基督教與西方文明 – 羅秉祥博士 Christianity & Western Civilization LO, Ping-cheung, Ph.D. 2009年 第一季成人主學專題

1. 旺浸主日學第四講： 宗教改革對社會
與文明的廣泛影響
馬丁路得
Martin Luther

2. October 31
• Halloween  Hallows’ e’en  the eve
before All Saints (Hallows) Day
• Reformation Day, Oct 31, 1517

4. Background of Reformation
• Cultural-Intellectual: the Renaissance
• Ecclesial: the corruption of the church
• Personal-Spiritual: Martin Luther’s
religious struggle
• Social-Political: German nationalism
Reformation ： Development and Impacts

6. 文藝復興
• Key effects …
1. A return to ancient written sources
“Ad fontes!”
2. An emphasis on ancient artistic
styles and forms
3. A movement from Scholasticism
to humanism

13. Sistine Chapel
• Built between 1475 and 1483
• Michelangelo Buonarroti was
commissioned by Pope Julius II della
Rovere in 1508 to repaint the ceiling; the
work was completed between 1508 and
1512.
• He painted the Last Judgement over the
altar, between 1535 and 1541, being
commissioned by Pope Paul III Farnese.

18. Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome
• In A.D. 67, during the reign of Emperor
Nero, Saint Peter was crucified,
headdown, in the Circus Maximus. After
his death, some of the faithful built a
simple tomb for his remains in the center
of a pagan cemetery on what is now
known as Vatican Hill. The tomb soon
began drawing pilgrims, and over the next
few years their number steadily increased.

19. • By the 4th Century pilgrimages to Rome
increased enormously. With the Peace of
the Church--when emperor Constantine I
legalized Christianity throughout the
empire following his own conversion--
there was a flurry of church building in
Rome that included a basilica on Vatican
Hill over the old cemetery.

20. • The Basilica of Peter the Apostle was
richly decorated and furnished and began
attracting pilgrims from the far reaches of
the empire. By the late fifteenth century,
however, Constantine’s Basilica of Saint
Peter had fallen into disrepair and was
structurally unsound. Over the next two
centuries, it was replaced by the present
basilica and the buildings of today’s
Vatican.

21. • By 1506, St. Peter's Basilica, the main church at the
Vatican, was too small and decrepit to impress
anyone.
• Following the examples set by emperors and
sultans, Pope Julius II decided to crown the old
church with a dome.
• He hired Italian architect Donato Bramante to do the
job. Bramante's vision for the Basilica was simple: a
Greek cross with equal-sized arms around a central
dome. But Bramante and the Pope died before
much could be built.
• In 1546, a young artist from Florence named
Michelangelo gained total control of the construction
of St. Peter's, the largest church in Christendom.

22. Pope
Julius II

24. • The relation between this building project
and the Reformation?
• To be continued

25. 人文主義者 / 人文學者
• Key person …
ERASMUS
1. Compiled the
Textus Receptus
Greek New
Testament
2. Criticized
corruption in the
churches.

26. 《
愚
人
頌
》

27. Earlier humanists-critics:
• “The humanists were, however, conscious
rebels, whether their main interest was in
scholarship, philosophy, art, or letters. They
are very modern in their awareness of being in
revolt against their fathers, the men of the
Middle Ages.” (C. Brinton, The Story of Western Thought, 2nd
ed., 1963, p.211)

28. • This complex movement we call
humanism “is a very self-conscious rebel,
a rebel against a way of life it finds
corrupt, over elaborated, stale, unlovely,
and untrue.” (p.212)

30. 教會腐敗 1: 高層
• Avignon Papacy (1309-1378) – the pope
was effectively a vassal of the French King
• The Great Schism (1378-1417)
 2 Popes: Rome vs. Avignon,
• The two popes excommunicated each
other, and issued bulls calling for
crusades against each other
• 3 Popes!

32. “The Church at the beginning
of the 16th century stood in
great need of purification and
reform at every level”
• “The Renaissance popes frequently lived
more like secular princes than like
spiritual leaders
• Their personal lives were sometimes
scandalous

33. • Their position as rulers of the Papal States
involved them in warfare and political
intrigue
• Their political and artistic projects
demanded the expenditure of enormous
amounts of money.
• The Roman Curia (the central
administrative body of the Church) was
top heavy, inefficient, and corrupt;
• Positions were frequently sold to raise
funds for a depleted papal treasury.”
(quoted from “Reformation, The.” The Modern Catholic
Encyclopedia, 1994, imprimatur ! p.722)

35. Censor's stamp: NIHIL OBSTAT "nothing stands in the way"
Bishop's stamp: IMPRIMATUR "let it be printed"

36. 教會腐敗 2: 中層
• “Bishoprics could be looked upon primarily
as sources of income, and…it was
sometimes necessary for churchmen to
acquire several sees to support
themselves”
(New Catholic Encyclopedia, 2nd ed., vol 2, p.14)

37. • “Frequently bishops and pastors had
multiple ‘benefices’ （有俸聖職） from
which they drew income without attending
to their pastoral responsibilities or even
residing in the place….”
• The Modern Catholic Encyclopedia, p.723

38. 教會腐敗 3: 基層
• “Celibacy was poorly observed; it was
common for clergy to have concubines or
common-law wives.
• Discipline in the monasteries was lax.
• Preaching was neglected…
• popular religion was riddled with
superstition and theological
misunderstanding.”
The Modern Catholic Encyclopedia, p.723

39. 改革努力的先驅 !!
• John Wycliffe （ 1320s –1384 英格蘭）
• The Great Schism made him reject the
traditional theology of the church
• 離開宗教改革日約 140 年
• Read: “Reformation, the” The
HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Catholicism
(1995), p.1091

40. John Hus （捷克）
• 1409 three Popes
• 1413 Reply to the Synod of Prague
• “But if his [the Pope’s] life is contrary to Christ,
then he is a thief, a robber, who introduces
himself surreptitiously, a ravening wolf, a
hypocrite and of all mortals the chief Antichrist.”
• “For nothing is more certain than that the pope
and all the Curia can be deceived as to the truth
as in their customs.”
• Quoted from How to Read Church History [ 天主教出版社 ], vol 1,
p.184.

41. John
Huss
Burned
as a
heretic
1415

42. 離
開
宗
教
改
革
日
約
100
年

43. Girolamo
Savonarola
1452-1498
（意大利）

44. Savonarola
on the sinful church
• “Sitting on the throne of Solomon she [the
church] makes signs of all who pass by;
anyone who has the money enters and
does whatever he pleases. But anyone
who desires the good is thrown out. So it
is, prostituted church, that you have
uncovered your shame in the eyes of all
the universe…”
• He was burned at the stake, 1498
• 離開宗教改革日約 20 年

45. Conciliarism
• Council of Constance, 1414-18
• The decree Sacrosancta, 1415
• “…that this same Council,….constitutes a
General Council, representing the Catholic
church militant and that therefore it has its
authority immediately from Christ; and that
all men, of every rank and condition,
including the pope himself, is bound to
obey it in matters concerning the Faith,….

47. Devotional Movements
• Brethren of the Common Life
• Augustinian Eremites
• Wrote numerous devotional tracts that
advocated intense self-examination and a
life of prayer and Bible reading.

48. Martin Luther
as a monk

49. Terrified conscience
• Martin Luther’s religious struggle
• Unceasing sins  repentance and
confession never complete  God’s
judgement  terrified and in despair  no
assurance of salvation

50. “Like a penitent who beats
his back to a bloody pulp,
Luther punishes himself
unmercifully. His sins
always loom so terribly
large in his sight. He
torments himself
endlessly – until at last he
makes a discovery, a
great and liberating
discovery in….

51. 羅馬書 1:17
因為神的義正在這福音上顯明出來
，這義是本於信，以至於信，如經
上所記：「義人必因信得生。」

53. German Nationalism
• Resistance of Germany cash flowing into
Italy
• Resistance of Italian Pope’s control of
German religious life
• Resistance of the Holy Roman Emperor’s
control of German political life
• Awakening of German identity

55. 受洗後的罪
• 告解
1. contrition 為罪痛悔（心）
2. confession 告明（口）
3. satisfaction 補贖 （善行）
• 宣佈赦免
• 十字軍東征 / 侵 大赦（ indulgence ）

56. 煉
獄

58. • The Church believes that Purgatory is a
place to clean up the effects of “Venial Sin”
(not Mortal Sin which, if un-repented, leads
to eternal punishment).
• Purgatory would be where the backslider
would get cleaned up before joining the
wedding banquet of the Lord - so he
wouldn't be thrown out (Mat 22:12) For
nothing unclean can enter the presence of
God in heaven (Rev. 21:27) Certainly Jesus
can and does the clean up. He is a merciful
God but he is also a just God.

59. Indulgence 大赦
• “In Roman Catholic theology, remission of
temporal punishment for sin.
• An indulgence, once granted, obviates the
need for the sinner to do penance,
although it does not necessarily remove
guilt, and may be only a partial rather than
a full (plenary) indulgence.
• Previously available from bishops, today
they are granted only by the pope.”

60. 當大赦可以“販賣”…

61. Using money
borrowed from others,
Albrecht gained the
approval of both pope
and emperor to hold
three major church
offices at one time.
Now the loan has to
be repaid.

62. Pope Leo X
In 1517 He
permitted the
proclamation of an
indulgence in the
territories of
Archbishop Albert
of Mainz
“Since God has given
us the papacy, let us
enjoy it.”

63. • “The ‘good work” required was a
contribution toward the re-building of St.
Peter’s basilica.
• The faithful were not told that half the
contributions were to go to Albert to pay
the debt he incurred for his ‘installation
fee’ as archbishop.”

64. • “Albert and the preachers of the
indulgence made extraordinary claims for
it: remission not only of punishment, but of
sin itself; or, for souls in purgatory,
immediate release, without repentance on
the part of the contributor. It was easy for
uneducated people to think that they were
‘buying’ grace.”
• Quoted from The Modern Catholic Encyclopedia, p.724

65. “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings,
the soul from purgatory springs”

67. Fifteenth-
century letter
of indulgence

69. Church Door
University of
Wittenberg

72. Read
• The 95 Theses
• 《九十五條論綱》（關
於贖罪劵效能的辯論）

75. 教宗諭旨 Bull, 1520
• Threatening Luther with excommunication
by Pope Leo X
• Requiring everybody who can lay hands
on the writings of Luther to burn them

76. Luther burns the
papal bull and also
the papal laws and
constitutions, the
decretals

77. The burning signifies a final break with the
Roman church
A single individual stands up to the power of
an institution 1500 years old.

79. The Diet (Council) of Worms
• In April 1521 Luther was brought before
the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, to
defend his beliefs and actions. In reply,
the emperor said:
• “A single friar who goes counter to all
Christianity for a thousand years must be
wrong. I have decided to mobilize
everything against Luther: my kingdoms
and dominions, my friends, my body, my
blood, and my soul.”

81. “Unless I am convinced by the testimony of
the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do
not trust either in the pope or in councils
alone, since it is well known that they have
often erred and contradicted themselves),
I am bound by the Scriptures I have
quoted and my conscience is captive to
the Word of God. I cannot and will not
retract anything, since it is neither safe or
right to go against conscience…

82. “Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. May God help
me.”

83. Extreme danger
• Already excommunicated by the Pope
• Now to be outlawed by the Emperor !!
• 分裂教會，顛覆國家，煽動叛亂！
• 竟敢叛逆全歐洲權力最大的兩個人，不法
之徒！

85. Awakening of the German identity
• German princes wished to resist imperial
and church control of German states
• (Emperor Charles V: a Spaniard)
• Frederick the Wise helped Luther in hiding
• Luther translated the New Testament
Bible from Greek into a vernacular
language, German – immensely popular
and influential

90. Luther’s emphases
1. Scripture as authority (sola scriptura, sola
gratia, sola fide)
2. Justification by faith alone (Romans)
3. Priesthood of all believers: Rejection of
hierarchy  direct link to Scripture and God
4. Focus on the “Word” Sermon
5. Translated Bible into German  Wide
access to Scripture

91. Ultimately Rejected
• Papacy
• Later Church Tradition

92. Also Rejected:
• Clerical celibacy (Luther married a former
nun)
• monasticism
• veneration of Mary
• prayer to saints
• pilgrimage, etc.

93. The spread of the
Reformation
• 1518 Switzerland
• 1527 Sweden
• 1536 Denmark-Norway
• 1560 Scotland
• 1563 England
• 1568 the Netherlands

94. 大一統大半壁江山，四分五裂
ca.1600

95. The Peace of Augsburg
(1555)
• “cuius regio, eius religio” (“Whose rule, his
religion” ；教隨政定 — 羅馬帝國羅諸侯）
• Catholics and Lutherans can migrate to
another part of the Holy Roman Empire in
which their faith was solely legitimate.
• The first official toleration of religious
diversity in the Empire since Constantine
• Pluralism !!

96. The Reformation Heritage to
European Civilization
• Promoted religious tolerance
• Added momentum to individualism
• Promoted mass education
• Furthered democracy
Edward McNall Burns and Philip Lee Ralph,
World Civilizations, 5th ed., volume 1, pp.569-571.

97. Read
• “Reformation, The” The Modern Catholic
Encyclopedia, section on “Effects of the
Reformation,” p.730
• 《西歐文明》，頁 415-416.

98. The Catholic Reformation
• Council of Trent, 1545-1563
• “Several new orders appeared that aimed
at reestablishing the credibility of the
ascetical life.” (MCE, p.728)
• Ignatius of Loyola, Society of Jesus
(founded 1534, approved by the Pope
1540)
• Jesuits to N. America, C. America, S.
America, India, Japan, China !!

99. • “While many of the Renaissance popes
had been causes of scandal, Pius V…set
an example of asceticism and morality.
He limited luxurious living in the papal
territories and imposed penalties for
simony, blasphemy, sodomy, and
concubinage.” (MCE, p.729)
• Spirituality: Teresa of Avila, John of the
Cross

100. 新生機
千年老店，國營企業，病入膏肓
引入競爭，急起直追，創造雙贏

101. 李平曄 1992
《人的發現》
1985
《走向未来》叢
書的第一本

102. 吳于廑序（ 1991 ）
“ 馬丁‧路德宗教改革的歷史性功績，就在於
確認人的信仰應當取決於人內心的理解，
而非取決於外在的強制。…這就把人的信
仰從天主教正宗教義的禁錮下解放出來，
為近代西方的宗教自由和某程度上的思想
自由樹立了先聲。…當前我國正以全力從
事社會主義四個現代化的建設，…”

103. 自序
“ 的確，歷史上從來沒有過這樣的文化，這樣
的精神，它能保持其基本原理的不變而適
應幾種不同的生產關系，至今尚無衰敗之
勢。…如果我們了解一點基督教，了解一
點西方人民生活的文化背景，…不就更有
利於我們…探索中華民族現代化之路麼？”

104. 再論：
時勢造英雄？英雄造時勢？

106. 思考問題
• 教會的改革有沒有句號，從此不需再改革
了？
• 若教會永遠需要改革，理由安在，是甚麼
因素導致？
• 我們該有甚麼警惕之心，防止教會腐敗或
犯錯？
• 教會如何可燃起新生機？