what was the reformation of the church

4 Ways the Reformation Changed the Church

1. It disarmed the ecclesial meritocracy that suppressed the common man. ...
2. It reclaimed a biblical idea of the pastorate. The Reformation also reclaimed the biblical picture of what a “pastor” or “priest” is supposed to be. ...
3. It restored the sacraments to the people—and began untethering church from state. ...

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Full Answer

What was the Reformation and why did it begin?

The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in particular to papal authority, arising from what were perceived to be errors, ...

What were the main ideas of the Reformation?

The reformers rejected the authority of the pope as well as many of the principles and practices of Catholicism of that time. The essential tenets of the Reformation are that the Bible is the sole authority for all matters of faith and conduct and that salvation is by God's grace and by faith in Jesus Christ.

What was the purpose of Reformation in church history?

The Reformation became the basis for the founding of Protestantism, one of the three major branches of Christianity. The Reformation led to the reformulation of certain basic tenets of Christian belief and resulted in the division of Western Christendom between Roman Catholicism and the new Protestant traditions.

What was Reformation explain?

Definition of reformation 1 : the act of reforming : the state of being reformed. 2 capitalized : a 16th century religious movement marked ultimately by rejection or modification of some Roman Catholic doctrine and practice and establishment of the Protestant churches.

What are 3 facts about the Reformation?

Facts – What you should know about ReformationMartin Luther Didn't Intend to Start a New Church. ... There Have Been Many Reformations … ... The Printing Press Played a Vital Role. ... Martin Luther May Not Have Nailed His 95 Theses to the Door at Wittenberg. ... It Propelled the Spread of Literacy.More items...

Why did Martin Luther want to reform the church?

Luther's belief in justification by faith led him to question the Catholic Church's practices of self-indulgence. He objected not only to the church's greed but to the very idea of indulgences. He did not believe the Catholic Church had the power to pardon people sins.

What were the impacts of the reformation?

Ultimately the Protestant Reformation led to modern democracy, skepticism, capitalism, individualism, civil rights, and many of the modern values we cherish today. The Protestant Reformation increased literacy throughout Europe and ignited a renewed passion for education.

What were the major causes and effects of the Reformation?

The corruption in the church with the political and economic power of the church and brought resentment with all classes especially the noble class. People made impressions that church leaders had cared more about gaining wealth than ministering the followers.

What were the four causes of the Reformation?

The major causes of the protestant reformation include that of political, economic, social, and religious background.

Why is the reformation important today?

The Reformation still matters today because Scripture alone is still our supreme authority for faith and practice. In the minds of many medieval Christians, Scripture and church tradition were treated as more or less equal authorities.

What were 3 causes of the Reformation?

These things contributed to the start of the Reformation, but the main causes were the problems with indulgences, the Pope being power hungry, and the Church becoming corrupt.

What were the main ideas of Luther?

His central teachings, that the Bible is the central source of religious authority and that salvation is reached through faith and not deeds, shaped the core of Protestantism. Although Luther was critical of the Catholic Church, he distanced himself from the radical successors who took up his mantle.

What were the 4 causes of the Reformation?

The major causes of the protestant reformation include that of political, economic, social, and religious background.

What are the factors that led to the Reformation?

Money-generating practices in the Roman Catholic Church, such as the sale of indulgences. Demands for reform by Martin Luther, John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli, and other scholars in Europe. The invention of the mechanized printing press, which allowed religious ideas and Bible translations to circulate widely.

Where and when did the Reformation start?

The Reformation is said to have begun when Martin Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, on...

What did the Reformation do?

The Reformation became the basis for the founding of Protestantism, one of the three major branches of Christianity. The Reformation led to the ref...

Who were some of the key figures of the Reformation?

The greatest leaders of the Reformation undoubtedly were Martin Luther and John Calvin. Martin Luther precipitated the Reformation with his critiqu...

What was the Catholic Church slow to respond to?

The Catholic Church was slow to respond systematically to the theological and publicity innovations of Luther and the other reformers. The Council of Trent, which met off and on from 1545 through 1563, articulated the Church’s answer to the problems that triggered the Reformation and to the reformers themselves.

What was the Protestant Reformation?

The Protestant Reformation was the 16th-century religious, political, intellectual and cultural upheaval that splintered Catholic Europe, setting in place the structures and beliefs that would define the continent in the modern era. In northern and central Europe, reformers like Martin Luther, John Calvin and Henry VIII challenged papal ...

What were the key ideas of the Reformation?

The key ideas of the Reformation—a call to purify the church and a belief that the Bible, not tradition, should be the sole source of spiritual authority —were not themselves novel. However, Luther and the other reformers became the first to skillfully use the power of the printing press to give their ideas a wide audience.

What was the Reformation?

In England, the Reformation began with Henry VIII’s quest for a male heir. When Pope Clement VII refused to annul Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon so he could remarry, the English king declared in 1534 that he alone should be the final authority in matters relating to the English church. Henry dissolved England’s monasteries to confiscate their wealth and worked to place the Bible in the hands of the people. Beginning in 1536, every parish was required to have a copy.

What religious order combined rigorous spirituality with a globally minded intellectualism?

New religious orders, notably the Jesuits, combined rigorous spirituality with a globally minded intellectualism, while mystics such as Teresa of Avila injected new passion into the older orders. Inquisitions, both in Spain and in Rome, were reorganized to fight the threat of Protestant heresy.

When did Lutheranism become the state religion?

When German peasants, inspired in part by Luther’s empowering “priesthood of all believers,” revolted in 1524 , Luther sided with Germany’s princes. By the Reformation’s end, Lutheranism had become the state religion throughout much of Germany, Scandinavia and the Baltics.

Where did Calvinism spread?

Calvin’s Geneva became a hotbed for Protestant exiles, and his doctrines quickly spread to Scotland, France, Transylvania and the Low Countries , where Dutch Calvinism became a religious and economic force for the next 400 years.

What was the Catholic Reformation called?

The Counter-Reformation, also called the Catholic Reformation or the Catholic Revival , was the period of Catholic reforms initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation. The end of the Reformation era is disputed.

When did Luther start the Reformation?

The Reformation is usually dated to 31 October 1517 in Wittenberg, Saxony, when Luther sent his Ninety-Five Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences to the Archbishop of Mainz.

How did the Reformation affect Italy?

Not only was the Church highly aggressive in seeking out and suppressing heresy, but there was a shortage of Protestant leadership. No one translated the Bible into Italian; few tracts were written. No core of Protestantism emerged. The few preachers who did take an interest in "Lutheranism", as it was called in Italy, were suppressed or went into exile to northern countries where their message was well received. As a result, the Reformation exerted almost no lasting influence in Italy, except for strengthening the Catholic Church and pushing for an end to ongoing abuses during the Counter-Reformation.

What was the Reformation in Ireland?

The Reformation in Ireland was a movement for the reform of religious life and institutions that was introduced into Ireland by the English administration at the behest of King Henry VIII of England. His desire for an annulment of his marriage was known as the King's Great Matter.

Why was Protestantism unsuccessful in Portugal during the Reformation?

During the Reformation era Protestantism was unsuccessful in Portugal, as its spread was frustrated for similar reasons to those in Spain.

What was the effect of Gutenberg's printing press on the Reformation?

The spread of Gutenberg's printing press provided the means for the rapid dissemination of religious materials in the vernacular. During Reformation-era confessionalization, Western Christianity adopted different confessions ( Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, Anabaptist, Unitarian, etc.).

Why was music important to Martin Luther?

Partly due to Martin Luther's love for music, music became important in Lutheranism. The study and practice of music was encouraged in Protestant-majority countries. Songs such as the Lutheran hymns or the Calvinist Psalter became tools for the spread of Protestant ideas and beliefs, as well as identity flags.

What was the Protestant Reformation?

The Protestant Reformation was a religious reform movement that swept through Europe in the 1500s. It resulted in the creation of a branch of Christianity called Protestantism, a name used collectively to refer to the many religious groups that separated from the Roman Catholic Church due to differences in doctrine.

Who was the first Protestant to start the Reformation?

Martin Luther, a German teacher and a monk, brought about the Protestant Reformation when he challenged the Catholic Church's teachings starting in 1517.

Why did Henry VIII start Protestant reform?

Protestant reform in England began with Henry VIII in 1534 because the Pope would not grant him a marriage annulment. Subsequently, King Henry rejected the Pope's authority, instead creating and assuming authority over the Church of England, a sort of hybrid church that combined some Catholic doctrine and some Protestant ideals. Over the next 20 years, there was religious turbulence in England as Queen Mary (1553–1558) reinstated Catholicism in England while persecuting and exiling Protestants, only to have Queen Elizabeth I and her Parliament attempt to lead the country back toward Protestantism during her reign (1558–1603).

Why did the Dutch separatists fail?

Ultimately, the endeavor failed due to poverty and the sense that the children were assimilating too much into Dutch culture, so many of the separatists returned to England.

Why did the Puritans migrate to New England?

Although they did not desire to separate from the Church of England, some Puritans saw emigrating to New England as their best chance at true reform of the church and freedom to worship as they chose. In 1630, a decade after the Pilgrims embarked on a similar journey for similar reasons, the first Puritans traveled to the New World and established the Massachusetts Bay Colony in Boston, Massachusetts.

Why were Luther's ideas controversial?

These ideas were controversial because they directly contradicted the Catholic Church's teachings. Luther's statements challenged the Catholic Church's role as intermediary between people and God, specifically when it came to the indulgence system, which in part allowed people to purchase a certificate of pardon for the punishment of their sins.

What were the other groups of English citizens who did not believe Queen Elizabeth's reform efforts went far enough?

The other group of English citizens who did not believe Queen Elizabeth's reform efforts went far enough were called nonseparatists; over time, the term " Puritan " would become synonymous with the nonseparatists. They did not seek to leave the Church of England; they wanted only to reform it by eliminating the remnants of Catholicism that remained. In terms of theology, most of them were Calvinists.

How did the Reformation help the Church?

The Reformation enabled the latter to secularize this vast ecclesiastical wealth, since the leaders of the Reformation constantly inveighed against the centralization of such riches in the hands of the clergy. The princes and municipal authorities were thus invited to seize ecclesiastical property, and employ it for their own purposes. Ecclesiastical principalities, which were entrusted to the incumbents only as ecclesiastical persons for administration and usufruct, were, in defiance of actual law, by exclusion of the incumbents, trans-formed into secular principalities. In this way the Reformers succeeded in depriving the Church of the temporal wealth provided for its many needs, and in diverting the same to their own advantage.

What were the ideas of the Reformation?

The very ideas which these innovators defended— Christian freedom, license of thought, the right and capacity of each individual to found his own faith on the Bible, and other similar principles—were very seductive for many. The abolition of religious institutions which acted as a curb on sinful human nature (confession, penance, fasting, abstinence, vows) attracted the lascivious and frivolous. The warfare against the religious orders, against virginity and celibacy, against the practices of a higher Christian life, won for the Reformation a great number of those who, without a serious vocation, had embraced the religious life from purely human and worldly motives, and who wished to be rid of obligations towards od which had grown burdensome, and to be free to gratify their sensual cravings. This they could do the more easily, as the confiscation of the property of the churches and monasteries rendered it possible to provide for the material advancement of ex-monks and ex-nuns, and of priests who apostatized. In the innumerable writings and pamphlets intended for the people the Reformers made it their frequent endeavor to excite the basest human instincts. Against the pope, the Roman Curia, and the bishops, priests, monks, and nuns who had remained true to their Catholic convictions, the most incredible lampoons and libels were disseminated. In language of the utmost coarseness Catholic doctrines and institutions were distorted and ridiculed. Among the lower, mostly uneducated, and abandoned elements of the population, the baser passions and instincts were stimulated and pressed into the service of the Reformation.

What were the results of the Reformation in Switzerland?

In German Switzerland a similar course was pursued. After Zurich had accepted and forcibly introduced the Reformation, Basle followed its example. In Basle John Oecolampadius and Wolfgang Capito associated themselves with Zwingli, spread his teaching, and won a victory for the new faith. The Catholic members of the Great Council were expelled. Similar results followed in Appenzell Outer Rhodes, Schaffhausen, and Glarus. After long hesitation, the Reformation was accepted also at Berne, where an apostate Carthusian, Franz Kolb, with Johann and Berthold Haller, preached Zwinglianism; all the monasteries were suppressed, and great violence was exercised to force Zwinglianism upon the people of the territory. St. Gall, where Joachim Vadianus preached, and a great portion of Graubunden also adopted the innovations. Throughout the empire Zwinglianism was a strong rival of Lutheranism, and a violent conflict between the two confessions began, despite constant negotiations for union. Attempts were not wanting in Switzerland to terminate the unhappy religious division. In May, 1526, a great religious disputation was held at Baden, the Catholics being represented by Eck, Johann Faber, and Murner, and the Reformed by Oecolampadius and Berthold Haller. The result was favorable to the Catholics; most of the representatives of the estates present declared against the Reformation, and writings of Luther and Zwingli were prohibited. This aroused the opposition of the Reformed estates. In 1527 Zurich formed an alliance with Constance; Basle, Bern, and other Reformed estates joined the confederacy in 1528. In self-defense the Catholic estates formed an alliance in 1529 for the protection of the true Faith within their territories. In the resulting war the Catholic estates gained a victory at Kappel, and Zwingli was slain on the battlefield. Zurich and Berne were granted peace on condition that no place should disturb another on account of religion, and that Catholic services might be freely held in the common territories. The Catholic Faith was restored in certain districts of Glarus and Appenzell; the Abbey of St. Gall was restored to the abbot, though the town remained Reformed. In Zurich, Berne, Basle, and Schaffhausen, however, the Catholics were unable to secure their rights.

What was the second center of the Reformation?

A second center of the Reformation movement was established by Zwingli at Zurich. Though he differed in many particulars from Luther, and was much more radical than the latter in his transformation of the ceremonial of the Mass, the aims of his followers were identical with those of the Lutherans. Political considerations played a great role in the development of Zwinglianism, and the magistracy of Zurich, after a majority of its members had declared for Zwingli, became a zealous promoter of the Reformation. Arbitrary decrees were issued by the magistrates concerning ecclesiastical organization; the councillors who remained true to the Catholic Faith were expelled from the council, and Catholic services were forbidden in the city. The city and the canton of Zurich were reformed by the civil authorities according to the ideas of Zwingli. Other parts of German Switzerland experienced a similar fate. French Switzerland developed later its own peculiar Reformation; this was organized at Geneva by John Calvin (q.v.). Calvinism is distinguished from Lutheranism and Zwinglianism by a more rigid and consistent form of doctrine and by the strictness of its moral precepts, which regulate the whole domestic and public life of the citizen. The ecclesiastical organization of Calvin was declared a fundamental law of the Republic of Geneva, and the authorities gave their entire support to the reformer in the establishment of his new court of morals. Calvin’s word was the highest authority, and he tolerated no contradiction of his views or regulations. Calvinism was introduced into Geneva and the surrounding country by violence. Catholic priests were banished, and the people oppressed and compelled to attend Calvinistic sermons.

What was the Reformation in Transylvania?

In Transylvania merchants from Hermannstadt, who had become acquainted with Luther’s heresy at Leipzig, spread the Reformation after 1521. Notwithstanding the persecution of the Reformers, a Lutheran school was started at Hermannstadt, and the nobility endeavored to use the Reformation as a means of confiscating the property of the clergy. In 1529 the regular orders and the most vigorous champions of the Church were driven from the town. At Kronstadt the Lutheran preacher Johann Honter gained the ascendancy in 1534, the Mass being abolished and Divine service organized after the Lutheran model. At a synod held in 1544 the Saxon nation in Transylvania decided in favor of the Augsburg Confession, while the rural Magyars accepted Calvinism. At the Diet of Klausenburg in 1556 general religious freedom was granted and the ecclesiastical property confiscated for the defense of the country and the erection of Lutheran schools. Among the supporters of the Reformation far-reaching divisions prevailed. Besides the Lutherans, there were Unitarians (Socinians) and Anabaptists, and each of these sects waged war against the others. A Catholic minority survived among the Greek Walachians.

What countries did the Lutheran Reformation take place in?

B. The Northern Kingdoms: Denmark , Norway and Sweden .—The Lutheran Reformation found an early entrance into Denmark, Norway (then united to Denmark ), and Sweden. Its introduction was primarily due to royal influence. King Christian II of Denmark (1513-23) welcomed the Reformation as a means of weakening the nobility and especially the clergy (who possessed extensive property) and thereby extending the power of the throne. His first attempt to spread the teaching of Master Martin Luther in 1520 met with little success: the barons and prelates soon deposed him for tyranny, and in his place elected his uncle Duke Frederick of Schleswig and Holstein. The latter, who was a secret follower of Lutheranism, deceived the bishops and nobility, and swore at his coronation in 1523 to maintain the Catholic Religion. Seated on the throne, however, he favored the Reformers, especially the preacher Hans Tausen. At the Diet of Odensee in 1527 he granted freedom of religion to the Reformers, permitted the clergy to marry, and reserved to the king the confirmation of all episcopal appointments. Lutheranism was spread by violent means, and the faithful adherents of the Catholic religion were oppressed. His son Christian III, who had already “reformed” Holstein, threw into prison the Danish bishops who protested against his succession, and courted the support of the barons. With the exception of Bishop Rofiow of Roskilde, who died in prison (1544), all the bishops agreed to resign and to refrain from opposing the new doctrine, whereupon they were set at liberty and their property was restored to them. All the priests who opposed the Reformation were expelled, the monasteries suppressed, and the Reformation introduced everywhere by force. In 1537 Luther’s companion Johann Bugenhagen (Pomeranus) was summoned from Wittenberg to Denmark to establish the Reformation in accordance with the ideas of Luther. At the Diet of Copenhagen in 1546 the last rights of the Catholics were withdrawn; right of inheritance and eligibility for any office were denied them, and Catholic priests were forbidden to reside in the country under penalty of death.

How did the Reformation spread?

Finally, one of the chief means employed in promoting the spread of the Reformation was the use of violence by the princes and the municipal authorities. Priests who remained Catholic were expelled and replaced by adherents of the new doctrine, and the people were compelled to attend the new services. The faithful adherents of the Church were variously persecuted, and the civil authorities saw to it that the faith of the descendants of those who had strongly opposed the Reformation was gradually sapped. In many places the people were severed from the Church by brutal violence; elsewhere to deceive the people the ruse was employed of retaining the Catholic rite outwardly for a long time, and prescribing for the reformed clergy the ecclesiastical vestments of the Catholic worship. The history of the Reformation shows incontestably that the civil power was the chief factor in spreading it in all lands, and that in the last analysis it was not religious, but dynastic, political, and social interests which proved decisive. Add to this that the princes and municipal magistrates who had joined the reformers tyrannized grossly over the consciences of their subjects and burghers. All must accept the religion prescribed by the civil ruler. The principle “Cuius regio, illius et religio” ( Religion goes with the land) is an outgrowth of the Reformation, and was by it and its adherents, wherever they possessed the necessary power, put into practice.

What are the five points of the Synod of Dort?

The Synod of Dort (1618) was called to answer the teachings of Arminianism and summarized Calvinist doctrine in five points: 1) Total Depravity of Man, 2) Unconditional Election, 3) Limited Atonement, 4) Irresistible Grace, 5) Perseverance of the Saints. These five points are often referred to by the acronym “TULIP.”.

What is reformed theology?

Reformed theology is a body of doctrine that is taught by many different churches, including Presbyterian and some Baptist churches. This body of doctrine reflects the teachings of the Protestant reformers Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin and is also referred to as Calvinism.

What are the two branches of the Reformed Church?

There are two main branches within the Reformed Church family tree in America: Dutch Reformed and German Reformed. Both branches represent churches that separated from the Roman Catholic Church as part of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. The Dutch Reformed branch can be traced back to the Dutch settlers who gathered in New Amsterdam in 1628. The German Reformed branch was started by German immigrants who settled around Philadelphia in the early 1700s. These two branches have much in common, yet have remained distinct throughout their history.

When did the RCUS merge with the Evangelical Synod of North America?

In 1934 , the RCUS merged with the Evangelical Synod of North America to form the United Church of Christ. A sizable group of churches rejected that merger and formed a reorganized church retaining the name RCUS. Reformed theology is a body of doctrine that is taught by many different churches, including Presbyterian and some Baptist churches.

How many members does the Reformed Church have?

In 1867, the name was changed to the Reformed Church in America. The Reformed Church in America has over 300,000 members and is a founding member of the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

When was the German Reformed Church formed?

The German Reformed Church was formed in 1725 near Philadelphia and eventually took the name Reformed Church in the US (RCUS). One of the great leaders of this church was Philip Schaff, who was a highly respected writer and editor. His works on church history and the Apostolic Fathers are still widely used today, more than 100 years after his death. In 1934, the RCUS merged with the Evangelical Synod of North America to form the United Church of Christ. A sizable group of churches rejected that merger and formed a reorganized church retaining the name RCUS.

Who is Cornelius Plantinga?

Cornelius Plantinga, Reformed theologian and president of Calvin Theological Seminary, writes, “Our accents lie more on the sovereignty of God, on the authority of Scripture, on the need for disciplined holiness in personal Christian life, and finally, on Christianity as a religion of the Kingdom.”. The German Reformed Church was formed in 1725 ...

What was the Catholic Reformation?

The Catholic Reformation was a religious movement that questioned the corrupt antics of the powerful church at the end of the Middle Ages. It created the religious branch of Protestantism, a religion still prevalent in modern-day society.

How did the Roman Catholic church respond to the religious reformers of the Protestant Reformation?

How did the Roman Catholic church respond to the religious reformers of the Protestant Reformation? They created their movement to rectify the concerns of the public.

What is the Protestant belief?

Protestant beliefs branch off from Roman Catholicism in regards to transubstantiation, the idea that the Eucharist becomes the physical body and blood of Christ during a Roman Catholic mass. Protestants believe that Christ's presence is felt, but that the Eucharist is not the physical flesh and blood of the Lord.

What did Martin Luther write?

Martin Luther was a monk from Germany who grew weary of the Roman Catholic church. He expressed his concerns in 1517 by writing '95 Thesis', and nailing it to the door of the local church. This document listed out 95 ways that the Roman Catholic church could reform its corrupt practice.

How did Martin Luther express his concerns?

Martin Luther expressed his concerns by writing '95 Thesis', and beginning the Catholic Reformation. This document listed out 95 ways that the Roman Catholic church could reform its corrupt practice.

What was the role of the Catholic Church in Europe?

After the collapse of the Roman empire in Europe, the Roman Catholic church was the unifying leader across the continent. The Roman Catholic Church reached its peak in power and influence during the Middle Ages in Europe, the period that happened before the reformation of the church. During the Middle Ages, Europeans would go to church multiple times a day.

Why did the Council of Trent meet?

The Council of Trent began to meet in 1545 and convened for 18 years to develop the doctrine of the Roman Catholic church. It was an ecumenical meeting amongst theologians who addressed all the concerns of the Protestant Reformation.

Summary

Overview

History

Conclusion and legacy

See also

Further reading

External links