Continual Trends In Attitudes Towards Catholicism And Protestantism

The age of religious wars, a period of conflict between Catholics and Protestants lasting from 1517 to 1648, is underlined by several significant changes as well as continual trends in attitudes towards Catholicism and Protestantism. There existed several major benefactors as well as adversaries who served to both precipitate and inhibit the rise of each religious power. In addition to these key players, prominent events helped to shape the progression of attitudes as people reacted to such happenings and formulated their own outlooks towards these vastly differing religions. Pope Paul III, a distinguished ally of the Roman Catholic Church, summoned the Council of Trent in 1545 which rejected any possibility of compromise with the Protestants and strongly reaffirmed Catholic teaching. This convention is widely regarded as the epitome of the Counter Reformation, a response to the Protestant Reformation which had taken place earlier in the century and rooted bitter resentment between Catholics and Protestants, as no concessions were made. Simmering tensions would later boil over in the form of violence. A constant outlook adopted by the

Dissatisfied by the violation of their rights, a group of Protestant noblemen hurled two of the king’s advisors out of an upper-story window. Although, the official’s lives were spared, the damage had been dealt. The ordeal initiated a Protestant counteroffensive throughout the Habsburg lands and subsequent Protestant uprisings sprung up in Hungary as well as Bohemia. This occurrence accentuated the long-standing issue of the Protestants constantly being on the defensive. They did not possess the power nor influence to launch a direct attack against the Catholic Church-- thus providing them with two options: to either flee Catholic persecution or