1.
Reformation
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2.
The Reformation Begins
 Renaissance thought emphasized people to think and
reason for themselves.
 Along with this came the questioning of traditional
authority from the Roman Catholic Church that had
been losing power for decades.
 Economic reasons also fueled a reformation as many
people were tired of the wealth the Catholic Church
held.
 People also disliked the heavy taxes and large amounts
of land the church possessed as well as its involvement
in political matters.
 Church practices were also called into question by
western.
 Some knew that the church were selling indulgences –
telling people their sins would be forgiven if they paid
the church or its members to forgive them.

3.
The Reformation Begins
 (cont’d) The church said that faith
alone could not justify man and
send him to heaven. They said
charity and good work could.
Simony was another issue. This is
the buying and selling of church
positions.
Pope Leo X approved of this
practice because he could use the
money to make St. Peter’s Basilica.
Desiderius Erasmus as we have
learned was another precursor.
 Some people would later say “he
laid the egg that Luther hatched”

4.
Martin Luther
 Born in November of 1483 in Germany.
 He dropped out of law school and devoted himself to a
monastic life.
 He even earned a Doctorate of Theology at the University
of Wittenberg in 1512.
 Luther protested against the materialistic life of church
officials and the ultimate power of the Pope.
 He believed the bible was the final authority on religious
matters, not the Pope.
 He also wanted to have the bible printed in German so he
could let people read it and interpret it freely instead of
having to read Latin.
 He felt faith was a free gift to man from God and was the
only way to salvation.

5.
Martin Luther
 He is the author of the famous 95 Theses written in 1517.
 *Remember Gutenberg’s press! This wasn’t the first time
someone wrote against the church but it was the first time
it was done effectively since it could be produced so easily.
 Accepted date of nailing to Wittenberg Church: October 31,
1517.
 After his ideas were translated and printed in German,
Luther and his followers established the first Protestant
religion known as Lutheranism.
 F: Faith saves people, not working off sins in hell
 U: Ultimate authority of the church is God, not the Pope
 N: Nobody is more important in God’s eyes. Everyone is
equal

6.
The Reformation
Other men such as Ulrich Zwingili
from Switzerland, John Knox in
Scotland, and John Calvin in
France, were also declaring their
unhappiness with the Catholic
Church.
Calvinism:
P: Predestination. God already has
chosen who would go to heaven.
O: Our moral lives reveal if we are
chosen.
W: Work ethic honors God.
Calvinism is another sect of
Protestant Religions.

7.
Counter Reformation
 In 1545 the Council of Trent was called to order in
reaction to the growing Protestant influence in Europe.
 Martin Luther had been excommunicated from the
church 24 years ago and had continued his leadership
and founding of Lutheranism.
To maintain its power, Catholics launched a spiritual
mission to appease the complaints of church members.
The Council wanted to stop the spread of Protestant
churches.
 Catholic leaders decided to uphold the belief of supreme
power by the Pope.
 They did however stop the practice of selling
indulgences and ended the practice of simony.

8.
Counter Reformation
The church also created The Index of
Forbidden Books, a list of books Catholics
were not allowed to read.
The Inquisition was also established (church
courts) which took very harsh methods against
heretics, especially in Spain.
Lastly the Jesuit order was founded which
became known as the Society of Jesus.
This was a devout group of followers who
helped defend and preserve Catholic
teachings.

9.
The Legacy
The importance of the Reformation is
simple:
It broke down the power of the Catholic
Church
Paves the way for powerful monarchies
(discussed later)
Paves the way for religious tolerance
Gives rise to Protestant Church

10.
Cause/Effect Chart
Humanist values led people to question
church authority
Some clergy were corrupt, worldly, or poorly
educated
Martin Luther’s 95 Theses
The Printing Press helped spread ideas
Many Protestant sects developed
Church leaders reformed the Catholic Church
Religious intolerance and anti-Semitism
increased
Religious conflicts spread across Europe