The Reformation is a very famous time during the European history as well as the three people that started this revolution in the Catholic community. This was a bad time for the catholic church, due to the fact that they changed their ways on how people get into heaven. As well as people learning how to read the bible. The Protestant Reformation of 16th century Europe was primarily the result of three men and their disagreements with the Catholic Church; Martin Luther, John Calvin, and King Henry VIII forever changed the religious landscape of Europe. Martin Luther was a German man who insisted a change in the Catholic church's restrictive and unfair regulations. Martin Luther was born to a miner and grew up in a working class family that was very religious (“Reformation”). Martin Luther studied law, but switched to theology and eventually entered a monastery (“Reformation”). On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his “ninety-five theses” on the Catholic church door. This document proclaimed he was against the church’s policies. Martin Luther was against the church’s law that sinners should have to pay for redemption like a “business transaction” (“Reformation”). Martin Luther …show more content…
John Calvin was a leader of the Protestant Reformation. He started out as a Catholic, but he converted to Protestantism in 1533 (“Reformation”). He took issue with the teachings of the Catholic church, such as the idea that people can determine or change God’s will. Calvin disagreed with this concept; rather, he believed that everyone’s fate is predetermined by an omnipotent God and no mortal can know or alter the fate God sets for him or her (“Reformation”). In addition, Calvin “rejected the elaborate ceremonies and sacraments of the Catholic Church” (“Reformation”). Instead, he believed that people should live simple, strict, and moral lives. John was a very important man, as was King Henry
In these Thesis’ Luther basically criticized the church’s wrongful practices and exposed the church’s corruption in order to bring about change in the church. Luther is quoted in Document 3 from his 95 thesis’ “Christian’s should be taught that he who gives to a poor man, or lends to a needy man, does better if he bought pardons.” Luther believed that actions, such as helping others did way more toward saving a person’s soul than buying a pardon did. He saw through the idea that one could by their way into heaven. He brought about new ideas such as God’s grace is the only way into heaven, not buying indulgences, or simply participating in church activities. His ideas eventually spread out all over Europe and his followers formed a group calling themselves Lutherans. This eventually became a protestant denomination, where Luther preached ideas, and his version of christianity. Also other reformist such as John Calvin had their own ideas, like predestination, and that everyone was full of sin until they were saved by christ. “We must resist the lust of the flesh, which, unless kept in order, overflows without measure.” (Document 6) Calvin believed that everyone was filled with this sinful “lust” that could not be kept in order without the power of christ. Calvin also started a sect of christianity nicknamed Calvinist after their leader. Both Luther and Calvin inspired others such as George Fox, who created quakerism, and Ulrich Zwingli who started anabaptism. Overall a huge force that drove the Protestant Reformation was reformers such as Martin Luther and John
In 1541, John Calvin was invited to Geneva to put his reformed doctrine into practice. Calvin’s Geneva became a centrum for Protestant exiles, and his doctrines rapidly spread to Scotland, France, Transylvania and the low Countries. Dutch Calvinism became a religious and economic force for the next 400 years. In 1559 Elizabeth I took the
John Calvin and Martin Luther were both Protestant reformers in the sixteenth century who jump started the Reformation. They were both very committed to God however they approached it at somewhat different angles. The differences between these two became a battle between predestination and justification by faith alone. Along with that there was a generation gap in between them that may have caused John Calvin’s difference in views compared to Martin Luther.
Through the tumultuous years between 1350 and 1750, a surge of lust for change clawed at the hearts of Europeans. This yearning for stability translated in different ways throughout Europe, however, it undeniably reformed the mindset of Europe's kingdoms. While some turned to a strong monarch to carry the burden of their anxieties, others filled their hearts with fervent nationalism, others still, placed their discontentment solely on the evils of the Catholic Church. As would be expected, the Catholic Church did not respond well to this push against their time honored authority, though ultimately a reformed mindset took grip of European society.
The leaders of the Reformation, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, Henry VIII, and Elizabeth I all had similar ideas that the Catholic Church’s rule was strict and did not meet their needs in a political or spiritual realm. Their success in breaking away from the church and influencing others came at a time when the church was exerting its power in both the religious and state arena. The leaders of the Reformation were successful due to the shift in attitudes toward the church regarding spiritual salvation and political movement.
John Calvin produced the first defined the presentation on Protestantism, which was titled 'Institutes of the Christian Religion'. Sometime in 1522-1534, John had what he called a 'sudden conversion' and accepted Protestantism. The Town Council also accepted Calvin's Ecclesiastical Ordinances, which set up a theocracy in Geneva; a government based on Church rule. Calvin mainly believed in the absolute sovereignty of God, and the person's complete inability to contribute anything towards their own salvation. That second point is known as pre-destination.
The history of Christianity throughout the world encompasses a significant number of differing theological interpretations. These theological differences gave way to many movements that are a part of the transcending history of the Christian Faith. A sector of these theologically driven movements is the Protestant reform. As a movement, Protestant Reform represents the protest of the traditionally widely practiced religion of the time which was Catholicism. There are four different movements that are a part of the Protestant reform. Each harbors its own identity in that they all seek to establish the church according to the New Testament. Lead by Martin Luther, the Lutheran movement unintentionally began the reformation. “The Reformation of Martin Luther was primarily a movement of doctrinal and theological reform.” (Steinmetz 1979) The impact that Martin Luther had on movements the protestant ideals that followed is prevalent. Although each of these four movements do not agree in their entirety they are interconnected by their yearning to reform the practice of Christianity. In an attempt to express the relevance of the protestant movement to the ascension of the Christian faith, particularly the Protestant church, the explication of each movement is imperative.
The Reformation occurred all over Western Europe. It was mostly set in Germany where various parts of corruption in the Church happened. Martin Luther started the process of the Reformation, he was German so he understood how the Catholic Church took advantage and didn't think this was fair. The Catholic Reformation took place between 1450-1650 which was the biggest revolution in Germany, although the understanding of Luther's actions weren't taken notice of until he put the 95 Theses on the Church's door. Luther felt that Bishops and Priests didn't understand the bible correctly. Luther wanted the Reformation to help fix this by helping the uneducated and powerless. Some of the movement of this was
The term Reformation refers in general to major religious changes that swept across Europe during the 1500s, transforming worship, politics, society, and basic culture patterns. The reformation was a sixteenth-century religious movement that sought to reform the church. It led to establishment of Protestantism and the religious division of Western Christendom. It also was time in history when the Roman Catholic Church split up and one Christian religious
The ideas of penance and indulgences contributed to the reformation through the farther of the reformation, Martin Luther. Martin Luther was a key player in the reformation as he turned his back on the Catholic church and developed his own doctrine with much support. He found little peace from penance and indulgences and struggled with God, which led to him breaking away from Catholic ideas and developed his own understanding of faith. Luther believed that salvation came from faith and trust in Christ alone and did not come from the Church. He stated that the church has no authority to pardon people’s sins and that the Pope had no authority over purgatory. Luther wrote 95 theses that attacked the Church for the sale of indulgences as he viewed it as a corrupt practice which was not relevant to divine forgiveness. He believed that the sale of indulgences increased sinning and gave false assurance keeping people from knowing God. Luther’s criticism of the indulgences led to drop in indulgence sales.3 The support that was given to Luther around his doctrine and ideas led to the split from the Catholic church leading to the reformation. John Calvin, another reformer whose view broke away from the catholic church and contributed to the reformation, viewed penance as unnecessary as he believed all sins,
The reformation paved the way for Protestantism through many reformers. While the church had been facing corruption for quite a while, people finally decided to speak up about it. With the push from Johann Tetzel selling indulgences, reformers gradually trickled along. From Tetzel selling the forgiveness of sins for profit in the church, Luther began his reform. Lutheranism really captured the essence of the reformation through justification by faith. Then, Zwinglism also shared some of Luther’s beliefs and seriously reformed some of the beliefs that Protestants follow. Newer concepts were being added to religion and different doctrines too. For example, Calvinism really added new ideas into religion; predestination and the elect. Also, the
Martin Luther, also known as the “Reformator,” was a superior asset in the Protestant Reformation. He was born on November 10, 1483 in the town of Eisleben, which was located in East Germany. Luther’s parents were Hans Luder and Margaretha nee Lindemann. His father was a farmer and later became a copper miner in Mansfeld. Martin Luther’s parents brought him up in the strict environment of the Roman Catholic Church. With his new job in Mansfeld, Hans made the decision to move his family there in 1484. Hans expected Martin to become a lawyer, so Luther went to Erfurt in 1501 to study law. Luther received his master’s degree in 1505. Shortly after this, he felt like law was not the right place for him. This act upset his father, not only because he dropped out of the university, but he decided that he wanted to become an Augustinian monk in Erfurt. Luther believed that if he was serious about his religion, he could please and do good works for God. However, once again, he was still unhappy. Luther decided to make another life-changing decision by studying theology. He went to Wittenberg to study this subject. Martin...
John Calvin faced many obstacles as a second generation reformer such as the inability to obtain citizenship until 1559. He was the founder of the Reformed church which has now transcended into Christian Reformed and Presbyterian churches. While lacking the necessary power and support to emerge as quickly and strongly as past reformers. Calvin is discredited for bad scholarship, lack of originality and being viewed more so as a politician, rather than a reformer. What separated Calvin from other sixteenth-century writers was his aptitude as a thinker and wordsmith, and, above all, his absolute devotion to scripture and personal beliefs. In the public’s eye, Calvin walked and spoke with sheer reliance and conviction. Although he seemed confident to those around him, Calvin understood his weaknesses and strived for absolute perfection in his theology and devotion to not only the reformation, but ultimately God. One of the most evident fortitudes throughout his life was the acute awareness he had in his remarkable confidence in his calling and intelligence. Calvin often became menacingly prone to moments of shoddy acumen on account of his anger. Given his feats and pitfalls, Calvin was one of the most influential reformers of the sixteenth century and this can be accredited chiefly to his sense of self-realization and devotion to absolute perfection.
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.
From an early age Martin Luther was drawn to the ways of monastic life, but Luther’s father had other plans for his son. In 1505, Luther graduated as a young lawyer from the University of Erfurt. Later that year, Luther was trapped in a horrifying thunderstorm in which he was nearly struck by lightning. He viewed this near-death encounter as a divine message from God and on July 15,1505 he entered into the Augustinian Monastery. In 1517, Martin Luther, a then unrecognized monk and scholar, released his “95 Theses”, also known as“Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences”, protesting many of the seemingly corrupt acts practiced by the Catholic Church. Acts such as the selling of indulgences, “holy” priests who possessed concubines, and the idea that people could reach the salvation of God with deeds and not their faith in the Almighty. The word spread quickly throughout Germany and rapidly moved into Rome with the use of the new Gutenberg printing press. It was now extremely easy to have multiple copies made, and thus the Gutenberg press became a key factor in the reformation. Lutheranism and its followers became quite provocative among the common people and throughout the Catholic Church, quoting such things as”why does not the pope, whose wealth today is greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build the basilica of St. Peter with his own money rather than with the money of poor believers?”(history.com). On April