The Protestant Reformation

European religion in middle Ages

  • Pagan religion replaced by christianity

  • Greeast SCHISM 1054)

    • Western European and Eastern churches splot

    • catholic church headquarters in Rome, Eastern Orthodox in constantinople

Martin Luther & reformation

  • Protest in 1517 against church, collecting indulgences

    • indulgences - buying way into heaven

  • Grows into changes in doctrine & creation of new churches

  • German rulers adopted Protestantism to get independence from the catholic church.

Types of protestants:

  • Anabaptists - don’t believe in infant baptism, strict interpts of the bible

  • Calvinism - Theologian John Calvin predestined beliefs, strict morals

protestants vs Catholics

  • protestants - only bible scriptures are authority

  • Catholics - authority rests both on scriptures and church traditions

Reformation in England

  • (1534) Henry VIII breaks from Roman church & forms church of England bc he needs divorce.

  • (1559) After decades of conflict, Elizabeth I established the “middle path” Catholic practice & protestant doctrine

Conflict religious wars

  • wars in german, netehrlands, & france

  • (1588) Spain (catholic power) fails to invade England

IMPORTANT: separation of church & state does NOT exist in England at all at this time

  • Also little religious freedom

Puritans & separatists

  • Puritans based on Calvinism, wanted to purify the English church

  • Separatists (pilgrims upon arrival tp U.S.) - break from church completely & move to Netherlands (more religious toleration, predestination)

  • Puritans & separatists were motivated to move to the New World to enforce their religion in their communities.

Long term effect - no catholic ran as a major-party candidate fir president until 9128 (Al smith)

  • became de facto protestant region