Lesson 8

Question 1

How did the Thirty-Years War shape European Christianity?

Answer 1

Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648)
a. Left a bad taste for war within Christianity
b. Gave birth to the Enlightenment period
c. People were tired of fighting over religion
d. Focus on reason
e. Overthrow of ecclesiastical hierarchy

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4. Peace of Augsburg (1555)
5. Evangelical Union (1608) vs. Catholic League (1609)
6. Major areas of conflict in Thirty-Years War
7. The Bohemian Period
   A. Defenestration of Prague (May 22, 1618)
   1. Defenestration = Throwing.
   2. Group of protestants threw three RC Officials out a window to their death
   3. Start of the 30 year war.
   4. Fedrick IV becomes head of Protestants
   B. Ends in a defeat for the Protestants
8. The Danish Period (1626) (Period or Phase II)
   A. Christian IV - King of Denmark goes to Germany
   B. Ferdinane II hires Wallenstein leads imperial army (Catholic)
   C. 4 armies (2 Protestant and two Catholics)
   D. Catholics win two battles
   E. Wallenstein marches north
9. The Swedish Period (1630-32)
   A. Massacre at Magdeburg (1631) outrages Protestants
10. The Swedish-French Period (1634-48)
    A. The lines that were established through the 30 year war basically remained the same.
    B. Catholics would win wars but not hold territory
    C. Protestants would win wars but not hold territory
11. Peace of Westphalia (1648)
12. Gave birth to the Enlightenment

Question 2

How did the Enlightenment challenge Christianity?

Answer 2

1. emphasized reason and science over superstition and faith, and questioned the authority of the Bible and the supernatural elements of Christianity
2. It challenged the view that revelation and faith were the primary sources of truth
   1. Philosophers like Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) argued that reason alone, without the need for religious doctrine, could guide ethics and understanding

Biblical criticism
Enlightenment thinkers studied the Bible as historical literature, and criticized traditional beliefs like the divinity of Christ, miracles, and the fulfillment of biblical prophecy.
Reason over revelation
* Philosophers like Immanuel Kant argued that reason alone could guide ethics and understanding, without the need for religious doctrine.
* Human reason replaces the revelation from God as the arbiter of truth.
Scientific discoveries
Discoveries by scientists like Galileo and Newton contradicted literal interpretations of certain biblical texts.
Science trumps Bible

Question 3

What were Jakob Spener’s proposals for reforming the Lutheran Church?

Answer 3

In his Pia Desideria, he gave six proposals of how to enact this reform:
1. private readings and study groups, in addition to preaching;
2. increase the involvement of laity in all functions of the church;
3. emphasize that believers put into practice their faith and knowledge of God;
4. approach religious discussions with humility and love, avoiding controversy whenever possible;
5. ensure that pastors are both well-educated and pious; and
6. focus preaching on developing faith in ordinary believers.
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As these proposals indicate, Spener saw positive change for the church as being primarily dependent upon the pious involvement of individual believers.