CHHI 515-D08 - Preparation for the Reformation - Elke Speliopoulos – Module 1 1

With the papacy weakened by the Great Schism of 1054, which had produced a division

of allegiances in Western Europe, the beginning of the Renaissance a few centuries later

produced a number of leaders in the church who were more enamored with the elements of the

time period they lived in and the opportunities it offered rather than with the message of the

Gospel of Jesus Christ.1 Practices crept into the church that had no biblical foundation, such as

simony, which brought more men to roles that should not have been theirs. The corruption within

the leadership of the church trickled down to the clergy and even reached the monasteries.

Behaviors considered unthinkable in centuries past became the norm and were condoned.2

Yet in the midst of this corruption and lack of discipline another influence arose. Scholars

from Constantinople, driven out when it fell to the Ottoman Empire, brought manuscripts and

ideas to the West that challenged established thinking. The apprehension of ancient languages

rose, and scholars were able to compare biblical texts, leading them to an understanding that

there had been departures from both doctrine and practice that required correction, or reform.3

The feudal systems were in decline, allowing new discontent to arise as the common

people realized that the church would not be able to meet their needs. Many power struggles

arose in Western Europe, bringing with them the perceived need to control those who would

counter, also in the theological realm. In Spain in particular, the Inquisition sought to reign in

other religious groups and dissenting voices. Both Jews, who had lived in Spain for many

centuries, and Moors, who had been a conquering force on the Iberian Peninsula before losing

control, were subjected to persecution and torture.4

1. Justo L. González, The Story of Christianity, Volume II: The Reformation to the Present Day (New York, NY: HarperOne, 2010), 7.

2. Ibid., 8.

3. Ibid., 9.

4. Ibid., 12.

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Other influences pushing Western Europe towards the Reformation were the discovery of

the New World, increase in travel to parts of the world, which were up until then largely

unknown, such as Asia, advances in the sciences, and most importantly, the invention of the

printing press.5 Behind all this stood a true desire, flamed by voices such as Erasmus, to bring

light into the darkness of the Dark Ages and to return to both the teaching of and the obedience

to the Scriptures. While some thought this could be done with reforms from the inside, others felt

more drastic steps were needed to bring about change. With these elements, the Reformation had

found its intellectual, political and spiritual undergirding.

5. Ibid., 13-14.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

González, Justo L. The Story of Christianity, Volume II: The Reformation to the Present Day. New York, NY: HarperOne, 2010.