Roman Catholic Church

• Roman catholicism established a foothold in Western Europe from as far away as Scandinavia and Iceland.

• Roman Catholic Church was the single most unifying force in Western Europe.

• Martin Luther, a German Monk started a revolution that would break the unity of the Western Christendom forever.

• Catholic Church was selling indulgences in order to raise $ for the St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

• Luther objected to this action and said it was an abuse of power & symbol of decay of the church.

• The printing press enabled these ideas to be spread across Germany.

• Translated Bible encouraged people to learn to read.

• Luther would win over many followers, including some powerful German nobles.

Luther:

Other Aspects of

Roman Catholic Church

he criticized

• Monasteries should be closed.

• Bible should be written in different languages depending on the region.

• Priestly authority should end.

Luther:

Repercussions

• Luther was excommunicated in 1520 by Pope Leo X.

• In 1521 at the Diet of Worms (German Nobles) before Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, Luther refused to take back his beliefs.

German cities impacted by

Luther's teachings

• Strasbourg
• Nuremberg
• Augsburg

(NAS)

passed laws prohibiting Roman Catholic masses

• first Protestant Church
• adopted by half of German’s people

• Appealing to city residents in Germany

• Henry VIII wanted a divorce from Catherine of Aragon but pope didn’t grant him one.

• Henry VIII broke church in England away from Catholic Church

• Made himself head of Church of England.

• Church of England would eventually become Protestant during the reign of Elizabeth I.

•  lead an influential community in Geneva, Switzerland.

• French lawyer, went to Geneva where he set up a model Protestant community.

• Wrote Institutions of the Christian Religion to arrange Protestant teachings.

• Main teaching: Predestination

•  went to France, Germany, Low Countries (Netherlands), England, Scotland, and Hungary.

• Scotland: Presbyterians
• England: Puritains (pilgrims went to Americas)
• France: Huguenots
• Netherlands: Reformed Church

• Great success in Netherlands and Scotland.

• Ideas were unpopular with middle-class people

• Catholic leaders halted the spread of Protestantism

1. Reaffirming their beliefs
2. Returning a sense of spirituality to the Roman Church
3. Winning Protestants back to the Catholic fold.

Catholic Reformation:

Council of Trent

• guided by the teachings of Thomas Aquinas

• Demanded strict morality from church authorities

• Established schools and seminaries for the training of priests

Catholic Reformation:

Society of Jesus

• founded by Ignatius Loyola

• Work as missionaries to win back people to Catholic Church.

• Went to India, China, Japan, Philippines, and Americas

• Theologists theorized that witches took power from the Devil!

• Religious, political, and military turmoil.

• 110,000 people tried as witches.
•  60,000 died (95% were women).

• Witch hunts spread to the United States.

• In New England 234 people tried as witches.

• 34 were hanged.

• Last legal execution: 1782 in Switzerland.

• War of Religion rocked Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries.

• Fighting between German princes.

• Religious wars in France from 1562-1598.

• King Phillip II of Spain sent an Armada of 130 ships and 30,000 men to England.

• Reestablish Catholicism there.

• 7 northern provinces of the Spanish Netherlands revolted against their Spanish rulers.

• Established and independent country.

• Started in Holy Roman Empire

• Between: Spanish, French, Dutch, German, Swedish, Danish, Polish, Bohemian, and Russian.

• Most destructive conflict until 20th century.

• Last major religious conflict of the Reformation.