Lutheranism and Protestant Reformation
Luther’s Revolution
Increased Education:Spreading universitiesPrinting press to publish bibles
Political Power: Popes possessing significant authority
Increased Religious Beliefs (Renaissance)People becoming more religious Vatican amongst the worlds most beautiful
sites
Catholic Church in the 16th Century
Wealth of churchSimonyPluralismClergy immorality
Cries of outrage grow louder
Pilgrimages commonShrines believed to cure illnessesYet people wanted more…Humanists condemned many practice of the
churchAs suffering rose so did outcry against the
churchConflicts between Religion and PoliticsErosion of confession and the rise of
indulgence
Religious sentiments of Europeans
IndulgencesSubstitute for
confession and penance.
Part of the Catholic doctrine of good works
“so as soon as the coin in coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs”
Came to be viewed as “pardons”
Sale had become big business
Tetzel ControversyNeeded an agent to
sell them to build the St. Peter’s Basilica.
Gave the ability to grant your ancestors freedom from their sins and removal from purgatory.
St. Peters Basilica
Martin LutherRelatively obscure
German professor.Rose due to his
intellectual achievements.
Preached and taught.
Successful and content on the outside, but internally tormented.
“I was one who terribly feared the last judgment and who nevertheless wished with all my heart to be saved.”
He couldn’t erase his belief in his own sinsHow could he liberate his own soul?“I pondered night and day until I understood
the connection between righteousness of God and the sentence “The just shall live by faith”, then I grasped that the justice of God is his righteousness by which through grace and pure mercy, God justifies us through Faith”
Luther's Internal Struggle
Luther's 3 principlesSola Fide: Justification
by faith alone Sola Scriptura: all
that was needed to understand the mercy of God was contained in the Bible
All who believed in Gods righteousness were equal in God’s eyes.
The 95 ThesesLuther’s
scholarly response to Indulgences.
Nature of the act?
Content?Placed him in
direct conflict with the Roman Catholic Church.
ConsequencesExcommunicationBooks burnedA public letter burning“let every soul be subject to the higher powers. For
there is no power but of God.” Papal v. Bible
New Answers to Four Theologic QuestionsHow is someone to
be saved?No longer both faith
and good works.Now salvation from
Faith alone.
Where does Religious Authority Lie?In the Pope? Now it shall lie in the
word of God—the Bible.
Each person is capable of their own leadership.
What is the Church?Is it the clergy and
the institution?Lutheran view holds
it that the church is the entire community of believers.
What is the highest form of Christian life?Previous teachings
held the monastic and religious orders.
Luther emphasized that all vocations have equal merit and that every person should serve god per their individual calling.
The answers to these four questions becomes the basis of Protestantism
Luther summoned by Charles V to WormsOrdered to recant“I cannot and I will
not retract anything, since is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. I cannot do otherwise.”
Asked Charles V and the Pope to use the Bible to contradict his words…
Spread of LutheranismEncouraged local
princes to allow their subjects to practice it.
Diminished power of the papacy.
Published over 30 works that were huge best sellers.
German princes long angry with politics in Europe were the quickest to embrace it
Spread of ProtestantismJohn CalvinUnwilling reformerGeneva was largely
under Catholic and prince control.
The region had been exposed to Protestantism by the reformer Huldrych Zwingli
Calvin’s World in the 16c
CalvinismLuther/Calvin comparisonCalvin and Paris under
Francis I (at right)An avid defender of French
Huegenots (Protestants)Predestination“Many are called but few are
chosen” “The Elect”Puritans (congregational
elect government)“infants themselves bring
their own damnation from the mothers womb”
Discounts the good works doctrine
Structure of Calvinism
Pastors
Doctors
Deacons
Elders
ProtestantChurchesinFrance(Late 16c)
The Anabaptists
Dutch persecution of Anabaptists (Mennonites)
ReformationEurope(Late 16c)
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