Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation Heritage Exam 3

Henry VIII's Title from the Pope

Defender of the Faith

Assertion Henry VIII made about Church Authority

Royal Supremacy – the king is the supreme head of the Church in England

Who was Thomas Cranmer?

Archbishop of Canterbury, key figure in English Reformation, supported Henry VIII’s annulment and helped shape Protestant theology in England

Reign of Mary Tudor

1553–1558; returned England to Roman Catholicism, persecuted Protestants

Reign of Elizabeth I

1558–1603; established Protestantism firmly in England with compromises to unify the nation

Via Media

‘Middle Way’ – Elizabeth I’s approach to unify England religiously by blending Catholic and Protestant elements

Structure of Episcopal Church Government

Hierarchical – no pope; Archbishop of Canterbury, bishops, priests

Unifying Aspects of the Church of England

Episcopal polity and the Book of Common Prayer

Other names for the Church of England

Anglican Church; Episcopal Church

John Calvin: Birth and Death

1509–1564

John Calvin’s Background

Frenchman who experienced a ‘sudden conversion’ around 1532–1533 and fled France likely to avoid persecution

John Calvin’s Early Work

Published 'Institutes of the Christian Religion' in 1536 as a 6-chapter handbook; expanded to 80 chapters in 1559

Calvin’s Theocratic Experiment

Attempted to establish a model Christian community in Geneva where residents signed a creed and catechism

Geneva’s Religious Governance

Consistory met every Thursday to judge moral offenses; penalties ranged from fines to death

Strict Discipline in Geneva

Known as Holy Commonwealth – governed by strict moral and religious law

Calvin's Core Theological Foundation

Sovereignty of God – God’s absolute rule over everything is the base of Calvinist theology

TULIP – T

Total Depravity – humanity is thoroughly corrupted by sin and incapable of choosing God without divine grace

TULIP – U

Unconditional Election – God chooses who will be saved regardless of any merit or action

TULIP – L

Limited Atonement – Christ died only for the elect, not for all people

TULIP – I

Irresistible Grace – when God chooses to save someone, His grace cannot be resisted

TULIP – P

Perseverance of the Saints – those chosen by God will remain in faith and cannot lose salvation

Absolute Predestination

Salvation is entirely based on God’s unchanging will, not on His foreknowledge of human actions

Double Predestination

God predestines some to salvation and others to damnation according to His will

Why Preach If People Are Predestined?

Because no one knows who the elect are; preaching is still necessary

Purpose of Predestination Doctrine

To ensure that all glory for salvation is given to God

Sign of God’s Covenant in Calvinism

Infant baptism – like circumcision in the Old Testament, it marks inclusion in the covenant community

Calvin’s View of the Lord’s Supper

Spiritual Presence – Christ is spiritually (not physically) present through the Holy Spirit during Communion

Date of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation

October 31, 1517

What did Martin Luther do on October 31, 1517?

He nailed the 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, challenging the Catholic Church's sale of indulgences

What were indulgences?

Certificates sold by the Catholic Church that claimed to reduce punishment for sins in purgatory

Martin Luther’s profession

Monk and theology professor

Key doctrine Luther emphasized

Justification by faith alone – humans are saved through faith, not works

Where did Luther teach?

University of Wittenberg in Germany

What major Church abuse did Luther oppose?

The sale of indulgences, which he believed exploited the faithful and undermined true repentance

Luther's view of the Bible

Sola Scriptura – Scripture alone is the ultimate authority, not the pope or church traditions

What was the Diet of Worms (1521)?

An imperial council where Luther was asked to recant his teachings but refused, saying “Here I stand, I can do no other”

Outcome of the Diet of Worms

Luther was declared an outlaw and heretic by Emperor Charles V, but was protected by Frederick the Wise

Who protected Luther after the Diet of Worms?

Frederick the Wise of Saxony

What did Luther do while in hiding at Wartburg Castle?

He translated the New Testament into German, making Scripture accessible to ordinary people

What happened at the Leipzig Debate (1519)?

Luther debated Catholic theologian Johann Eck and openly rejected papal authority

Luther’s stance on Church authority

He believed that all Christians have the right to read and interpret Scripture for themselves – the priesthood of all believers

How did the Catholic Church respond to Luther’s teachings?

Pope Leo X issued the papal bull Exsurge Domine threatening excommunication, which Luther publicly burned

Name of the document Luther burned

Papal Bull Exsurge Domine

Main theological point in the 95 Theses

True repentance requires inner spiritual change, not the purchase of indulgences

Why did Luther object to Johann Tetzel?

Tetzel was aggressively selling indulgences with the claim that they could free souls from purgatory

What did Luther say about good works?

Good works are a result of faith, not a way to earn salvation

What role did the printing press play in the Reformation?

It helped spread Luther’s ideas rapidly across Europe, making the Reformation a mass movement

Luther’s view on sacraments

He retained only two sacraments—Baptism and the Lord’s Supper—as biblically valid

Luther’s German Bible translation

Made the Bible accessible to common people and promoted literacy and national identity. One of first.

Thunderstorm — “___ ____. help me, I’ll become a monk!

St. Anne

Treasury of ___

Merit

Sola fide

Sola gratia

Sola _____

scriptura

_____ = a permit that reduces the punishments due for one’s (forgiven) sins

Indulgences

Theses posted on church door, Wittenburg, October __, 1517

31

Luther favorable to Hussite ideas (___ ____)

Jan Hus

Lord’s Supper is __substantiation: “with, in, around, above.”

con