Martin Luther was a German priest and
Professor of Theology at the University of
Wittenberg. He is credited as the origin of the
Reformation movement.
95 Theses
In 1521, Luther wrote the 95 theses with a
detailed account of his deep concerns with
the current Church doctrines.
Summary of Theses:
Insistence on the removal of indulgences
Indulgences: "none of us could pile up enough good works to be saved, the Saints had a super
abundance of them; and they developed a treasury of merits and graces that could be accessed. Access
to this "Treasury" is what the church sells to the people, for themselves, friends, for loved one who
have died, and even for sins in the future (1)
Scripture and Faith alone.
No amount of "good work" are able to earn a place in
heaven. By the human condition, sinful thoughts are
inevitable.
Ignored the practices and teachings of the Church
which did not match the Christ's teachings and rely
solely upon the Bible for knowledge and wisdom
Protestant Church
Church of England
Henry VII
Initially, a staunch supporter of the Catholic Church, labelled
the "Defender of the Faith" (2) by Pope Leo for his zeal in disputing
the tenets of Martin Luther
The King of England from 1485 to 1509
The King since 1509, he lacked but one thing in his life - a son. His wife, Catherine of Aragon had produced six
children but only a daughter, Mary, survived. He becomes infatuated with Anne Boleyn, a lady in waiting.
However, she will only accept bearing children with Henry if she is made Queen
In 1527 he asked Pope Clement VII for a divorce on Scriptural grounds. He is denied a divorce. Henry argued
that Kings of England enjoyed Imperial Power similar to that of the first Christian Roman Emperors. If he
has the support of the highest religious authority in England he forces the Archbishop of Canterbury to
officially break from the Roman Catholic Church.
The Act of Supremacy
The Act of Supremacy (1534) confirmed the break from Rome, declaring Henry to be the Supreme
Head of the Church of England.
German States and Other countries desire for Reformation
While some states were attracted by the teachings of Lutheran, other
states used this new religion to reduce the power and influence of the Catholic Church in their lands
Confiscating Church lands: farms, monasteries, shrines owned by the Church
Taxing Clergy
Simpler religion, removal of elaborate ceremonies and practices
Characteristics:
Salvation is through scripture and faith
Authority is in the Bible alone
There is no Protestant Church, believers are not fixed in a place or person
The Roman Catholic Church had significant power and
influence over France, Spain, German City-States, England,
Italian City-States, and other nations. The center of its power
was in Rome within the Papal States.
Characteristics:
Some agency for individuals in determining their own fate
The requirements for place in heaven is based
upon the "good" they do as well as following the
bible and Church doctrines
Monastic and Clerical life is superior to secular
The Church is a hierarchical institution headed by the Pope
Clerics
Clerics neglected rule of celibacy, gambled and indulged in
fancy dress
They are exempt from civil responsibilities such as paying taxes and military involvement
Absenteeism: hardly visited
communities to perform spiritual
duties.
Pluralism: a practice where bishops and higher Clerics held offices called
benefices which were operated by local priests
Collected large portion of revenues for themselves
Held large amounts of terriroty
Printing Press
Invented by Johannes Gutenberg in 1448. The written documents of
Luther and Calvin could then be read by a much larger audience.
Even though the Catholic Church was able to take advantage of this
as well, censorship was significantly more difficult.
Culmination of grievances with the Catholic Church lead to the formation of Protestant branches