Causes Of The Protestant Reformation - 1635 Words

The Protestant Reformation was the 16th-century religious movement that took place in the Western church. Having far-reaching political, economic, and social effect, the Reformation became the basis for the founding of Protestantism, one of the three major branches of Christianity. Without the changes caused by the Renaissance during the fifteenth century, the Reformation would not have been possible (Haigh). Reformers like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Henry VIII challenged the Catholic church. These reformers’ disruptions triggered wars, persecutions, and later the â€Å"Counter-Reformation.† The Reformation ended the unity imposed by medieval Christianity. Many events in the years leading up to the sixteenth century caused individuals†¦show more content†¦Scholars, upper class, and middle class were able to get their hands on the Bible and understand what it said (â€Å"The Reformation: An Overview†). Many other factors played a part in the process such as the decline of feudalism (a combination of legal and military customs), the rise of nationalism, and the rise of the common law (Kerr). All of these factors led to great individuals putting their foot down and telling the Catholic Church that enough was enough, and they were no longer going to stand idly by while the church abused its power. As the Catholic Church’s grievances were brought to light more and more people started to move away from the church. There were three main people that are credited for helping to start the Protestant Reformation in each of their own countries -- Martin Luther who was an Augustinian monk who nailed his â€Å"95 Theses† on the church door in Germany, Huldrych Zwingli who started the reformation in Switzerland, and Henry VIII who caused England to leave the church because of his quest for a male heir (â€Å"The Reformation: An Overview†). These four people, although from completely different backgrounds, helped the Protestant Reformation move throughout Europe. Martin Luther was born November 10, 1483. In 1505, Luther received his master’s degree from the University of Erfurt. Following his father’s wishes, Martin enrolled in law school at the same university, but droppedShow MoreRelatedThe Causes Of The Protestant Reformation1270 Words   |  6 Pages1. Discuss the causes of the Protestant Reformation. Which cause do you feel is most important? Why? Roman Catholicism and Christianity as a whole expanded throughout the globe over the 16th century. Roman Catholic Churches have a hierarchical organization with the Pope of Rome at the top to facilitate the matters of the Churches around the globe. Their doctrines and teachings came from their interpretations of the Bible. Roman Catholicism was widely accepted in most cases, but someRead MoreThe Causes of the Protestant Reformation599 Words   |  2 PagesThe causes of the Protestant Reformation†¨? In the 1500’s the catholic church was selling indulgences for people that had the black death, in the event of the black death you would get black spots all over the body when these spots appeared the person that was affected had three days to die, if the ill were catholic and decided to go to heaven they would go to the church and buy an indulgence which meant they reserved a spot in heaven. The business of indulgences in the Catholic Church was pullingRead MoreCauses Of The Protestant Reformation725 Words   |  3 Pagesperiod of 1300 to 1789 the churchs power declined by a significant amount. A number of things happened that decreased the churchs power during the time period of 1300 to 1789, but the Protestant reformation and the Scientific Revolution had weakened the role of the church the most. The Protestant Reformation had decreased the role of the church in Europe by decreasing its power by a large margin. Martin Luther had, had some ideas of what was wrong with the church. He expressed his ideas by writingRead MoreCause and Effects of Protestant Reformation Essay754 Words   |  4 PagesMajor Causes and Effects of the Protestant Reformation There were several causes of the Protestant Reformation that effected society, politics, and religion in Europe during the 16th century. In my opinion, the immediate cause that started the reformation was Martin Luther’s act of posting the 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Cathedral in the Roman Empire. Luther was unhappy with the Catholic Church, and posted the Theses due to the sale of indulgences that was going on to raise money forRead MoreDBQ: Causes of the Protestant Reformation739 Words   |  3 PagesThere are approximately eight hundred million Protestant Christians currently in the world with it being the second largest Christian domination (Fairchild). However, there are over a billion followers of the Roman Catholic faith and it currently stands as the Christian domination with the most followers (Fairchild). If it were not for the German monk, Martin Luther, most Christians would have been Roman Catholic in the present. Martin Luther is famous for â€Å"95 Theses† that critiqued the practicesRead MoreWhat Were The Social Cause Of The Protestant Reformation?1289 Words   |  6 PagesW hat were the social causes of the Protestant Reformation? The bible was being made more accessible than ever. One of the things that led to more people interpreting the bible is that it was translated into everyday language. Another was the fact that the printing press was enabled that allowed multiple copies of the bible to be made. Previous to this, scribes would have to write every bible by hand and this could take years, just for one of them. Another factor was the fact that there was increasedRead MoreEssay Causes and Effects of the Protestant Reformation1159 Words   |  5 Pagesit, the Protestant Reformation did not happen overnight. Catholics had begun to lose faith in the once infallible Church ever since the Great Schism, when there were two popes, each declaring that the other was the antichrist. Two things in particular can be identified as the final catalyst: a new philosophy and simple disgust. The expanding influence of humanism and the corruption of the Catholic Church led to the Protestant Reformation, which in turn launched the Catholic Reformation and religiousRead MoreThe Causes Of Martin Luther And The Protestant Reformation748 Words   |  3 PagesIn a time where Europe was flourishing between the 14th and 17th centuries with their cultural development of the art and sciences, there was a huge schism in the Catholic Church that was originally created by Martin Luther. The Protestant Reformation was initiated in 1517 when the Ninety-five Theses was posted in Saxony, Germany by Luther. Martin Luther was an Augustinian monk who criticized the Church and the papacy and laid the theological reform for the church and the pope’s authority which brokeRead MoreThe Protestant Reformation And The Reformation Essay1379 Words   |  6 PagesThe Protestant Reformation Why the Protestant Reformation is considered a significant development in the Christian Church. The Protestant Reformation was an event which occurred within the Catholic Church during the 16th century. This Reformation was prompted by Martin Luther’s ‘95 theses’ which were a list of 95 criticisms towards the church. The Reformation formed another branch of Christianity called Protestantism which is comprised of many different Christian denominations including AnglicanRead MoreThe Invention Of The Printing Press932 Words   |  4 Pagestwo effects were the exploration of the Americas and the Protestant Reformation. Exploration was Colombus and his explorers â€Å"discovering† America. The printing press had great influence on these events. The Protestant Reformation was also shaped by the printing press, in some cases more than exploration. The Protestant Reformation, or more simply, The Reformation, was a mass conversion of people from the Catholic Church to the Protestant Church. The citizens of Europe started to access more information