Protest ant Reform ation

1. Protestant Reformation

2. Corruption in the Catholic Church • During the Renaissance, there was a new focus on human potential; many people began to think for themselves & criticized some corrupt practices of the Catholic Church (Erasmus, More, etc.) Intellectuals Catholic Church

3. Corruption in the Catholic Church • Members of the Church (called Clergy) took vows of Chastity—meaning they would not engage in sexual relationships • BUT…some clergy members broke church law and were married, had families, or had children. Even several popes fathered and raised children

4. Chastity

5. Corruption in the Catholic Church • During Feudalism, just as vassals received fiefs from nobles a similar practice was used to name some members of the clergy • Lay Investiture was a practice by which some bishops and priests received their church offices from powerful nobles. Therefore, the nobles were able to control the clergy members

7. Corruption in the Catholic Church • During Middle Ages, clergy members were among the few who could read & write & were supposed to be well-educated • BUT…many parish priests were illiterate and did not know how to perform religious services. During Renaissance, more people could read & noticed how poorly some clergy members could read

8. Education

9. Corruption in the Catholic Church • Several clergy members used their positions in the Church to gain wealth. This wealth led clergy members to lives of luxury • Some clergy members used wealth to buy Renaissance art • The ways clergy members were raising money became the most heavily criticized actions of the Catholic Church

10. Wealth

11. Corruption in the Catholic Church • During Middle Ages, clergy had access to land & a good income • Simony was practice of selling church positions to the highest bidder regardless of the buyer’s religious training. This illegal practice was widely used & led to poorly educated clergy members & increased wealth of high church members

12. Simony

13. Corruption of the Catholic Church • The most profitable & criticized fundraiser was selling of Indulgences—certificate bought from a priest to cancel sins. Indulgences were sold to cleanse deceased family members • This led people to believe that heaven could be attained not by being faithful, but by buying more indulgences

14. Indulgences

15. Corruption of the Catholic Church • Great Schism (1378-1417) further weakened the power of the Church. In 1378, pope Urban VI angered French clergy, who elected a new pope, Clement VII. • As a result, Catholics had 2 popes. Which one was legitimate? Each pope excommunicated the other. Led to confusion & criticism

16. Great Schism

17. Corruption of the Catholic Church • All of these corrupt practices were examined by intellectuals during the Renaissance leading to the Protestant Reformation: • Protest—Identify Problems with Church • Reform—Offer Solutions to these Problems

18. Rank the major problems from the one you feel was the most influential to the least. • Write a summary describing why you feel the first and the last are in that position.

19. Protestant Reformation Early Responses to Catholic Corruption

20. Role of the Renaissance • During Renaissance more people began to read & value education; New artistic styles, literature, science led people to question & criticize other aspects of life (including religion) • During the Northern Renaissance, ideas spread from Italy to northern Europe

21. Printing Press • Invented by Johannes Gutenberg in 1456 in Germany; used movable metal type to reproduce documents • Made books quick to produce and inexpensive • Humanist texts and ideas spread rapidly throughout Europe

23. Role of the Renaissance • As Renaissance ideas spread to northern Europe (especially in Germany), people began to use Humanist ideas to criticize the Catholic Church • Christian Humanists called for an end to Church corruption and wanted to see an increase in the importance of individuals in religion

24. 3 Early Humanists Call for Church Reform: • John Wycliffe • John Huss • Desiderius Erasmus

25. John Wycliffe • Taught religion at the University of Oxford in England from 1360-1382; promoted his new ideas: • Jesus Christ was the true head of the Catholic Church, not Pope • Upset by wealth of some clergy; should not own land or wealth • Bible was most important source of authority; people did not need church to get into heaven

26. John Wycliffe • Upset that English people could not understand the Bible because it was written in Latin—so he translated the Bible into English

27. John Wycliffe • How did the Church respond?: • Catholic bishop charged Wycliffe with heresy and convicted him to death by fire; but English supporters rioted & forced bishop to free him

28. John Huss • Head of Prague University in Bohemia; influenced by Wycliffe: • Clergy should not have wealth • Opposed indulgences & simony • Because Bible & church services were in Latin, people could be manipulated by corrupt church; wanted Bible & services conducted in vernacular (the local language, like German)

29. John Huss • How did the Church respond?: • Tried and convicted of heresy; was excommunicated & burned at the stake in 1415

30. Desiderius Erasmus • Became a priest, but quit to become a writer, teacher, scholar during the Renaissance; traveled throughout Europe sharing ideas: • Wanted Bible available in vernacular • Some of church’s practices were unnecessary; but church had an important place in peoples’ lives & disagreed many criticisms of church

31. Desiderius Erasmus • How did the Church respond?: • Erasmus was never attacked by Catholic leaders & stayed in the Church until he died

32. Who Did It? Review