The Reformation Flashcards
What was christinaity in Europe like in 1500?
In 1500, Christianity in Europe was divided between the catholic religion and the orthodox religion.
What role did religion play in people’s lives?
Religion played a very important part in people’s lives. People explained happenings according to God’s will. They also believed that the church provided all the answers to life and that it was only through the Catholic church that salvation could be achieved.
What was salvation?
A place in heaven
What was the reformation?
The reformation began in Germany in the 16th century as a protest against the abuses in the Catholic Church. It began as an attempt to improve the catholic church.
What change did the reformation bring about?
Less than 100 years later; most of the people of northern Europe were protestants who rejected the pope and his teachings. The reformation brought about this change.
Who was Martin Luther
Martin Luther was born in Eisleben in Germany in 1483. He joined the Augustinian Order to become a monk and a priest. He later became a Professor of Theology at Wittenberg University in Saxony
What were Martin Luther’s beliefs?
Martin Luther was a holy man that worried about going to heaven (salvation). He was worried that God would not forgive sinners like himself. He found his answer in the Bible; good deeds or works such as praying to the saints or gaining indulgences (pardons for sins) would not help.- this was called justification by faith.
He believed that the Bible was the truest form of God’s teachings.
He only believed in two sacraments, baptism and communion.
Explain the sale of indulgences
In 1517, a Dominican Friar, Johann Tetzel, came to Wittenberg to preach and sell indulgences. Tetzel said that anyone could buy an indulgence to get into heaven. Half of the money collected went towards the building of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome and the other half went to the Archbishop of Mainz to pay back the money he had borrowed to buy bishoprics.
Tetzel frightened people into buying indulgences.
What was Luther’s 95 Theses?
Luther objected to Tetzel’s preaching. He wrote the 95 theses (arguments) against the sale of indulgences. He wrote them in Latin, the language of the scholars. He did not set out to begin a rebellion against the Catholic Church.
Luther wrote to the archbishop of Mainz complaining about the false impressions which the people had about indulgences. He included a copy of his 95 theses with his letter.
Why did Luther publish the 95 theses?
Martin Luther published his 95 Theses in an attempt to get the Roman Catholic Church to stop selling indulgences. Luther did not think the Church had the authority to grant such indulgences, especially not for money
Why did people support Luther?
The 95 these were translated into German and were printed so that Luther’s views were spread all over Germany very quickly.
How did Rome respond to Luther?
The pope took action against Luther. Luther had a public debate with John Eck, a theologian. In the debate, Luther questioned the authority of the Pope.
The pope sent a special letter called a papal bull excommunicating Luther (disallowing him from receiving the sacraments). Luther burned the papal letter in public.
What happened at the diet of worms?
Charles V became Holy Roman Emperor in 1519. The pope asked him to intervene because Luther was becoming more popular. Charles called Luther to the Diet (Parliament) of Worms, near Mainz in Germany in 1521. Luther spoke before the Diet and refused to withdraw his teachings.
What happened at Wartburg Castle?
After Luther left the diet, the emperor issued the edict of worms (to arrest Luther). On Luther’s way home, he was captured by the soldiers of Fredrick the Wise, Elector of Saxony, who was a supporter of Luther.
He was taken to Wartburg Castle so that he would be safe. He spent a year there disguised as a knight. During the year, he translated the New Testament into German and then the Old Testament so that all Germans could read the bible.
Had did Lutheranism spread?
Divisions between Catholic and Protestant princes grew in Germany. Most of Luther’s support came from princes in northern Germany. The emperor Charles V rejected the Augsburg Confession, which was a statement of Luther’s beliefs. Luther died in 1546 before war broke out between the two sides.
