Martin Luther And The Counter Reformation

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.

Martin Luther was the son of a copper miner and born in Eisleben in Thuringia.

Luther com-posed his “95 thesis” when he went to the university lecturer in Wittenberg. He was able to translate the bible to German because he wanted the people to really understand what was inside of it. The way they would understand it is if they would read it for themselves. Luther makes two claims, the first one is that we should rely on scripture alone. The second is our salvation depends not at all on our works but on our faith alone, Luther is saying that we depend on the grace given to us by god. With this it has changed the way some of the people has practiced their faith. Luther was a formidable writer. The Lu-theran Church had to take on many forms, and their loving mercy of the Divine Being. What Luther is saying could give the congregations a new way to practice their faith. In one of the many thesis Martin Luther states, one sticks out to me the most. Thesis 62 Luther states “The true treasure of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God”. This is very true to what he believed. That we are saved by grace and that is a key factor in the church. By the end of the Reformation, Lutheran-ism had become the state religion throughout much of

Germany.

John Calvin was fine with using the bible as ones authority. He does not like how it’s just a book, or even a set a books. Interpretations could change and vary a lot over time easily. He was one of the other reformers who took a different line from Luther. According to Calvinism salvation is accomplished by and threw the almighty God. The Father picked the people, the Son died for them, the Holy Spirit makes people able to experience Christ after his death and repentance, lets them willingly obey the Gospel. The five points to Calvinism is summed up by TULIP. The T stands for total depravity, U is for unconditional election, L for limited atonement, I for irresistible grace, and P for perseverance of the saints. Total Depravity is maybe the most misunderstood tenet of Calvinism. The effect of the fall on man is that sin has been extended into every part of his life, not that he is intensely sinful, but that it has extended to all of him. Unconditional Election is the thing which states that God chose those whom he was pleased to bring to know himself. Limited Atonement is the answer to the question many people have, “for whose sins did Christ atone?” Christ died to atone for specific sins of specific sinners. Christ died to make the church holy. He did not atone for all the men, because obviously all men are not saved. Irresistible Grace is the response by the elect to the inward call of the Holy Spirit, when the outward call is given by the evangelist or minister of the Word of God. Perseverance of the Saints is where it states that the saints will remain in God’s hand until they are glorified and bought to abide with him in heaven.
The Counter Reformation did many things, wheatear you say it was a success or not depends on your definition of success.

One of the many things it done, was that the Popes were more open to constructive change and more churches were built out of that. The Counter Reformation proved to everyone that the Catholic Church sees there past failings and are willing to learn from them instead of just ignoring it. The ideas from the new Catholic Church begun to spread. Though all of the failings of the Catholic Church have not been removed, they were in a much healthier state in the 1600. If the Counter Reformation had been introduced so they could reach the souls that were lost to Protestantism in Europe then it had failed. However, it gained millions of followers in America and Far East. It depends on your idea of success wheatear that is one or

not.