Leaders of Reformation

The Reformation in Germany was initiated by Martin Luther.

 

Do you know, what is Reformation?

 

The reformation was a protestant movement against the deviation in the Roman Catholic Church led by Martin Luther.

 

Martin Luther (1483 AD � 1546 AD)

 

Martin Luther was born on 10 November 1483 in Germany. After receiving his doctorate in theology in 1512 AD, he took a position as Professor of Theology at Wittenberg University. When Luther visited Rome in 1513 AD, he was shocked to see that some churchmen led a life of luxury.

 

Do you know, what was the main reason for Luther�s attack on the Church? The main reason for Luther�s attack on the Church in 1517 was the sale of indulgences.

 

So, what do you understand by an indulgence?

 

An indulgence was a piece of paper issued by the Pope of the church, according to which a person would not be punished for his sins. Originally, indulgences were given to the people who prayed, fasted, or gave alms without any exchange of money. But Luther found out that the sale of indulgences became a source of money for the Church. Thus, he became a reliable critic of what he regarded as an abuse of power in the Church.

 

Luther�s 95 Theses

 

Do you know, what were Luther�s ninety-five theses?

 

Luther wrote his objection in the form of 95 theses in Latin and nailed them on the doors of the Church at Wittenberg. In it, Luther said that the Pope and Clerics were the error-prone men and the highest authority was the �truth of the Scripture� (The Bible). In 1519 AD, Luther defeated a priest sent by the Pope in a debate.

 

He was summoned to the Diet (a formal assembly of the princes of the Holy Roman Empire) convened in the city of Worms to seek an apology from the Church. The Emperor declared Luther a heretic and ordered his arrest and his writings to be burnt.

 

The Imperial Diet asked him to withdraw his teachings but he refused and said �I cannot and I will not recant anything. God help me. After that, Luther was taken to the hidden Wartburg while the Reformation had time to stabilize and strengthen itself. Lutheranism was recognized as a legal form of Christianity by a treaty known as The Peace of Augsburg in 1555, nine years after the death of Luther.

 

Ulrich Zwingli (1484 AD � 1531 AD)

 

Ulrich Zwingli had started the reform movement in Switzerland with the inspiration of Martin Luther.

 

He attacked the Pope and insisted that the Bible was the real guide for the right living and not the Church. In 1523 AD, Zurich officially adopted Zwingli�s clerical reforms and became the First Protestant State outside Germany.

 

John Calvin (1509 AD � 1564 AD)

 

John Calvin was born on 10 July 1509 AD in Noyon, France. He was raised in a staunch Roman Catholic family. He stated all the principles of Protestant theology in his Institutes of the Christian Religion.

 

On reaching Switzerland, Calvin carried on Zwingli�s work. He taught his followers to accept the Bible as the sole authority. Geneva became the center of his activities. He also founded the University of Geneva. His famous book, �The Institutes of the Christian Religion� contains his main teachings.

 

Impact of Reformation

 

The Reformation had created a great impact on different aspects of life in Europe.

 

Impacts of Reformation on Europe

 

The reformation was a great religious movement that left a deep impact on society.

 

Let us learn about the important effects or results of the Reformation.

 

1. Religious Impact

 

Counter-Reformation � The Counter-Reformation Movement was the direct result of the Reformation.

 

Do you know, what is Counter-Reformation?

The pious Christians and some Popes adopted certain reforms in the Church to restore the reputation of the Catholic Church. This was known as the Counter-Reformation.

 

For example �Council of Trent convened in North Italy by Pope Paul �III in 1545 AD stopped the sale of indulgence and seminars were organized to educate and train the priests. Sermons were given in the language of the people.

 

Do you know, who was Ignatius Loyala?

The Society of Jesus was founded by Ignatius Loyola. He was a devotee who devoted his whole life to spread the message of Lord Christ. He formed a society with the permission of the Pope that helped in this movement. St. Xavier also produced a significant impact on the Counter-Reformation.

 

Unity of Christendom Splits

 

Reformation broke the unity of Christendom and the universality of the Church. The Church broke into Catholic and Protestant Groups. The uniformity of doctrines, rituals, and ceremonies also came to an end. These two groups further broke up into many sects.

 

National Churches were established separately that had their rituals, principles, and doctrines. In these Churches, the supremacy of the Pope was replaced by the supremacy of the Bible.

 

Religious Persecutions

 

Over time both the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation movements became aggressive.
So, what was the effect of this movement?

The feeling of jealousy and hatred between the Catholics and Protestants led them to commit ill-treatment and cruelties on the followers of each other. This led to a great loss of property and hampered all-around progress.

 

Political Impact

 

Long wars amongst European Nations

 

With time, both groups became enthusiastic about their ideas. This results in bloody wars and revolts in many countries like France, Germany, and Switzerland.

 

Do you know, who was king Philip?

 

In 1588 AD, King Philip II of Spain sent his Spanish Armada (Spanish fleet of 130 ships) to England to end Protestantism there, but he was defeated. Then he tried to check the spread and effect of Protestantism in the Netherland. The people of the Netherlands revolted against his repressive government.

 

He declared war against the Netherlands. But the treaty of Westphalia in 1648 CE acknowledged the independence of Holland. Simultaneously, 30 years Wars occurred in the Holy Roman Empire to force the Protestant states of Europe to convert them into the Catholic.

 

Rise of National Monarchies

 

The Reformation caused national monarchies to rise. The Reformation provided them with a chance to become free of the Pope. Independent nationalist Churches were established. King Henry VIII of England got control over Church�s land and property. He married Catherine of Aragon, his brother�s widow against the permission of the Pope.

 

Rise of Nation-States and Nationalist Feelings

 

How did the Nation-States rise as a result of this Reformation movement? With Reformation, the idea of the nation-state gained importance in Europe. Nationalist sentiments became strong in the 16th century. It arose in England and then spread to France, Spain, Germany, and Portugal.

 

The Act of Supremacy in England and the Peace of Augsburg in Germany led to the establishment of national Churches and nation-states.

 

Rise of Welfarism

 

After the reformation, the religion of the king became the religion of the people. More care and attention began to be paid towards the welfare of the people. Thus the Reformation, as well as the Counter-Reformation movements, paved the way for welfare.

 

Formation of U.S.A.

 

Religious frenzy, persecutions, and cruelties inflicted upon the Protestants in England under Bloody Mary and others drove English Puritians to migrate to North America, which ultimately led to the formation of the United States of America. The U.S.A. is the best example of the crystallization of the idea of the Nation-State and a Welfare State.

 

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