Reformation History

Churches all across Europe sprung up adhering to Lutheran principals regarding a concept of Christian removed from the Catholic church. Utilizing the newly invented printing press, these ideas spread quickly and soon were far too widespread to be reigned in by the Church. The resulting impact has created a major denomination within the Christian faith that has hundreds of millions of adherents to this day.

Many believed the Church needed to be reformed. In the 1500s Kings such as Charles V had a sole political strategy: centralisation. This 'centralisation' included forming one State religion throughout the empire. However followers of Calvin and Luther (generally Protestants) were not very pleased with this. God was in their eyes more important than the sovereign. A King strenghtening his centralisation policy of setting Catholicism as the sole religion, consequently sparked political conflicts in the empire as well.

For example, the area what we nowadays call Germany existed in that time from seperate semi-sovereign areas headed by a so-called 'elector'. Electors chose the ruling emperor/king. In 1555 the Peace of Augsburg was signed as a direct effect of the wars between the ultimate sovereign and the semi-sovereign electors. Charles V agreed upon the division of religion within his empire ("cuius regio, eius religio"): the ruler dictated the religion of the ruled in the seperate areas that made up the Holy Roman Empire (HRE).

So, the reformation led to warfare because of different ideas by the ruler and his people. That led to political conflict mainly because the people also didn't agree with the ruler's centralisation policy.

In general terms, the importance of the rise of the middle class in Europe may be ranked as one of the decisive developments in the entirety of European -- and even World -- History. Initially small, lacking influence, and even widely held in contempt, it gradually rose to become a new 'power-player' in social and political affairs. It eventually contributed to the toppling of monarchy in Europe, the rise of new economic theories and practices, and even had a strong hand in the development of constitutional government and other generally 'democratic' influences across the globe.

They were objections to the Catholic church's practice of selling indulgences. They were written by a man named Martin Luther, and he wrote them in 1519 to question the Catholic Church and try to stop them from doing things they shouldn't be doing.

The Pope appoints you and you are consecrated a Bishop by the Pope along with two others Bishops assisting him, or by whichever three Bishops he chooses in his place.

Many clergy saw Luther's reforms as the answer to Church corruption. A number of German princes, however, embraced Lutheran beliefs for more selfish reasons. Some saw Lutheranism as a way to throw off the rules of both the Church and the Holy Roman emperor. Others welcomed a chance to seize Church property in their territory. Still other Germans supported Luther because of feelings of national loyalty. They were tired of German money going to support churches and clergy in Italy.

Martin Luther's private doubt that the Pope had the authority to sell indulgences (paper documents that one could buy to free oneself from a sin) grew into a church debate after Luther nailed 95 theses against the church door in Wittenberg. This practice of displaying an invitation for a scholarly debate was normal at that time, particularly for a professor of theology, which is what Luther was. Luther's reluctance to believe in absolute papal authority was not a singular man's concern: there were numerous other scholars who challenged the grip of the Catholic clergy onto laypersons. Among the educated and/or well-to-do citizens, many felt that the Church was politically too powerful. The zeitgeist smacked of other things: mercantilism, humanism, the stirrings of individuality, a yearning for more freedom. Luther was forced to see the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, but would not recant. A powerful duke (of Saxony) "kidnapped" Luther on his way home from the meeting with the emperor and hid him in his castle. There Luther translated the Bible into the German language -- breaking a thousand-year-old necessity to have Latin-trained clergy mediate biblical content to laity. Afterward, the people who protested the Catholic Church's monopoly on the relations between God and humans called themselves Lutherans or Protestants. This schism was the single most-weakening event in the Catholic Church.

Martin Luther- protestant reformation leader

He had looked through The Bible and had seen that the Bible didn't say anything about indulgences. He figured that they were traditional and that was a way that the church was making money.

The first public schools began in 1635 in Boston and they were established because it was obvious that a general education was needed. Washington once stated that without public schools and education that democracy would be in peril. Schools and education create a framework for government and understanding how government works providing a common basis of knowledge. It also provides a means for people to learn the history, language, and culture of the United States. This in turns helps people to adjust and create business and invent within the society they live. Even as late as 1830 60% of New York City was nonEnglish speaking schools provided a means for these people to have a foundation to understanding the constitution, how to vote, to learn English, and to establish themselves as citizens.

Martin Luther's beliefs conflicted with church doctrine and practices in a number of ways.

Luther struggled with the Roman Catholic church's Biblical teaching that good works were necessary along with faith. Through his interpretation and rewriting of the Scriptures, he decided that salvation is a gift of God's grace, received by faith alone and by trust in Christ's death on the cross as the only means to that salvation, in complete contradiction to the Bible's teaching and the Church's teaching for the previous 1,500 years.

It was this that led him to openly question the teachings of the Roman Catholic church, in particular, the nature of penance, the authority of the pope and the usefulness of indulgences. The Reformation of the church began on 31 October 1517, with Luther's act of posting his Ninety-Five Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. The document contained an attack on papal abuses and the sale of indulgences by church officials.

Controversy raged over the posting of the 95 Theses. Luther was excommunicated several years later from the Catholic church for his attacks on the wealth and corruption of the papacy, and his belief that salvation would be granted on the basis of faith alone rather than by faith and works as specified in the Bible.

His translation of the Bible into German occurred many years later, while he was hiding from the church authorities at Wartburg, the castle of Elector Frederick III of Saxony. There were previously many different translations of the Scriptures in German, Luther's translation was more a rewriting with Luther's interpretation of the verses. He also added words to change the meaning in some passages.

Feudalism

Every sovereign state

Aragorn, son of Gaemling, united the kingdoms of men and rode to the gates of Mordor. As Frodo neared Mount Doom with the intention of destroying the one Ring, the army of men fought Sauron and his minions at the gates of Mordor. Gimli was a dwarf (sorry, little person), but he fought like a giant. Upon destroying the ring, the army of Sauron fell into the abyss and the day was saved. Thanks be to God.

it divided the roman catholic church which lead to protestant churches

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.

During the reformation, major violence broke out in 1618 when unhappy Protestants threw two Catholic officials out of a window in the city of Prague. Their action was a response to a new policy issued by the king of Bohemia- a part of the empire. The king had decided to make everyone in his kingdom become Catholic. To enforce his decision, he closed all Protestant churches in Bohemia. The king's decision upset many Protestants. In Prague, unhappy Protestants overthrew their Catholic ruler and replaced him with a Protestant one. Their action did not resolve anything, however. Instead, it added to the religious conflict in the Holy Roman Empire. Their revolt quickly spread into other parts of the empire. This rebellion began what is known as the Thirty Years' War, a long series of wars that involved many of the countries of Europe.

The Church rejected his ideas and excommunicated him from the Church.

new Christian denominations

Martin Luther led the reformation which began in Germany. It was formed as a reaction to the percieved corruption of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, especially the Papal policy of the sale of indulgences (the ability for a person to pay for forgiveness and exemptions from commited mortal and corporeal sins)

Luther wrote many essays and books which were published and subsequently distributed throughout Europe. The printing press allowed for the massive replication of his writings (his most renowned being the Ninety-Five Theses). Many Europeans wanted to break away from the established forms of religion due to corruption and, therefore, were intrigued by Luther's new ideas and philosophies. People throughout Europe read his works and converted to Protestantism.

When an edict of the Diet called for Luther's seizure, his friends took him for safekeeping to Wartburg, the castle of Elector Frederick III of Saxony. Here, Luther continued to write his prolific theological works, which greatly influenced the direction of the Protestant Reformation movement. It was here that Luther translated the New Testament into German. This was published on 21 September 1522. Luther also began translating the entire Bible, which took him 10 years to complete. Luther's extensive writing on church matters included the composition of hymns, liturgy, and two catechisms that are basic statements of the Lutheran church.

The Protestant Reformation set Catholics and Protestants against each other throughout the empire. It also made one religion the required belief system for a multi-country empire, which caused conflict since Protestantism disagreed with many other belief systems across Great Britain.

Henry VIII separated from the catholic church to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon and to marry Anne Boleyn. Henry didn't originally plan to break with the authority of the Pope. Henry assumed that the Pope would readily grant him the annulment When the Pope, after keeping Henry waiting on an answer for almost six years, refused to approve of the divorce, Henry was forced into action. After secretly marring Anne, Henry had the newly proclaimed Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cramner, announce the his marriage to Katherine of Aragon was null and void, the children (Mary I) illegitimate. Henry's marriage to Anne Boleyn was declared true and the children of the match legitimate.

King Henry was also a socialist, and destested the corrupt and superstitious ways of the Catholic Church during the 1500s. There were many barbaric rituals that he (and Anne) felt had no place in the world of religion, such as learning all prayers in Latin, or superstitious beleifs such as "holy saint's blood" - which was actually goats blood refilled regularly by the monks - having healing properties. Henry wanted to convert the monasteries and other Catholic establishments into places that served the population - schools, hospitals, etc.

The Catholic Church was also very wealthy, with lands and treasures which Henry seized and used to fill the English treasuries, as England was in debt at the time.

A different reason is because Henry wanted the power so he set up a church he could rule himself the church of England.