Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation
1517 – ca.1564
How and why are these two churches different?
True or False?
•  Test your knowledge of the Protestant
Reformation……
Protestant, Catholic, or Both?
•  1. The Pope in Rome is the sole head of the
Church and must be obeyed.
•  2. Baptism (whether of adults or children)
is an important symbolic rite.
•  3. Faith alone is sufficient to earn
salvation.
•  4. Praying to saints and making
pilgrimages can assist you in achieving
salvation.
•  5. Women priests/ministers are allowed.
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Protestant Reformation
Protestant, Catholic, or Both?
•  6. Clergy cannot marry and must remain
celibate.
•  7. The Mass can only be recited in Latin.
•  8. Jesus died on the Cross and was
resurrected three days later, thus sacrificing
himself for the sins of future generations.
•  9. The Immaculate Conception of Mary
allowed her to have a virgin birth.
•  10. The Eucharist contains Christ’s body
and blood.
The Protestant Reformation
(1517-1555)
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Why is it important, then and now?
Why did it happen?
Who were some of the leaders?
How did people learn about these ideas?
Vocabulary
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Indulgence
Transubstantiation
Simony
Pluralism
Nepotism
Sola scriptura
Sola fide
Sola gratia
Solus Christus
Soli Deo gloria
Diet
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Protestant Reformation
Christianity in the West
•  http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/
christ/west/index.html
http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/christ/
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Protestant Reformation
Significance of Protestant
Reformation
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Loss of Catholic unity & “Christendom”
Literacy
Puritans
“Protestant work ethic” (Max Weber)
Rise of capitalism, individualism
“liberation” from Catholicism
Separation of Church & State (?)
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Protestant Reformation
Europe Divided
Reform in
Germany, 1517–
1555
•  The pattern of religious
reform in Germany was
complex. Although some
territorial princes, such as
the dukes of Bavaria,
rejected reform, most free
towns, particularly those in
the southwest, adopted it.
Copyright (c) Houghton Mifflin Company. All Rights Reserved.
The sale of indulgences
•  The problem: how can one
atone for grievous sin?
•  The solution: Service on
behalf of the Church:
–  Crusading
–  Pay for a crusader
–  Payment to the Church
•  Church has a “treasury of
merits” stored up by
Christ and the saints
Indulgence printed by Wm.
Caxton, 1476
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Protestant Reformation
Sale of Indulgences
(and other vices…)
Martin Luther
•  b. 1483
•  1502 Ph.D in theology
•  Sensitive, insecure, emotional,
fearful of a harsh Christian God
•  1512 professor @ U. of
Wittenberg; a “good monk”
•  But he’s not confident that he’s
earned salvation by
conventional means, and he
hates indulgences.
•  He publishes 95 Theses with his
ideas re justification by faith,
finding answers in Scripture, &
priesthood of all believers.
Timeline of the Early Reformation
•  1517: Luther posts his 95 theses on the door
of the Wittenburg church
•  1518: Zwingli gains control of Zurich
•  1521: Diet of Worms condemns Luther
•  1534: Henry VIII declared “Supreme head
of the Church and Clergy of England”
•  1536: Calvin gains control of Geneva
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Protestant Reformation
Causes of the Protestant Reform.
•  [P.E.R.S.I.A. + G.T.]
•  Social
•  Economic
•  Intellectual
•  Peasant rebellions
•  “when a coin in coffer
rings….”
•  Religious
•  “sola scriptura”
•  “justific. by faith”
•  Political
•  “cuius regio eius religio”
•  “ad fontes’
•  Renaiss. humanism
•  Technological
•  Printing press, pamphlets
•  Other?
•  Luther, Calvin, et al.
Leaders of the Protestant Reform.
•  Martin Luther (1483-1546)
•  Henry VIII (r. 1509-1547)
•  John Calvin (1509-1564)
•  Thomas Munster
(1490-1525)
Cranach, Luther
and the
Wittenberg
•  The Reformers
massive figure of John Frederick,
Elector of Saxony, who protected and
supported Luther, dominates this
group portrait of Martin Luther and the
Wittenberg Reformers by Lucas
Cranach the Younger. Luther is on the
far left; his associate Philipp
Melanchthon is in the front row on the
right. Luther's face shows a quiet
determination.
The Toledo Museum of Art, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey
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Protestant Reformation
Woodcuts of the Reformation
•  Why so popular?
–  Inexpensive to buy
–  Easy to produce
–  Appeals to (il)literate
audience
–  Radical themes
–  Hybrid of oral, print, &
image culture
“The Complaint of the Godless Against Luther”
(Hans Behem, 1524)
“Martinus Luther Siebenkopfe”
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Protestant Reformation
“The Seven-Headed Papal Beast”
(ca. 1543)
“No Greater Treasure Than An Obedient Wife”
(Erhard Schon, 1533)
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Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation
1517- ca.1564
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