Intro to the Protestant Reformation for World History

1. THE PROTESTANT
REFORMATION
A break from tradition and Catholicism

2. Trouble Brewing
 Either with them or against them
 Heretics and the Inquisition
 Shifts in priorities
 Thearts
 Defending Papal States
 Celibacy?
 Corruption
 Especially in Germanic Areas
 John Wycliffe
 John Huss

3. When the timing is right…
 The Printing Press
 By 1500, 250 cities printing 9-10 million books
 Erasmus a harsh critic
 People begin reading the Bible on their own

4. Martin Luther
 Was a devout Catholic, served as a
monk, tried to continually bring
himself closer to God
 Struggled with his faith
 Puzzled and inspired by “The just
shall live by faith”
 Angered by Johann Tetzel
http://www.luthertour.com/

5. Johann Tetzel
 Sale of Indulgences
 “Heaven Insurance” for you
and your loved ones –
dead or alive!
 “No sooner than the coffer
ring, than a soul from
purgatory doth spring”
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/13/opinion/13indulgences.large.jpg

6. The 95 Theses
 Nails his Ninety-five Theses to http://media-
cdn.tripadvisor.c
the door of the Castle Church in om/media/photo-
s/01/63/41/87/95
Wittenberg, Germany on All -thesis-of-martin-
luther.jpg
Hallows Eve, 1517
 Salvation by faith alone; he
opposed the Catholic Church’s
beliefs in penance and good
works
 Bible is the only authority for
Christian life; Pope is a false
authority
 Priesthood of all believers –
each person should have an
individual relationship with God
and should read/interpret the
Bible for him/herself
 All people are equal in the eyes
of God
http://www.the-highway.com/95Theses.gif

7. Luther’s ideas diffuse quickly
 Wrote many books, essays, and letters – which
are quickly printed and spread throughout
 Luther was not easily silenced – he ideas shake
Europe
 He did not originally intend to start an entire
new branch of Christianity

8. Pope Leo X
 Giovanni de Medici, son of
Lorenzo the Magnificent
 Pope Leo X issues a Papal Bull
June 15,1520 and threatens to
excommunicate Luther unless he
recanted
 Luther and his students at the
University of Witten berg
burned the Papal Bull in a
bonfire
 Pope excommunicates Luther
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/
09/Cardinal_Giovanni_de%27_Medici.jpg

9. Who do you think said this?
 “A single friar who goes counter to
all Christianity for a thousand years
must be wrong…I will proceed
against him as a notorious heretic”

10.  Charles V – HRE
 1521 – summons Luther to the Imperial Diet at
Worms to stand trial
 Refuses to recant his ideas,
 “Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain
reason…my conscience is captive to the Word
of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything,
for to go against conscience is neither right nor
safe. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise.
Amen.”
 Charles V replies –
 “A single friar who goes counter to all
Christianity for a thousand years must be
wrong…I will proceed against him as a
notorious heretic”
 Charles V issues Edict of Worms – declaring
Luther an outlaw and heretic
https://libwebspace.library.cmu.edu:4430/posner/sp09
/subcontents//images/charlesv%203_4.jpg

11.  Frederick the Wise – German prince of Saxony,
protects Luther in his castle for the first year after
the Diet of Worms
 Spendsthe year translating the New Testament into
German
 Luther’s ideas were practiced – priests began
leading worship in German, calling themselves
“ministers”
 People give up on trying to reform the Catholic
Church and become a group known as Lutherans

12.  Group of princes loyal to the Pope join forces and
create an alliance against Luther’s ideas
 The princes who support Luther sign a statement
protesting this alliance – become known as the
Protestants

13. Women and the Reformation
 Which idea do you think appealed to women the most?
 Concept of equality in God’s eyes
 Protestant teachings emphasized more compassionate
marriages
 More compassionate
 Increased education for women
 More grounds for divorce if a husband violated his vows
 During the early years, women were major writers and
preachers
 As Protestant groups become more formal, women’s
opportunities decrease