Protestant Reformation Luther Calvin and Henry VIII Martin

Protestant Reformation Luther, Calvin and Henry VIII

Martin Luther

Martin Luther • A Brief Biography of Martin Luther – Originally, he was a law student, but later decided to become a monk – Eventually, became a priest and saw firsthand the abuses of the church. – He was very well-educated and accepted a teaching job at Wittenberg University. Luther was an expert in Catholic theology. – One major characteristic of Luther was that he was very aware of his own sin nature. He would spend hours in confession over his sins.

Catholic Theology • Luther did not feel like Catholics dealt with the issue of sin very well. • If a person sinned, they were to confess it to a priest. The priest would, then, give the person a good deed to do as payment for the sin. This good deed was called a penance. • Performing a penance was not good enough for Luther, so began to study the New Testament more. – He concluded that this doctrine of penance and many other Catholic teachings were wrong.

Beliefs of Luther 1. “Justification by Faith” • by reading the New Testament, Luther determined that a person could achieve salvation from sins by faith in Jesus, not by good works only, like the Catholics believed. 2. “Priesthood of Believers”- all individuals are equal before God. – Therefore, a person can achieve salvation without the help of a priest.

Beliefs of Luther (cont. ) o Also, Catholic services were performed in Latin and sermons were read out loud in Latin. Luther felt that this made people too dependant on the priests instead of their own interpretation of the Bible. 3. Bible is the Supreme Authority for Believers. – Scripture is God’s word. – If Bible supreme authority, then means the word of Pope is not as important.

95 Thesis • On October 31, 1517, Luther nailed 95 complaints against the church on the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg. • His ideas spread quickly throughout Europe with the help of the Printing Press. Many agreed with Luther’s ideas and had long waited for someone to express their complaints against the Church.

Diet of Worms • • Luther had hoped to debate his ideas with church leaders, but was quickly excommunicated. The Diet of Worms was the Legislative body in Wittenberg and when asked to appear before them, Luther hoped to finally debate his ideas. Instead of a debate, Charles V demanded him to recant. After a brief time of decision, Luther declared he could not go against his conscience. This made him a heretic to the church. Fredrick the Wise was a German prince from Luther’s hometown and he agreed with Luther. He rushed him into hiding and, while there, Luther translated the Bible into German.

Lutheranism and Protestantism • Many in Germany came to support Luther and he was able to come safely from hiding. Luther, then, established his own denomination called Lutheranism. – This church was much simpler than the Catholic church and followed closely to Luther’s teachings. • Luther’s followers throughout Europe were called “Protestants” because they protested the Catholic Church.

John Calvin

John Calvinism replaced Lutheranism as the dominant Protestant force in Europe. John Calvin was from France and converted to the Reform movement in 1536. Because France was heavily Catholic, he was forced to flee to Geneva, Switzerland to save his life.

Institutes of the Christian Religion. This book was the • While in Geneva, Calvin wrote the Institutes of the Christian Religion. • This book was the second most influential book in the Reformation, next to the 95 Theses. It forms a complete and clear set of religious beliefs for Christians.

Teachings of Calvin 1) Predestination- def. God decided who will and who will not be saved. – Those who are saved are called the “elect. ” 2) Protestant Work Ethic. Faith + Godly Living + Frugality= pleasing to God. – taught that a person’s faith was shown by a righteous life. – gambling, drinking, cards, etc. would bring God’s disfavor.

Calvin’s Geneva • While in Geneva, Calving established a theocracy. – def. Government by religious leaders who claim God’s authority. • Calving felt a strong government was needed to enforce a high moral order. – Instead of seeing this life as a burden, his followers acted with a sense of mission and discipline. They felt like they were a model to believers all over Europe. • Calvin’s followers were called “Calvinists. ” Many spread their ideas throughout Europe and formed their own system of Calvinist governments.

Henry VIII

Henry VIII • Originally, given the title of “Defender of the Faith” by the Pope himself because he defended the Catholic Church against the Reformation. • He was married to a woman named Catherine of Aragon. – He was only allowed to marry her because of a special exception by the Pope. She was his brother’s wife – Catherine produced no male children for him. Only a daughter named Mary.

Henry VIII (cont. ) • Henry VIII wanted a divorce, but Catherine refused and the Pope would not grant it to him. – Henry wanted to marry Anne Boleyn, who was one of Catherine’s ladies in waiting. – In 1533, he secretly married her; she was already pregnant. • The British Parliament, then passed the Act of Supremacy, which made Henry VIII the Supreme Head of the Church of England. – This allowed him to do as he wished without the Church’s influence and would free England from foreign influence. • In 1536, Henry charged Anne Boleyn with treason and adultery because she had a daughter. (Elizabeth)

Elizabeth I

Henry VIII • He went on to have four more wives. His third wife, Jane Seymour, had a son named Edward VI, but she died in Childbirth.

Henry VIII as a Religious Leader • He actually believed the Church of England should not depart from the traditions of the Catholic Church. • The Reformation could not take place until Henry VIII died. His son Edward VI was a real Protestant leader. • Henry’s significance is that he opened the door for the Reformation to take place in England by ignoring the Pope’s authority and creating his own church. Henry’s actions further weakened the already weak church.

Review Activity: Making Connections • Martin Luther is like ____________ because ____________ • John Calvin is like _____________ because ____________ • Henry VIII is like _____________ because ____________.

Teamwork Assignment Place yourselves in groups of three and ask create an imaginary dialogue between Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Henry VIII. In this conversation, imagine that the three men are holding a meeting around this time period and are attempting to explain their actions and why they believed what they did. Be VERY creative in this assignment and DO NOT be afraid to interject humor into this assignment. After you have completed your dialogues, be prepared to act out your plays in front of the class.