Luther and the German Reformation 1515-1555 Flashcards
What were the three estates which states were catorgorised into?
The First Estate, The Second Estate, The Third Estate.
Who ran the First Estates?
The 7 Elector Princes
Who ran the Second Estates?
Non-Elector Princes
Who ran the Third Estates?
Imperial free cities
Who were the three ecclesiastical Electors?
Archbishop of Mainz, Trier, and Cologne
Who were the four lay Electors?
King of Bohemia, Elector of Saxony, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Margrave of Brandenburg.
What was the job of the 7 Electors, led by Mainz?
Choose Holy Roman Emperor
What was the Imperial Diet made up of?
3 chambers corresponding to the three estates.
What did the Golden Bull 1356 state?
- Only the three ecclesiastical electors were under control of the church.
- Four main electors cant divide land (constant power)
- Rebellion against Electors is treason.
How was German Nationalism a change occuring in the Holy Roman Empire?
There was a growing consciousness of the German Nation, and it was becoming the language of law and business. In 1486, it was renamed ‘The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation’
How was the Ottoman Empire a change occuring in the Holy Roman Empire?
Ottoman Empire was expanding. For example, 1526- they won battle of Mohacs which gave them rule over Hungary.
How was the growing criticisms of the Pope a change occuring in the Holy Roman Empire?
People resented harsh demands such as church tax, and since the Pope was Italian, it felt like the country was being run by a foreigner.
When was the Imperial Election?
1519
Why did the Imperial Election 1519 occur?
Emperor Maximilian died leaving no German successors.
Who were the three candidates for the Imperial Election 1519?
Charles V, Duke of Burgundy and King of Spain
Francais I King of France
Henry VIII… well, you know who this is ;)
What war was caused by the candidates of the Imperial Election 1519 and how did it happen?
Habsburg-Valois War c
Caused by Charles V and Francis I, because they were both bribing the Electors.
Which electors were anti- Habsburg regarding the Imperial Election 1519?
Elector Count Palatine of the Rhine and Elector Trier.
Who nearly stepped in as a compromise candidate during the Imperial Election 1519?
Elector of Saxony.
What were the 3 conditions Charles V had to agree to when becoming Holy Roman Emperor?
- Couldn’t appoint foreign imperial officers.
- Can’t bring in foreign troops.
- Can’t declare war without Electors consent
What were the criticisms of the lower clergy?
Too many which led to unemployment.
They were breaking their vows by gambling and quarreling.
“Unqualified, unlearned and unfit persons” holding office.
Who were the higher clergy?
Well educated Cardinals, Bishops and Archbishops.
Nobility held these roles.
Who were the Prince-Bishops.
Leading clergy, and often held political positions as well. Therefore they did jobs for both (guiding religious teaching, and deciding on foreign policy)
What’s the name of the clergyman you can use as a case study?
Cardinal Albert of Brandenburg, Elector and Archbishop of Mainz, and Archbishop of Magdeburg.
What abuses of the church did Cardinal Albert commit?
Made Archbishop at 24 (too young by church rules)
He held multiple roles (pluralism)
He was the son of Elector of Brandenburg (nepotism)
Bribe to be made Archbishop of Mainz in 1514 (simony)
Three roles, couldn’t do all at same time (absenteeism)
What teaching method did Humanists oppose?
Scholasticism, which was when an idea was debated using logical arguments.
What did the Humanists want to bring back?
A simpler Christian life, with focusing on teaching gospels and applying Christian values to everyday life.
Why did Erasmus quit training to be a monk?
He hated the strict rules set by the monastery
What book did Erasmus write and when was it published?
‘The Handbook of a Christian Soldier’ in 1504
What did Erasmus do in 1516?
Published his version of the New Testament, which challenged the Latin Vulgate. Sold 3K copies.
What was the Latin Vulgate?
Latin translation of the Bible and the Catholic church’s official version of the Bible.
What helped Humanism to be so popular?
Its ideas were embraced by several universities such as Erfurt.
Also, since German states were urbanised and had many printers, people could read wide ranges of books??
What was Luther’s experience like at University?
He studied Humanism and Legal Studies. He learned how to debate because students were given theses that they had to defend using logic.
What happened to Luther in 1502 and what did this cause him to do?
In 1502 Luther got caught in a thunderstorm and nearly got hit by lighting, and so he pledged to St. Anne that he’d become a monk. In 1505, he joined the Augustinian monastery.
What was Luther’s experience like at the Augustinian monastery?
He was anxious he would go to hell so he would fast and pray to please God.
What did Luther do in 1508?
Left monastery in Erfurt and joined Wittenburg. Superior von Stan Pitz got him to teach theology there.
What was Luther chosen as in 1510, and what did the job require him to do?
Representative for all the Augustinian monasteries in Rome. He had to end arguments there and plead for strict reforms
Who did Luther send the 95 Theses to?
Several Bishops such as Albert of Mainz, who then sent it to Rome.
What was the long term effect of the 95 Theses in terms of printing?
Six-fold increase in printing materials between 1518-24.
How did the papacy initially react to the 95 Theses?
Not very strongly as he just saw it as a feud between Augustinians and Dominicans, and was more distracted by the threat of the Ottoman Empire.
What happened in 1518?
Eck called Luther a heretic.
Luther summoned to meet with Cardinal Cajetan (representative of Pope). Luther wanted to debate but Cardinal Cajetan did not.
What happened in 1519?
ECK VS. ANDREAS CARLSTADT.
ECK WINS. >:((((((
because he argued how Luther agreed with Jan Hus, who was burned for being a heretic.
What happened as a result of the debate in 1519?
Eck sent an indictment of heresy to Rome.
In 1520, Luther was excommunicated due to papal bull Exsurge Domine.
What was Luther’s Tower Experience 1518 and whats an example of a book he wrote because of it?
When he came to the realisation that the only thing need for salvation was belief in God (sola fide).
‘On the Freedom of a Christian’ was written developing this theory.
What were the names of the two pamphlets of 1520?
‘The Address to the German Nobility of the German Nation’
‘The Babylonian Captivity of the Church’
Who was The Address to the German Nobility of the German Nation addressed to?
Secular rulers of Germany.
What did The Address to the German Nobility of the German Nation argue?
EVERY believer had a part to play in spreading God’s word, not just the priests.
Why was The Address to the German Nobility of the German Nation dangerous for the church.
By arguing that everyone had a part to play in spreading God’s word rather than just the priests, its devaluing their role.
What happened as a result of The Address to the German Nobility of the German Nation?
Government involvement in religious affairs.