Protestant Reformation Flashcards

Martin Luther and the 95 Theses

• Martin Luther believed faith and belief in God and the Bible alone were sufficient for salvation, without needing church services.

• Luther opposed the corrupt selling of indulgences by Catholic church officials.

• On October 31, 1517, Luther posted his "95 Theses Against Indulgences" at the Castle Church in Wittenberg.

• This act was considered heresy by the Catholic Church.

• Heresy: An act counter to church doctrine, undermining the church.

• Luther's action was seen as treason against the church.

• Luther was accused of heresy and summoned to defend his actions.

• Frederick, the elector of Saxony, intervened to save Luther from conviction and execution.

• Luther's gratitude to the monarch influenced his later actions.

Spread of Luther's Ideas

• Germany was not a unified nation until 1871; it was composed of many small states.

• Luther's ideas gained traction, especially among common people in the Germanic states.

• Peasants' War (1524-1525): Peasants, dissatisfied with their conditions, looked to Luther for support.

• Luther sided with the princes, believing they were ordained by God to maintain order, and called on them to end the Peasants' War.

• This led to a close relationship between Luther and national governments.

• Lutheran church became a state-supported church under state supervision.

Charles V and the Peace of Augsburg

• Catholic Church faced reactions from devout Catholics against the Protestant movement.

• In 1519, Charles V of Spain, a Catholic, ruled a large empire and sought to preserve the Catholic faith.

• The Holy Roman Empire included the Germanic states.

• Charles V lacked the authority to fully implement his policies in Germany.

• German princes had grown independent from imperial authority.

• Charles V eventually raised a large army, but Lutheranism had become well-established in Germany.

• Peace of Augsburg (1555): Allowed rulers in German states to choose between Catholicism and Lutheranism.

• Lutheran states would have the same legal rights as Catholic states within the Holy Roman Empire.

Reformation in Switzerland

• Switzerland was another key area for the Protestant Reformation.

• Two major movements: Zwinglianism (after Ulrich Zwingli) and Calvinism.

• In 1506, Ulrich Zwingli became a priest in Zurich, Switzerland.

• By 1518, Zwingli's sermons led the Zurich city council to implement reforms.

• Reforms included banning relics, removing paintings from churches, focusing on scripture reading, and cutting ties with papal authority.

  • Relics were defined as pieces of the dead bodies of saints or objects saints had possessed.

• Zwingli and Luther shared beliefs but could not reconcile their differences.

• In 1531, war broke out between Swiss Protestants and Catholic states; Zwingli's forces were defeated.

• In 1536, John Calvin published The Institutes of the Christian Religion, synthesizing Protestant theory.

  • This book cemented John Calvin as a key leader of the Protestant movement.

• Calvin developed the concept of predestination: God determines before birth who will be saved.

  • This led to activism among Calvinists who believed they were saved and obligated to do God's work.

• Calvin helped reform Geneva, making it a center of Protestantism; missionaries trained there to spread Calvinist principles.

Reformation in England

• Henry VIII of England sought a divorce from Catherine of Aragon because she could not produce a male heir.

• The Pope refused to grant Henry an annulment.

• In 1533, Henry separated England from the Roman Catholic Church and established the Church of England (Anglican Church).

  • This can be seen as a humorous story of how England broke ties with the Catholic Church.

• In 1534, the Act of Supremacy declared the King of England the supreme head of the Church of England.

  • Henry VIII made himself the head of the Anglican church so he could grant himself permission to divorce his wife and remarry.

• Initially, the Church of England closely resembled the Catholic Church.

• Significant Protestant influences came after Henry VIII's death in 1547.

Catholic Reformation

• The Catholic Reformation in the 1500s was a revitalization of the Catholic Church, seen as both a Reformation and a Counter-Reformation.

• Some within the church had advocated for reform even before the Protestant movement began.

• The Society of Jesus (Jesuits) was the most important new religious order.

• Founded by Ignatius of Loyola in 1540, based on:

  • Absolute papal authority.

  • A strict societal hierarchy.

  • The use of education to achieve goals.

  • A willingness to engage in conflict for God.

• Jesuit missionaries successfully restored Catholicism in parts of Germany and Eastern Europe.

• Francis Xavier, a founding member, spread Catholicism to India, Malacca, and Japan, converting thousands.

  • He established the Jesuit tradition of spreading Christianity to non-Christians.

  • Jesuits drew parallels between native cultures and Christian principles.

Reform of the Papacy

• Pope Paul III appointed a commission to correct problems within the Church and formally recognized the Jesuits.

• Council of Trent (1545-1563):

  • Reinforced the authority of the Church.

  • Declared scripture and tradition were equal authority in religious matters.

  • Affirmed that only the Church could interpret scripture.

  • Reaffirmed that both faith and good works were required for salvation.

• Following the Council, the Catholic Church established a firm doctrine and unified structure, renewing confidence among Catholics.

Religious Conflicts in France

• French kings attempted to persecute French Calvinists (Huguenots).

• The Bourbon family, who had converted to Huguenots, was in the royal line of succession along with the Catholic Valois family.

• Thirty-year war between Catholics and Huguenots ensued.

• Henry IV, a Protestant Bourbon, succeeded to the throne in 1589 but converted to Catholicism.

• Edict of Nantes (1598): Recognized Catholicism as France's official religion but guaranteed Huguenots the right to worship freely and hold public office.

Spain and the Netherlands

• Philip II of Spain advocated militant Catholicism in the 1500s, reinforcing Catholicism through military power.

• Philip argued for strict conformity to Catholicism and supreme royal authority.

• The Spanish Netherlands revolted against Philip's attempts to reinforce his authority and the authority of the Catholic Church.

• William, Prince of Orange, led the widespread revolt beginning in 1566.

• After 43 years of war, in 1609, Spain recognized the seven northernmost Dutch provinces as the independent United Provinces of The Netherlands.

• The Dutch rebellion depleted the Spanish treasury, indicating Spain's weakening power.

England and Queen Elizabeth I

• Queen Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII, developed the foundation that transformed England into a powerful Protestant world empire.

• Elizabeth developed moderate religious policies, repealing Catholic laws and making the Anglican Church Protestant.

  • She left enough vestiges of Catholicism to keep most English people content.

• Philip II of Spain planned an invasion of England with the Spanish Armada, believing English Catholics would rise up against Elizabeth.

• The English Royal Navy decimated the Armada, preventing the invasion.