Development of Lutheranism 1521-46 : Why did Luther's influence on reformation decline? Flashcards
List 6 main points about why Luther’s influence on the reformation died down
1) Intro ting
2) Why it was out of his control
3) Why it was his fault
4) Phillip Melanchthon (Ausburg confession and loci comunes)
5) Bugenhagen - Saxon model
6) Phillip of Hesse Bigamy (marry 2 ppl) Scandal 1540
What was Luthers position regarding Lutheranism in the 1520s?
He was vital in early 20s but late 20s his importance diminished
Explain why Luthers decline was out of his control? (2 points)
1) Peasants revolt caused Princes to take the revolution into his own hands
2) In his absence, Bugenhagen and Melanchthon took over as driving force.
Explain why Luthers decline was in his control? (4 points)
1) Stance on Peasant revolt made him lose support
2) Divided the reformation as he argued with Erasmus and lost support of Zwingli due to Mass
3) Produced little work after the 1520s and focussed on being a professor and translating Bible
4) His role in Phillip of Hesse bigamy scandal damaged his reputation
Who was Melanchthon and what did he do? (5 points + 2 subpoint)
MELANCHTHON:
Was very intelligent and became professor of Greek at Wittenburg
- Helped Luther translate the bible as he did Greek
- Acted as an advisor to reforming cities
- Was the opposite of Luther, he was gentle and modest whereas Luther tended to be emphatic and loud
- However, he did lack Charisma and could not confront people. E.g. The Zwickau prophets and Carlstadt
LOCI COMUNES 1521: Consolidated and clarified Luthers views in this text.
AUSBURG CONFESSION 1530: Made statement on behalf of Luther to Charles V, he tried to reconcile both sides but the views were too contrasting.
Who was Bugenhagen? (short )
Humanist priest, played role in structuring the new Church.
What were the positives of Bugenhagen? (give 4)
1) His extremely good organisational skills helped produce the Saxon Model (Papacy and higher Catholic positions discarded)
2) Model was ideal for Germany, especially for Princes as it gave them power.
3) Successfully exported it to 8 german states and cities from 1528-43. He created rules regarding Church services skl etc.
4) His greatest trimph was that the kingdom of Denmark-Norway implemented this model.
What was one weakness of Bugenhagen/saxony model?
Saxon model meant Lutheran Church was fragmented as there was no Pope so no churches were similar?
Explain the Phillip of Hesse Bigamy Scandal?
Phillip of Hesse bigamy scandal 1540:
1) He was a loyal supporter of Luther and was married but had 10 kids, he wanted to divorce but Luther said no so he then accepted 2 marriages (very bad in old testament)
2) Word spread and Luthers reputation was damaged significant as he was seen a hypocrite.
