The Reformation
By: Munira (The Great) Mohamed
What was the change?
The picture on the right shows the important reformers that played a key role in this change and the video above talks about the Reformation
People associated with this change
Martin Luther
This is a picture showing Luther putting the 95 theses on the church doors.
Martin Luther was a German monk that essentially started the Protestant Reformation. He said that faith alone was the only way to salvation. He saw the friar Johann Tetzel selling indulgences for the rebuilding of the St.Peter's cathedral which contrast his religious beliefs .
John Calvin
This picture shows John Calvin holding a book that resembles the bible.
John Calvin was the founder of Calvinism He is one of Luther's followers. He believed in predestination and that everyone is sinful by nature .His ideal government would be theocracy.
Ignatius Loyola
This picture shows Loyola before his religious times as a soldier.
Ignatius Loyola was an injured soldier who turned his life around and became a devout christian. He wrote a book about meditation, prayer, and study. The pope recognized him and his followers and gave them the name Jesuits.
How did the change impact society at the time?
The picture on the right is a map of Europe after the Reformation
The Reformation impacted society at the time by letting the Catholic church realize what they were doing was out of order so they reformed themselves which was known as the Counter Reformation. This started the creation of the Council of Cardinals who investigated the selling of indulgences and other abuses. Then a council of church leaders met together in Trent and finally came to an agreement that Indulgences were acceptable on some terms and that the two equally powerful authorities in a christian's life was bible and church. Also at the time new christian religions started to surface and people stopped depending on the Catholic Church as much as they were in the Middle Ages.
How is the change still evident in today's society?
The diagram on the below shows the division of Christianity that is still present today
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ProtestantBranches.svg
This dramatic change led to the creation of numerous religions that we know today. If there wasn't the Protestant Reformation then the Catholic church would still be making all the decision in Europe and that the Catholic church would remain the dominant religion in Western Europe. If it wasn't for the Catholic reformation then the church would still be making the same mistakes it has been making ever since the Middle Ages. If it wasn't for the English reformation, Queen Elizabeth would never be so lenient in giving the Protestants a chance to settle on the Americas and practice their religion freely. America would have never been created until later notice for that matter.