The Protestant Reformation

1
The Protestant Reformation

• What is it?
• A time period in which people protested against
  the Catholic Church for
• Corruption
• Abuses
• People broke away from the Catholic Church and
  formed their own sects
• Led to the formation of Protestantism

2
Martin Luther Leads the Reformation

• Causes of the Reformation
• Criticisms of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC)
• Popes spent a lot of , one fathered children
• Priest and monks were uneducated, drank, and
  married
• The RCC was corrupt and everyone knew it

3
Martin Luther

• German priest and monk
• Leader of the Protestant Reformation
• Disagreed with Church policy
• The practice of selling indulgences
• The power of the Pope
• Achievement of salvation
• Wanted to clean up rampant Church corruption

4
What is an indulgence?

• It removes all or part of the punishment that is
  due for sin
• Many preachers claimed indulgences absolved
  buyers from all punishments and granted them
  salvation
• Martin Luther was vehemently against the practice
  of selling indulgences

5
The 95 Theses

• Written by Luther in 1517
• Described his views on
• The selling of indulgences
• Church abuses
• Posted on the door of the Castle Church in
  Wittenberg (present-day Germany)
• Most important church of the Holy Roman Empire
  (HRE)

6
Response from the Church

• Pope Leo X demanded Luther recant
• Faced excommunication
• Luther refused to recant, and was excommunicated
• HRE Emperor Charles V also opposed Luther
• Called Luther to the Diet of Worms (General
  Assembly of the HRE) in 1521
• Pressured Luther to recant
• Luther refused to recant his views

7
Edict of Worms

• Consequences for Luther
• Declared an outlaw in the HRE
• His literature was banned, and he could be killed
  without legal consequence
• Excommunicated by the Catholic Church
• Luther secretly returns to Wittenberg (1522)
• Many northern princes support Luther
  (Protestants)
• A way to break from HRE and claim own land
• German civil war ensues

8
German Civil War (1547-1555)

• Catholics vs. Protestants
• Ended with the Peace of Augsburg
• Each German prince could choose own religion
• Northern provinces remained Protestant
• Southern provinces stayed Catholic
• Protestantism spread throughout northern Europe
• Luther gained many followers

9
Martin Luther

• Followers became known as Protestants
• Specifically Lutherans
• His Teachings
• Salvation through faith alone
• Teachings should come straight from Bible
• Pope and many church traditions were false
• All people with faith are equal
• Became the foundation of Protestantism

10
The English Reformation

• England was a Catholic nation
• King Henry VIII was known as Defender of the
  Faith
• He also wanted a son to pass his kingdom
• Thought the country would dive into civil war
  without an heir
• His wife could only bare one daughter Mary

11
King Henry VIII rebels

• King Henry VIII asks the Pope for an annulment of
  their marriage
• Pope refuses the request (for political reasons)
• King Henry VIII responds by calling Parliament
• Act of Supremacy (1534)
• The King of England replaces the Pope as head of
  the Church of England

12
Consequences of the English Reformation

• Henry is able to annul his own marriage
• Marries 7 times in total
• Has three children - Mary, Edward, Elizabeth
• King Henry rules as a Protestant King
• Official religion becomes Protestantism
• Church officials are jailed, Churches converted
• Catholicism is outlawed

13
After King Henry VIII

• England saw a series of religious problems
  following King Henry VIII
• Each of Henrys children ruled according to their
  own religious beliefs
• Edward VI ruled as a strict Protestant, then
• Mary I who was a very religious Catholic, then
• Elizabeth, who was Protestant

14
Queen Elizabeth I

• Had very moderate religious views
• Established the Anglican Church
• Sought to appease both sides
• Allowed more religious freedom