Protestant Reformation Notes - given 11.4.10

1. The Protestant Reformation

3. The Renaissance…
 Weakened the Church
 Printing press spread secular books
 However – the other problem was the
Church itself
◦ Spent $ on personal pleasure
◦ Pursuing worldly affairs
◦ Priests broke vows by marrying and
drinking/gambling
◦ Indulgences - _____________________

4. But…I guess I understand being
a teacher
 I don’t make a TON of money….
 So, I wanted to make a deal. Since we
are almost to the end of the semester,
I am going to make a bargain:
◦ If you want to give me $100 – I will give
you an A.
◦ I will pardon you from all of your failing
grades
◦ Any takers??

5. One man decided to make a
change
 Martin Luther
 He wrote 95 Theses, or formal statements,
attacking the “pardon-merchants”
 On October 31, 1517 – he posted these
statements on the door of the castle
church
 They were copied and became known all
over Germany
 This became known as the Reformation –
a movement for religious reform
 What exactly was this change about??

7. Document #2:
Martin Luther posted 95 arguments against the pope on the
door of Wittenberg Church, here are some of them.
*“If the pope truly has the power to forgive sins, shouldn’t he do
it for free out of love instead of for money?”
*“All those who are sure of salvation because of indulgences will
be doomed to Hell, together with their teachers.”
*“Christians should be taught that one who gives to the poor, or
lends to the needy, does a better action than if he purchases
indulgences.”
*“The pope’s indulgences cannot remove even the guilt of the
smallest sins.”
*“Since the pope is the richest man in the world, why doesn’t he
use his own money to build churches instead of poor believers?”
1. How does Luther feel about indulgences? (Show video 4:43)
2. How does Luther feel about the pope?
3. Do you agree with Luther? Why or why not?

8. Document #3:
Luther drew cartoons in his books to help the people
understand his point.
The first picture shows Jesus Christ carrying the cross on which he
would be crucified. The second picture shows the pope in a very
different situation.
1. Describe the 2nd picture in detail.
2. Explain the differences between the two pictures.
3. What point do you think Luther was trying to make?

9. Document #4:
Luther drew cartoons in his books to help the people understand
his point.
The first picture shows the birth of Jesus Christ in a stable attended by
animals. The second picture shows the pope in a very different
situation.
1. Describe the 2nd picture in detail.
2. Explain the differences between the two pictures.
3. What point do you think Luther was trying to make?

10. Document #5:
Music
1. Which church do you think this music came from?
Why?
Catholic Church Music
• polyphonic style (many voices entering at different times)
• clearly heard lyrics
• step-by-step melodies and long phrases for a calm feeling
• Latin lyrics
Lutheran Church Music
• Chordal style (multiple singers at once)
• one syllable per note helps the words to be heard
• regular beat
• short musical phrases
• German lyrics

11. Luther’s Teachings
 1. People could win salvation only by
___________ in God’s gift of forgiveness.
The Church taught that faith and “good
works” were needed for salvation.
 2. All Church teachings should be clearly
based on the words of the Bible. Both the
pope and church traditions were false
authorities.
 3. All people with faith were equal.
Therefore, people did not need priests to

12. The Reaction to Luther
How do you think the
Church will react?
*Pope Leo X excommunicated
Luther for heresy
*Holy Roman Emperor
declared Luther an outlaw
and that no one in his
empire should give him
food or shelter
*Books should be burned
How do you think his
followers will react?
*Luther translated the New
Testament to German
*Luther and his followers
became a separate religious
group called…??
-Lutherans!
*Princes signed a protest
against the pope and became
known as Protestants
*Protestants are Christians who
belong to non-Catholic
churches

13. Has anyone heard of
predestination? John Calvin published Institutes
of the Christian Religion.
(Summary of Protestant
theology)
◦ The religion based on his teachings
is called Calvinism
 Predestination – God has
known since the beginning
of time who will be saved –
“the elect”
 In his government - there
were very strict rules
◦ No one wore bright clothing,
no card games
Did you know:
*The Presbyterian Church was founded
after a Scottish preacher named John
Knox visited Geneva (Calvin’s model city)
*Presbyters – were elders who governed
the church

14. The Catholic Reformation
 Protestant churches won many
followers, however, millions remained
true to Catholicism
 However…in order to keep Catholics
loyal to their church, what does the
Catholic Church need to do?
 *insert – you say you want a
revolution

15. The Counter Reformation
 Ignatius of Loyola – gathered
followers and created the
Society of Jesus
◦ “Jesuits” – focused on three
activities:
 1. Founded superb schools throughout
Europe
 2. Convert Non-Christians to
Catholicism
 3. Stop the spread of Protestantism
 Popes reformed the Church
◦ Investigated indulgences
◦ Inquisition – sought out heresy
◦ Council of church leaders to meet

16. The Council of Trent
 The Church’s interpretation
of the Bible was final
 Christians needed faith AND
good works for salvation
 The Bible and Church
tradition were equally
powerful authorities for
guiding Christian life
 Indulgences were valid
expressions of faith – but the
false selling of indulgences
were banned
 Burned books considered
dangerous to Catholicism

17. Today’s Effects
 France and Spain
remained Catholic
and spread
Catholicism to
Mexico and South
America.
 England and
Germany became
Protestant and
spread
Protestantism into
what is now the
USA.