Effects of the Protestant Reformation

Ms. Stiles

Spread of the Reformation

• Emperor Charles V was too distracted to really crush the spread of Protestantism• Was at war with France,

had to deal with the Turks invading Eastern Europe & had to act as King of Spain

• Reforming the Church appealed to the masses• Particularly in Germany

where princes saw financial gain from the demise of Church power in their regions

The Peasant’s War

• Many peasants saw parallels between Luther’s works and their own lives– Saw similarities between Church abuses & political

abuses• Peasants looked to Luther for help in

reforming society, not just religion• 1524-1525:– Violent revolution between peasants & their

landlords

The Peasant’s War

• Luther’s response:– Called it “unchristian” & urged princes to “crush

the revolts”• Estimated 70,000-100,000 dead peasants• If Luther had supported the peasants:– It would’ve contradicted his works & destroyed

any chance of his reforms surviving

The Peasant’s War

• From Martin Luther, Against the Robbing and Murdering Hordes of Peasants (1525)– “For rebellion is not just simple murder; it is like a great fire,

which attacks and devastates a whole land. Thus rebellion brings with it a land filled with murder and bloodshed; it makes widows and orphans, and turns everything upside down, like the worst disaster. Therefore let everyone who can, smith, slay, and stab, secretly or openly, remembering that nothing can be more poisonous, hurtful, or devilish than a rebel. It is just as when one must kill a mad dog; if you do not strike him, he will strike you, and a whole land with you.”

Europe’s Response

• Feelings of discontent with the Catholic Church spread all over Northern Europe:– England– Switzerland– Germany– The Netherlands

John Calvin• French religious reformerwent to Geneva,

Switzerland• The people there just revolted against

their prince (who was also their bishop) and voted to adopt the Reformation

• Calvin believed that men were “elected by God to salvation”• Anyone elected must live in a way that

pleased God• “God divinely predestines some to eternal

salvation (the Elect) and others to eternal perdition (the Damned)• No one knows which they are until they

die, so everyone has to live like they’re the Elect according to Calvin

Calvinist Geneva

• Prohibited singing and dancing• Drunkenness• Blasphemy• Women couldn’t wear makeup or lace• Men couldn’t gamble or play cards

– Men who beat their wives were severely punished• Rules were so strictly enforced that Geneva essentially

became a religious police state• Religious refugees went to Geneva & eventually left to

spread their teachings around EuropeEnglish Calvinists became known as Puritans

Comparing Calvin & Luther

Martin Luther• Believed that God predestined

some to be saved & others to be damned

• Faith, not works, saved you• Scripture as the basis of faith• State over church in terms of

leadership• People should give charity to

those in need• Mainly popular in Germany &

England

John Calvin• Believed that God predestined

some to be saved & others to be damned

• Faith, not works, saved you• Scripture as the basis of faith• Church over state (theocracy)• Poverty was a punishment from

God, whereas wealth was a gift• Mainly popular in Switzerland,

France, Scotland, & the Netherlands

Henry VIII• “Defender of the Faith”• Originally a devout Catholic• Married to Catherine of Aragon

• Had only 1 surviving daughter • Asked the Pope for an annulment

• On the grounds that Catherine was his brother’s widow

• Pope refused so did Holy Roman Emperor Charles V• Charles had the Pope hostage & was

Catherine’s nephew• Didn’t want to see his aunt pushed

aside & his cousin bastardized• Pope Clement VII (A Medici Pope)

excommunicated Henry after he disregarded the papal bull denying him a divorce

Henry VIII

• Under the advisement of Thomas Wolsey & Thomas Cranmer, Henry declared himself the head of the English Church– Stated that the King should have supremacy over religion,

as well as the state• Parliament granted his divorce & he married Anne

Boleyn– Only had 1 surviving daughter

• Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy– Ordered the clearing & destruction of all monastaries in

Englandused the money to build up England’s economy

Church of England

• Anglican Church• Monarch as the head• Fairly Catholicmajor religious changes were:– Use of vernacular for the bible & church services

• All money to Rome stopped• Sir Thomas Moreopposed Henry’s marriage to Anne

Boleyn (& his divorce from Catherine since it was forbidden in Church doctrine)– Refused to take the Oath of Supremacy (Made Henry the head

of the English Church)• Was tried & beheaded for treason

Edward VI

• Henry VIII’s 10 year old son took the throne when he died

• Expanded Protestantism in England• Was a staunch Protestant

• Died at age 16 from tuberculosis• Led the way for religious turmoil in

England• Made his heir Lady Jane Grey • Distant cousin who only reigned for

a few months until she was beheaded

• Replaced by Edward’s half sister, Mary Tudor (mother was Catherine of Aragon)

Mary Tudor

• Mary was the only surviving child of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon

• Henry kept hoping (and trying) for a son since it was not common or accepted for women to rule over men

• Restored Catholicism to England• Forcefully persecuted Protestants• Many of them fled England (Pilgrims)• Brutal treatment of Protestants earned her

the nickname Bloody Mary• Married her cousin, Philip of Spain (son of

Charles V)no kids • Only reigned 5 years until she died and her half

sister, Elizabeth I took over

Elizabeth I• Daughter of Anne Boleyn• Strong Protestant• Had to pretend to be Catholic

under her sister’s reign so she wouldn’t be executed

• Never married, no children • Brought Protestantism back to

England, but didn’t persecute Catholics

• Created religious stability for England

• Reign became known as the Golden Age of England

Ulrich Zwingli• Leader of the Swiss Reformation• Opposed indulgences & religious

superstition• Principles:• “Whatever lacked literal support in

Scripture was to be neither believed nor practiced”

• Ended up being executed during a civil war between Protestants and Catholics in Switzerland

• His influence led to each Swiss state (also known as cantons) being allowed to choose their own religion

Philip of Hesse• Wanted to unite Swiss and German Protestants in mutual defense

of their faith• Efforts were spoiled by arguments between Zwingli and Luther

• Zwingli felt that the Eucharist was a symbolic representation of Christ’s body (TransubstantiationChurch teachings)• “This is my body” = spiritual meaning, no actual body was

present in the wine or bread, but that’s what the Church taught

• Luther felt that Christ promised to always be “present” at the Eucharist meal (ConsubstantiationLutheran teaching)

• Transubstantiation vs. Consubstantiation:• Transubstantiation: Miraculous change of bread & wine into

blood & body when consecrated (actual change)• Consubstantiation: Christ’s body and blood being one

(coexisting) with consecrated bread & wine • Hesse brought Zwingli and Luther together to settle their

differences & unite the countries, but it didn’t work and the Protestant movement was split politically and theologically

Anti-Semitism

• 1523: Luther published “Jesus Christ was Born a Jew”– Luther urged Christians to be kinder to Jews in

hopes that some would convert to Protestantism– His plan backfired • Some Protestants in Germany converted to Judaism

• Regretted publishing his work & by 1540 was urging German princes to “forcibly remove Jews from their territories”

Anti-Semitism

• Jews were also not welcome in Geneva– Calvin had them expelled

• Historically, Jews were blamed for the spread of the plague & for denying Christ & his crucifixion – No historical evidence to support these claims

• Both Luther & Calvin were “disappointed” in Jews for not converting when reforms were made to Christianity

Anti-Semitism

• “The rotten and unbending stiffneckedness (of Jews) deserves that they be oppressed unendingly and without measure or end and that they die in their misery without the pity of anyone” -Calvin

• Luther published “On the Jews and Their Lies”– Both ideas were used by the Nazis justify the

Holocaust

Anti-Semitism

• Luther called Jews “devils & blasphemers” ”a miserable, blind, & senseless people”

• He called for Jews to be kicked out of Germany & their schools, synagogues, homes, and writings to be burned, their money to be confiscated, and safe conduct denied to them– Does this sound like the humanist tolerance he

originally preached?