The Protestant Reformation - Mr. Nash's history site · • The Protestant Reformation centered on...
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The Protestant Reformation • The 16 th century Protestant Reformation was a religious, political, intellectual and cultural movement that set the stage for the modern state of Europe. • The Reformation represented the wish to rediscover a simpler and more authentic version of Christian life.
Transcript of The Protestant Reformation - Mr. Nash's history site · • The Protestant Reformation centered on...
The Protestant Reformation • The16thcenturyProtestantReformationwasareligious,political,intellectualandculturalmovementthatsetthestageforthemodernstateofEurope.• TheReformationrepresentedthewishtorediscoverasimplerandmoreauthenticversionofChristianlife.
The (Protestant) Reformation
• InnorthernandcentralEurope,alargenumberofreformerslikeJohnHus,JohnWycliffe,MartinLuther,JohnCalvinandHenryVIIIchallengedpapalauthorityandquestionedtheCatholicChurch’sabilitytodefineChristianpractice.• TheProtestantReformationcenteredonreligiousandpoliticalredistributionofpowerintothehandsofBible-andpamphlet-readingpastorsandprinces.• Thedisruptiontriggeredwars,persecutionsandtheso-calledCounter-Reformation,theCatholicChurch’sdelayedbutforcefulresponsetotheProtestants.
Martin Luther
BorninGermanyin1483,MartinLutherbecameoneofthemostinfluentialfiguresinChristianhistorywhenheacceleratedtheProtestantReformationinthe16thcenturywiththehelpofJohannGutenberg’sinventionoftheprintingpress.HecalledintoquestionsomeofthebasictenetsofRomanCatholicism,andhisfollowerssoonsplitfromtheRomanCatholicChurchtobegintheProtestanttradition.
Johann Gutenberg
• JohannesGensfleischzurLadenzumGutenbergwasaGermanblacksmith,goldsmith,printer,andpublisherwhointroducedprintingtoEurope.• Gutenberg’sprintingpressrevolutionizedthecreationofbooksandhelpedmakethemaffordable,usheringinaneweraofaffordablebooksandliterature.
Johann Gutenberg
• ThemostinfluentialbookpublishedbyGutenbergwastheGutenbergBiblein1455.• HisprintingpresseswerelaterusedtomassproduceBibles–helpingtospreadthemostinfluentialbookoftheera.• TheCatholicGutenbergBibleisacclaimedforitshighqualityofdesignandquality.
Johann Gutenberg
• ChurchindulgenceswerethefirstthingGutenbergprinted.• TheprintingpresswasalsousedasapowerfulweaponintheReformation.• MartinLutherhadhis95Thesesprintedandcirculatedwidely.
Martin Luther
• MartinLutherwasborn1483,inEisleben,Saxony,inmodernsoutheastGermany.• Hisparents,HansandMargaretteLuther,wereofpeasantlinage,hisfatherwasaminerandoresmelter.• In1501hereceivedaMasterofArtsdegree(ingrammar,logic,rhetoricandmetaphysics).Hewasonhiswaytobecomingalawyer.In1505,Lutherhadalife-changingexperienceinahorrificthunderstormwherehefearedforhislife,LuthercriedouttoSt.Anne,thepatronsaintofminers,“Saveme,St.Anne,andI’llbecomeamonk!”Thestormsubsidedandhewassaved.
Sowing Seeds of Rebellion
• Thedecisiontobecomeamonkwasdifficultandgreatlydisappointedhisfather,buthefelthemustkeepapromise.• LutherwasalsodrivenbyfearsofhellandGod’swrath,andfeltthatlifeinamonasterywouldhelphimfindsalvation.• Hedidnotfindthereligiousenlightenmenthewasseeking.• Atage27,hewasgiventheopportunitytobeadelegatetoachurchconferenceinRome.Hecameawaymoredisillusioned,andverydiscouragedbytheimmoralityandcorruptionhewitnessedthereamongtheCatholicpriests.
Martin Luther the Reformer is born
• UponhisreturntoGermany,heenrolledintheUniversityofWittenberginanattempttosuppresshisspiritualturmoil.Heexcelledinhisstudiesandreceivedadoctorate,becomingaprofessoroftheologyattheuniversity.• Throughhisownstudiesofscripture,MartinLutherfinallygainedthereligiousenlightenmenthesought.• Luthercametotheconclusionthat,itwasthroughfaithinJesusChrist,notworks,thatoneissaved.• Healsosoughttoseparatereasonfromrevelation.
The Pope’s Sale of Indulgences
• In1517,PopeLeoXannouncedanewroundofindulgencestohelpbuildSt.Peter’sBasilica.• OnOctober31,1517,anangryMartinLuthernailedasheetofpaperwith95thesesontheuniversity’schapeldoor.• Theylaidoutadevastatingcritiqueoftheindulgencesascorruptingpeople’sfaith.
95 Theses nailed to the Church at Wittenberg
• Aidedbytheprintingpress,copiesoftheNinety-FiveThesesspreadthroughoutGermanywithintwoweeksandthroughoutEuropewithintwomonths.• InJanuary1521,MartinLutherwasofficiallyexcommunicatedfromtheRomanCatholicChurch.• OnMay8,1521,thecouncilreleasedtheEdictofWorms,banningLuther’swritingsanddeclaringhima“convictedheretic.”
Luther Translation of the Bible
• FriendshelpedhimhideoutattheWartburgCastle.• Whileinseclusion,hetranslatedtheNewTestamentintotheGermanlanguage,togiveordinarypeopletheopportunitytoreadGod’sword.
Literacy and the Reformation
• TheessenceoftheProtestantReformationwasthatindividualsshouldreadtheBibleandstudy“theWord”forthemselves.Therefore,therewasanenormousemphasisonliteracy.• By1530,over10,000publicationsareknown,withatotaloftenmillioncopies.TheReformationwasthusamediarevolution.
