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In order to answer this question properly it is necessary to mention the situation of the Church in the late Middle Ages, or in short, what Erasmus was reacting to. The Church at the time was heavily focused upon relics, indulgences, and the marriage of Church and State. Erasmus was appalled, for example, at being presented with a boot to kiss at a shrine that he was assured belonged to a Saint.
To Erasmus, these were "works". They were acts of devotion that had little to do with how a Christian lived his everyday life. In this way, Erasmus' view of works was far different than Luther's, which viewed Faith alone as important, and works as any act of life. With that distinction established Erasmus wished to reform in the following manners:
- Emphasize faith and the love of God over "works". Pilgrimages and relic collecting were not as important to salvation as love of God and neighbor.
- Forbid violence in enforcing the faith. Erasmus was distrustful of the State and viewed the monarchs as, more often than not, predetors. The Church should not use them as enforcement.
- Translate the Scriptures into the vernacular to encourage mass knowledge of the Scriptures. Not only could this be useful in encouraging the people to read and know the Bible, but this could help the peasants to know the psalms and chants as the Clergy did. Erasmus thought the peasants could chant these while working.
- A greater skepticism of local "miracles." They might be real, but even if they were, a moral life was of greater importance. A lack of proper investigation could lead to gullibility on the part of the faithful, and could sow the seeds of later doubt.
- In general, to turn away from those elements that were pure barbarian "superstition" and magical, and emphasize the fundamentals of faith...the scriptures and sacraments. The latter would also bring Erasmus into conflict with Luther and Erasmus' friend and fellow traveler, St. Thomas Moore, into conflict with Henry VIII.
In all of his reforms, it should be emphasized that Erasmus was working in the tradition of the humanists, who were in turns creatures of the Rennaisance. These humanists were concerned with healing Europe, as they saw it, from the effects of the Germanic barbarian invasions (or Gothic, to use their term). Excessive devotion to relics and daily miraculous happenings, were, in the humanist view, Germanic innovations on Christianity. The humanists hoped to return to what they saw as a purer original state of the Church. A fair written statement of the ideal faith the humanists were striving for can be found in St. Thomas A Kempis' "Imitation of Christ."
At the same time, differences with the later Protestantism should also be mentioned.....there was to be no abolition of the orders, of the priesthood, or the sacraments. Works were understood in a far different manner than Protestants interpreted them. The focus was to be on the individual love of Christ, and on the individual consciences actions in everyday life. Erasmus' ideals remained strong until 1541 when the Catholic and Protestant humanists failed to find common ground. When their council dispensed without agreement, Europe entered into a religious civil war that lasted at least until 1589, and arguably until 1648 with the Peace of Westphalia. Catholicism adopted some, but not all of the Erasmian platform at the Council of Trent in the 1560's. Erasmus himself was viewed with suspicion. Christian humanism was forced from the commanding heights of Catholicism and would not reemerge until Christian humanist John Paul II was elected Pope in 1978. Christian humanism has been in the ascendancy in the Papacy since that time.
What else can I help you with?
Who wanted the Catholic Church to reform and address the needs of the people and be less concerned?
Desiderius Erasmus
The German Catholic priest who wanted to reform the church?
Martin Luther was a Catholic monk who sought to reform the Catholic Church.
Protestants wanted to reform the catholic church in the 16th century because they believed the church was to?
corrupt.
Who wanted to reform the Anglican church?
The Puritans had sought to reform the Anglican Church. They believed that the Church of England had not gone far enough in separating itself from Roman Catholicism, and believed the church still pushed forward a lot of catholic based doctrine.
What reason did Martin Luther give for breaking away from the Catholic Church?
He wanted to reform it. But the church did not care to be reformed.
What protestant group wanted to reform the church in England?
Protestans who wanted to reform the Anglican Church were called Puritans
Protestant reliogion looked to reform the catholic church?
Yes, Martin Luthern didn't want there to be another Church. He just wanted the church to change their ways.
Did Martin Luther want to leave the Catholic Church?
He evidently did. When given the opportunity to recant his diatribe and work within the Catholic Church to reform it, he decided to go his own way and was excommunicated. That should have been little surprise to him.
What was the core reason why Protestants wanted to reform the Catholic Church?
AnswerThere were several issues over which the Protestants and Catholics were in dispute, but the factor common to almost all issues was that the Protestants felt that the Catholic Church had become corrupt. This is highlighted by the sale of indulgences by the Catholic Church, the very practice that led Martin Luther, professor of biblical studies and Augustine monk, initially to seek reform within the Church.
Who wanted to reform the Roman Catholic Church?
Quite a few people, though if I had to name just one I'd pick Martin Luther.
What two groups fought in the War of Reform in Mexico?
The Liberals who wanted a Federalist government free of Military control that limited the power of the Catholic Church and granted freedom of religion. The Conservatives wanted a monarchy and both the Catholic Church and the Mexican military to retain their traditional powers. The result was a Civil War which they choose to name in history as the Reform War.
While the Pilgrims wanted to break away from the Anglican Church the Puritans wanted to do what?
the puritans wanted to reform the Anglican church
