The Origins of the Protestant Reformation

FOUNDATIONS OF THE ATLANTIC WORLD HIST 1301 | History The Origins of the Protestant Reformation The seeds of the Protestant Reformation were sowed years before it started in 1517. The Catholic Church had become wealthier over the Middle Ages, and those driven more by material gain and power than by spiritual concerns had taken over the top clerical positions. Critics asserted that popes behaved more like secular monarchs than as Christ's earthly representatives, interfering in European politics and even raising armies, despite the fact that Europe's peasants remained devoted to their religion. Clergy members frequently wore silks and furs, lived in opulent homes, and dressed in luxury. Some were granted positions in the church, while some had mistresses and illegitimate children. Rich families frequently bought church positions for their members, and some men managed bishoprics—areas under a bishop's jurisdiction—in many locations at once by employing other men to fill them. Envious of the church's dominance, secular kings, princes, and rulers occasionally fought the pope for control of the churches within their domain and welcomed the chance to challenge the church's authority. Humanism was a popular intellectual movement that gained traction in the northern Italian city-states throughout the fifteenth century. Humanism underlined the importance and dignity of human beings, and its professors thought that, through the study of the philosophy, history, and literature of ancient Greece and Rome, individuals might develop themselves and live a “good life,” which, in turn, would enhance the society in which they lived. Italian humanists were frequently pious Christians, and their study of classical writers did not cause them to disagree with Catholic doctrine. During the latter part of the fifteenth century, academics from northern Europe promoted a humanistic approach that explicitly aimed to improve individuals' Christian beliefs. Humanism of the Northern Renaissance, also known as Christian humanism, placed a strong emphasis on studying the writings of the early Christian fathers as well as the works of Greece and Rome in order to elevate the condition of the human spirit. The purpose of education was to arouse an inner sense of devotion, and humanists of the northern Renaissance, like Desiderius Erasmus, urged people to apply Christian principles to their everyday lives. They felt that this inward change was more important than participating in external religious practices like fasting during certain seasons of the year or embarking on pilgrimages. At some point, people would reform the church by becoming better Christians. Martin Luther, a German monk, attempted to eradicate the dubious practices of the mediaeval Roman Catholic Church due to dissatisfaction among many European Catholics and a desire for spiritual reform in northern Europe. The Protestant Reformation got its start because of Luther. Luther, a professor at the University of Wittenberg in Germany at the time, was furious in 1517 when Johann Tetzel, a Dominican friar, started selling indulgences in Wittenberg with permission from Albert, the archbishop of Mainz. The period of time after death during which a person must endure suffering in purgatory in order to atone for their sins before entering paradise might be shortened or eliminated by indulging. One might obtain these benefits by engaging in highly meritorious religious deeds, such embarking on a crusade. The church did teach, however, that the pope possessed a bank of merit accumulated by Jesus and the Christian saints, whose goodness was so great that they were granted grace to enter heaven. This "extra" virtue might be given by the church as an indulgence to another person. For a long time, Luther was consumed with the idea of salvation—the objective shared by all Christians. The thought that sinners would think they might get into paradise by purchasing an indulgence rather than by repentance or God's grace appalled him. Many historians believe that after he penned 95 justifications for why the sale of indulgences was improper, he fastened the 95 Theses on the Wittenberg Castle Church door. In addition, he printed copies and distributed them around Germany. He also sent a copy to Archbishop Albert, who forwarded it to Rome. Luther's activities were not seen in that light, even though it is likely that his intentions were just to change church policies, including prohibiting indulgence sales. He was called before church officials in 1518 to respond to inquiries about the beliefs he stated in the Ninety-Five Theses. Luther rejected the idea that the church had the authority to distribute the merits that Jesus and the saints had accumulated during a conference in the German city of Augsburg. Pope Leo X publicly denounced his views and gave him an order to retract, which he refused to do. He was excommunicated in 1521, meaning he was not allowed to participate in church activities. The type of Christianity that emerged from Luther's ideas and served as the foundation for the Protestant religion was significantly different from the official doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. The Catholic Church preached that virtuous deeds and religious faith were prerequisites for salvation. Since the money for indulgences went towards supporting the church, it was considered a good deed. Luther preached that salvation was dependent only on faith and that people could not strive for their own salvation but had to rely totally on God. Moreover, being a good Christian did not need adhering to centuries' worth of Catholic tradition. Luther argued that the only source of Christian doctrine and practice should be the Bible. Thus, many conventional Catholic norms, such as clerical celibacy, were abandoned by his followers. Monk Luther wed former nun Katharina von Bora and started a family. Protestants also demanded that monastic and nunnery orders be abolished. Even though the Catholic Church had declared a life in the priesthood to be the highest of all callings, pursuing this career path was seen as no more superior than pursuing any other. Martin Luther was able to disseminate his ideas more widely because to the printing press with moveable type that was invented in Europe during the Renaissance. Thousands of copies of Luther's books were sent around the continent.