Reasons for the Reformation in England

1967 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The reformations

Before the reformation the only church that existed was the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church was extremely powerful at the start of the 16th Century. It had many followers covering a large proportion of the world, the area being called Christendom, which was classed as the Catholic community. The Church was the largest employer with large numbers of farm workers, servants and builders. The church ran most of the few schools and hospitals. Some of the pupils from the schools grew up to become monks or priests. The churches taught people how to behave in almost everything they did. Some of their power came from, the amount of money gained from selling indulgences that were claimed to reduce the time in purgatory. Conversely the church was very demanding. They said that if people did not carry out good deeds they would go straight to hell e.g. if they didn’t pay the church. Heretics would get burnt alive then there soul would go to hell Inside the church on the walls were lots of pictures of hell. The Church said that if you are a heretic when you go to hell your soul would live on and be tortured and punished, such as being burned and stabbed. This was intended to scare people and make them perform good deeds which would make them follow the church. The Churches ‘abuses’ led to Martin Luther strongly objecting to their way of making profits and the way it treated its followers with excessive demands. This made him nail 95 theses to the door of the castle in Wittenberg, Germany; in 1517. The Reformation in Europe was created by Martin Luther. He loved the Roman Catholic Church but wanted it to change for the better. Things that were identified as being wrong with the Catholic Church included: The priests were... ... middle of paper ... ...he consequences if they were not. Some prayers and the Bible were translated into English with a copy of the Bible being put into every church in the country. By the late 1530’s Henry was running short of money. This was due to wars in Europe and the expense in his personal life. To solve this issue Henry took over all of the monasteries. He took all of their gold and silver ornaments and all of their land. He sold this land which brought him a lot of money. The ministries he took over were eventually turned into private houses or just left alone to become a ruin. Henry said that all monks were immoral and lazy. He used this as an excuse to close all of the monasteries. Although Henry had broken away from the Catholic Church, many things did not change. Priests were not allowed to marry. Most services were in Latin and the 6 articles in 1539 were mostly Catholic.

Show More
Related

  • Reasons That Led Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation

    384 Words  | 1 Pages

    Born in Germany, in 1483, Martin Luther went on to become one of western history’s most significant figure. Luther spent his early life as a priest and a lawyer. He was also the professor of theology. Considering his background it was a total surprise that Luther protested and criticized the catholic church. Even more surprising since he was a priest. However, Martin Luther didn’t want to destroy the church after all he was a priest. He just wanted to reform some of the church’s perceived abuses. There are different reasons that sparked Martin Luther’s protestant reformation, namely. 1) salvation or getting to heaven, was won by faith alone, 2) the selling of indulgences, 3) the bible

    Read More

  • Protestant Reformation Dbq

    1260 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Protestant Reformation was a period of time (1500-1700) where there became a change in Western Christendom. This reformation was caused by the resentment from the people because the Catholic Church abusing their powers for political and economic advances. In this time the church was selling pardons for sin and indulgences to forgive sins, decrease days spent in purgatory and save the dead from damnation. The reformation was when people became more aware with the back hand dealings with the church and men like Martin Luther and John Calvin created their own churches to what they believed was not corrupt unlike the church. Unfortunately there many consequences as far at the Roman Catholic church attempting to bring people back to the church,

    Read More

  • The Reformation

    1917 Words  | 4 Pages

    Luther decided to act upon the reformation due to his theological issue with the church; the church was not selling indulgences. During his time with the reformation, Luther created Lutheranism; a practice based on his own beliefs. Luther’s reformation was a great success and many reformers were to follow his footsteps. Many years later, a reformer known as John Calvin, born in 1509 in France, intended to be a priest until he heard of Luther’s ideas while in France. Calvin agreed with some of Luther’s ideas and disagreed with others, which is why he... ...

    Read More

  • Changes in Early Modern Europe

    960 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Reformation and the Counter-Reformation were major motivating factors in early modern Europe leading to exploration of new lands. This began with Martin Luther’s break from Catholic doctrine in 1519. By the time the Reformation came onto the European stage, Spain had already discovered the New World and started settling there. One of their goals was to establish colonies and convert the Natives to Catholicism, so that religion gained an early foothold in the New World. The Protestant Reformation taking place in England was driven by the Christian Church to return to the “purity of early Christianity.” This group was tired of the worldliness of the Roman Catholic Church that came about during the Renaissance age. Another major change was the printing press, which allowed quick access to Luther’s ideas. According to the text, “the printed word and the ability to read it were to become revolutionary weapons.” Out of Luther’s concepts came John Calvin who created Calvinism, which further refined Luther’s ideas. Both Calvinism and Lutheranism appealed to the common man.

    Read More

  • Differences Between Henry Viii And Edward Vi

    496 Words  | 1 Pages

    Nunneries and Monasteries were closed by Henry VIII as it was assumed that Nuns and Monks would stay loyal to the Pope and it was also unnecessary as England was now detached from Catholicism. Henry VIII put Thomas Cromwell in charge of the dissolution of the Monasteries and he sent out commissioners to find out what they owned, how much money they made and to report what went on inside the monasteries. Glastonbury Abbey was a monastery and when it was ruined the monks were left to wander the

    Read More

  • Martin Luther Thesis Statement

    644 Words  | 2 Pages

    Martin Luther was a friar very devoted to the Church but after analyzing all these aspects he decided to do something about it. On October 31, 1517 he attached to the door of Wittenberg Castle a list of 95 theses or propositions on indulgences. These theses criticized papal policies and were objections about he church put on hold for discussion.

    Read More

  • The English Reformation

    1412 Words  | 3 Pages

    Though there was no driving force like Luther, Zwingli or Calvin during the English Reformation, it succeeded because certain people strived for political power and not exactly for religious freedom. People like Queen Elizabeth I and Henry VIII brought the Reformation in England much success, however their reasons were based on self-gain and desire for political power.

    Read More

  • The Impact Of The Reformation Of Europe

    1371 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Reformation of Europe can be regarded as one of the largest religious movements in history. This time of turmoil caused Europe to re-evaluate the Catholic Church and to determine if the Catholic Church was corrupt. Truly a time of religious conflict, Europe was split between a myriad of religious beliefs varying from calvinism to catholicism. Before the sixteenth century, Catholicism was the most popular religion in Europe. Yet the Reformation changed the way people looked at religion, as well as reshaped the religious duties of the common man.

    Read More

  • English Reformation Research Paper

    639 Words  | 2 Pages

    Church law was ruled by the code of Canon Law with final jurisdiction in Rome. Church taxes were paid straight to Rome and the Pope had the final word in the appointment of bishops. England’s break from Rome was provoked by a series of acts of Parliament passed between 1532 and 1534; among them the 1534 Act of supremacy which declared that Henry VIII was the “Supreme Head on earth of the Church of England”. Henry VIII selected himself and his successors as the Supreme rulers of the English Church. Henry VIII changed Bibles from Latin into English so that people in the service could understand what was happening and what was being read to them in the services. After the death of King Henry VIII, England fell under the rule of his daughter Mary I. Mary was hated by the English because she wanted to reunite with Rome. Once she achieved this, the English hated her, in result of England’s hatred Mary I was executed. Then Mary’s half-sister Elizabeth I became ruler of England. She followed in her father’s footsteps, separating the English from the Roman Church.

    Read More

  • The Reformation in Europe: Three Individuals that Made It Happen

    783 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the Reformation in Europe, many changes were brought about. Among these changes included people such as Erasmus, Martin Luther, the peasants of Swabia, and King Henry VIII. These people brought about some of the most important changes in European history. Without these individuals Europe would be a completely different country than what it is today.

    Read More

  • Negative Effects Of The Reformation On Society

    168 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Reformation brought many positive outcomes to society, and created great progress in many ways. The Reformation left Europe culturally divided, and therefore allowed each religious group to focus on improving their world. The role of education in all religious groups was elevated, and many used academics to promote their beliefs. This led to the founding of parish schools and modern colleges all around Europe. As the role of education grew in importance, so did the role of women. Because the Reformation decreased the churches power and authority, individuals and states gained power. This promoted individualism as well as secular and humanistic ideas. Women were still in charge of the home front, however now, they were considered and listened

    Read More

  • Martin Luther And The Counter Reformation

    812 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Reformation was the religious, political, intellectual, and cultural rise that separated Catholic Europe of the 16th century, this set beliefs that would define the era today. In northern and central Europe, reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin challenged the authority, and questioned the Catholic Church’s ability to back up there practices. The change that the reformation started was characterized by the notion of souls being saved without the cycle of penitence or confession, but rather by the grace of God and faith. A new church structure arose from this. Instead of needing a central hierarchy, a group of believers just gathered around a preacher. The separation started wars, killings, and what they called The Counter-Reformation.

    Read More

  • Corruption In The Roman Catholic Church

    1003 Words  | 3 Pages

    Everyone fell subject and anyone who spoke was burned at the stake. This led to corrupt activities such as indulgences and simony. “All of them want to lead a life of pleasure and abundance in princely pomp and circumstance, without having to work for it” (Ozment, 54). The laity support the church and the papacy. The Reformers argue the clergy hide behind holy clothes, instead they use the money for their own personal gain.

    Read More

  • Factors Leading to Protestant Reformation

    672 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...ion in our country as we know it is greatly due to this rise of people who could no longer stand by while the church bargained with them for an imaginary passage to heaven. The Catholic Church has since reformed and condemned the selling of indulgences and has even attempted to repair its rivalry with the Lutheran Church, evidence that the effects of the Reformation are long reaching and continue to be revealed even today.

    Read More

  • Effects Of The Reformation

    1285 Words  | 3 Pages

    This could be seen most clearly in England as Henry VIII proceeded to break from papal authority and establish the Church of England. Changes could also be seen throughout society as the Protestant emphasis on the individual reading of the Scripture placed a demand on improving literacy. Additionally, both Catholics and Protestants in their zeal to defend their faith, targeted religious minorities such as Jews and Muslims. The initial challenges to Catholic orthodoxy were meant to reform the practices of the church, but ultimately led to a schism in European Christendom. The split in European Christianity resulted in far-reaching political and social changes. Each of the early reformers faced opposition from both the Church, the secular rulers, and their own communities. The initial skepticism of the these groups quickly gave way to more hostile reactions which included excommunication, being shunned or in extreme cases being put to death. Financing their movements was also an issue. They required the patronage of a state or national ruler to back their cause. On Oct. 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted his 95 theses on the door of the castle church at Wittenberg, inviting debate on matters of practice and doctrine. Luther's action was not yet a revolt against the church but a movement for reform within. It was, however, much more than an objection to the money-grabbing and secular policies of the clergy. Luther had already become convinced that in certain matters of doctrine the purity of the ancient church had been perverted by self-seeking Popes and clergy. Luther challenged the Catholic Church's practice of the sale of "Indulgences" which would enable a person to be excepted from God's punishment for his sins if he paid the Church a sum of money. For Luther, salvation could not be found in membership

    Read More

More about Reasons for the Reformation in England

Open Document