What was the impact of the Reformation?

Answer 1

The Protestant reformation divided Western Christianity (although Christianity had been divided before, by the Great Schism of 1056, which many westerners forget about for some reason) and reshaped political and religious values in all of Europe.

In turn, it radically changed the way people saw things and greatly altered the culture of the period.

At first it radically changed how people viewed the faith; as it changed from a single monolithic form to a plethora of competing creeds, turmoil took place, as people splintered off and divided according to a number of confessions, which caused societal strife.

It also challenged the focus of the people, placing it away from ritual and from formulae and placing it on faith and belief, as well as developing a sort of work ethic that differed fromm the past (the famous Protestant work ethic).

It also engendered a boldness in approaching God, which had hitherto been unknown. Before the Reformation people sought intermediaries and acted in accordance to a hierarchal understanding, with God as supreme King, and his Angels, and then the Pope, the Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, and finally the laity. Afterward they thought themselves free of such constraints and instead thought each man as individually answerable to God.

This started an anti-authoritarianism that lead to the removal of most of the Episcopal models of Church governance and to the modern pastor-oriented local model we have today. Eventually this bred a contempt for the feudal system that had been in place, as people began to challenge the feudal lords as they had their previous bishops, and thus began the modern era of Parliamentary government and representative thought, ending the Middle Ages.

It also challenged the authority of the popes over regional rulers and brought into question spiritual authority and its place in society.

Prior to the Reformation, spiritual authority was on par with the local lords and kings, and the pope had a great idea of power unrepentant of any king over matters of the faith and the administration of the Churches. The kings and lords where powerless to alter the Church or to go against it. The Church thus acted as a safety valve to prevent absolute control, until the Reformation.

The Reformation saw local lords assume command of local churches and kings establishing national churches in which they, or their parliaments, were in control of. This got rid of foreign rule by the pope and ended the independence of the churches, which often became branches of the government and subservient to the government. The national churches of Europe were often manipulated by governments according to what was expedient, and this change happened right at the start since Martin Luther placed the secular authority of the lords above the spiritual authority of the Church in order to secure support from the local lords who protected him. The shift in focus then became obvious.

The Church was no longer seen as an independent authority separate from secular governance but with its own say in matters and was now seen as a subservient body that was compelled to agree with the state. Only the American Revolution would overturn this notion, restoring the Church to independence, if not to a prominent political role.

The Reformation also changed the way in which people viewed their spiritual faith and the way they approached matters of decision, leading to modern concepts of democracy.

It, in short, reshaped all of European culture, changing everything that had been before.

Answer 2

The Reformation had a lasting impact all throughout Europe in terms of religious and political divide. Much turmoil directly resulted after the Catholic Church declared Martin Luther as a "protestant", which led to warfare between many states and territories.

Answer 3

1. people more educated

2. new religions form

3. missionaries become active

Answer 4

It divided the Roman Catholic Church into many, new protestant churches.