• 1533 Henry VIII declared as head of the Church of
  England
• Separation from Rome and the rest of the Church
• Initially separation based on political, not
  religious, issues
• The Church of England (Anglican Church) as not
  fully Protestant yet not fully Catholic

47
Two Protestant Reformers

• Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) spread Reformation
  ideas in Switzerland
• Advocated Scripture as the sole source of truth
• Became head of the church and state in Zurich
• Established a theocracy
• Form of government in which religious leaders are
  the secular leaders as well
• Eventually would move away from Luther and set up
  Reformed Christianity
• Protestant groups emerging in Europe from the
  Reformation and following primarily the teachings
  of Zwingli and Calvin

48
Reformers (cont)

• John Calvin (1509-1564) enormous impact on
  Reformed Christianity
• Established a Presbyterian form of leadership
• Governance by a group of elders
• Based all laws on the Bible as interpreted by the
  elders
• Predestination
• Belief that God has selected some people for hell
  and others for heaven regardless of any personal
  actions or merit
• Not many included in the elect

49
Catholic Heroes of the Reformation

• Erasmus The Great Humanist
• Combined faith in God with the spirit of the
  Renaissance focused on reform without bloodshed
  or animosity
• Thomas More Martyr of Conscience
• Martyred by Henry VIII
• Willingly gave his life in defense of principles
  of the faith
• Philip Melancthon Scholar and Conciliator
• Tried to present Luthers theology in a way
  compatible with Catholicism longed for a
  reunited Church

50
Catholic Reformation

• Catalyzed by Luther and the reformers
• Catholic preferred over Counter
• Reform from within, not simply an attempt to
  one-up Luther and the reformers
• Attempted to clean up corruption in practices and
  clarify Church teaching on various matters
• Closely identified with the Council of Trent

51
Council of Trent

• Series of ecumenical meetings in Trent, Germany
  between 1545 and 1563 A.D.
• Two purposes
• Reform Church practices
• Clarify Church teachings
• Major reforms
• Revitalization of the ordained priesthood and
  episcopacy
• Bishops to reside in their dioceses act as true
  shepherds
• Priests to live out celibate commitment and wear
  distinctive clothing
• Seminary training formalized for all
  priests-to-be

52
Trent (cont)

• The council was an opportunity to clarify Church
  teachings
• Specific ideas spelled out and fully described
• Results of clarification
• Catechism of the Council of Trent
• Official statement of fundamental beliefs in
  precise terms
• Roman Missal
• Not a weapon, but a book containing the words and
  actions of a priest for ritual actions
• Clear statement of the number of sacraments, 7