The Reformation and Counter-Reformation

5. THE REFORMATION AND COUNTER-REFORMATION

WHAT CAUSED THE REFORMATION? - The Reformation was a religious movement in 16 th-century Europe. It was caused by some factors: 1- Critics of the Catholic Church claimed that its leaders ere wealthy and corrupt and the priests did not carry out their duties properly.

2- there was strong opposition to indulgences, which pardoned people their sins in return for money.

3- humanist influence made people look for a more personal religion, based on their reading of the Bible.

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THE LUTHERAN REFORMATION The Reformation began in 1517 when Martin Luther, a German monk, wrote the Ninety-five Theses.

In this text Luther critised the Pope, and as a result he was excommunicated from the Catholic Church.

Luther developed a new type of Christianity called Lutheranism.

Principles: 1. Salvation was reached by faith in Christ and not through a person’s actions.

2. Any Christian could interpret and preach the word of God. Luther rejected the authority of the Pope.

3. there were only two sacraments: Baptism and Eucharist.

Lutherans, later known as Protestants, left the Catholic Church.

Lutheranism spread through Germany and some princes saw the new religion as a way of increasing their own power.

5. THE REFORMATION AND COUNTER-REFORMATION OTHER PROTESTANT MOVEMENTS -Other religious movements that broke away with the Catholicism.

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The Church of England: - King Henry VIII broke with the Papacy when the Pope refused to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragón, Isabel and Fernando ‘s daughter.

- Henry VIII became Head of the Church of England.

- Anglicanism as influenced by the Reformation, but maintained some Catholic traditions.

Calvinism: - A French theologian John Calvin was the founder of this movement, which as followed in Switzerland, part of France, the Low Countries and Scotland.

Calvinists believed in predestination.

People were destined to go to heaven and hell from birth and nothing could change this.

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THE COUNTER-REFORMATION The Reformation led to a reaction by the Ctholic Church called the Counter-Reformation.

The Council of Trent (Trento) adopted a series of resolutions: 1.It confirmed Catholic doctrine and Papal authority.

2. It confirmed the worship of the Virgin and the saints.

3. Good works were necessary to achieve salvation 4. There were seven sacraments.

5. The training of the clergy was improvedNew religious orders were created. The most important was the Society of Jesus, founded by Ignacio de Loyola.

Their members called Jesuits, owd direct allegiance to the Pope and their educational work made them an important force in the Counter- Reformation.