Protestant Reformation Essay Example

to receive me? " he said.

This state's how obnoxious the Pope is. Julius also says, "Make an end, I saw, or I will fling a thunderbolt at you. I will xcommunicate you. ave done as much to Kings before this" and "You shall feel them if you dont behave yourself".

These quote state that the Church still wants to be dominant and that they will never learn from the mistakes they have made. Like Erasmus, Martin Luther has a similar point of view concerning the Pope and Church practices. Martin Luther was a German monk and a former Catholic priest. In 151 7 he wrote the 95 theses and nailed it to the Church's door. One of his sayings was "Every true Christian, whether living or dead, has a share In all beneflts of the Christ and of the Church, given by God, even without letters of pardon".This statement says that everyone has equality and full freedom to their faith even without paying the Church.

He also stated "Thus those who preachers of indulgences are in error who say that by the indulgence of the Pope a man Is freed and saved from all his punishments". This quote gives Luther's opinion that the Church is being deceiving and clever in persuading people that indulgences will help them be free from their sins. There are many other statements In the theses which basically state Martins Luther's ideas that the Church is acting greedy and corrupt.People cannot buy indulgences to be free from their sins; Instead they need to do acts of mercy. The Church is not helping but bringing people into hell with them.

But soon

after the theses spread with the help of the printing press, Martin Luther was excommunicated from the Church and that led him to make his own religion known as Lutherlsm. 1 Document 2. This document was written by Johann Tetzel. "When the coin in the Coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs. Johann or John Tetzel, a Dominican riar, was Pope Leo's master salesman.Tetzel traveled from village to village with a brass-bound chest and a bag of printed receipts telling people with emotion "Know that life of man upon Earth is a constant struggle.

We must fght against flesh, the world and the devil". Tetzel would then announce, 'l have here the passports to lead the human soul to the celestial Joys of paradise. The Holy Father [the Pope] has the power in heaven and earth to forgive sin, and if he forgives it, God must do so also'. He had the opposite view from Luther and Erasmus and he fully supported the Church).The cost of the indulgence, Tetzel was quick to point out, was cheap when the alternatives were taken into account. Among the demons and tempests in the medieval world, the indulgence, no matter the price, offered a glimpse of light in a world of darkness.

In Germany, Tetzel exceeded his quota, as he always did, stating "you must obtain letters of safe conduct from the vicar of our Lord Jesus Christ". Indulgences were most popular among the peasants, yet it also hit them the hardest. They had the least money to spare.Tetzel's indulgence-selling campaign led Martin Luther to act on the frustrations that were consuming his thoughts. When Luther posted his 'Ninety-Five

Theses', the sales of indulgences dropped considerably.

Besides religious reasons the Reformation had political causes as well, as seen in Sl, by Beck. Henry VIII is probably one of the most notable kings in English history, though his name does not always bring to mind pleasant images. During his lifetime, he managed to make a name for himself as an adulterer, who was notorious for his affairs and his many wives.Henry was a power hungry egomaniac who broke away rom the the Catholic Church.

Unlike Martin Luther, Henry had personal motives for breaking away from the Church. He wanted to divorce his first wife Catherine, but the Church did not allow that, and he wanted to keep up with his fellow monarchs in power. Thus, he created the Anglican Church in England and claiming his power on it. In closing, there were many religious and political reasons why the Reformation in Europe occurred. After the Lutheran Church and Anglican Church formed, the faith Calvinism, by John Calvin, was made after being inspired by Luther.

Then afterward he Counter-Reformation was formed, by the Church and it was created as a comeback against the Protestant faiths. There were many people with many different ideas about Christianity, some trying to seek power while others trying to be true Christians. But the Reformation had an enduring impact. Through its religious, social, and political effects, the Reformation set the stage for the modern world.

It also ended the Christian unity of Europe and left it culturally divided. Despite religious wars and persecutions, Protestant churches flourished and new branches developed.The Roman Catholic Church itself became more unified as a result of the

reforms started at the Council of Trent. Both Catholics and Protestants gave more emphasis to the role of education in promoting their beliefs. This led to new colleges and universities in Europe. As the Catholic Churches moral a political authority declined, individual monarchs and states gained power.

And that led to the development of modern nation-states. All of these changes occurred because of the religious and believed in the future had changed, letting people follow what they thought was right instead of being influenced by one branch of faith.