The Reformation
Transformation of the Catholic Church
What was the change?
http://dedication.www3.50megs.com/historyofsabbath/hos_twentyfour.html The Picture above shows the important people who were in the Reformation
Before the Reformation, The church offered security and protection to its people. No one criticized the Church. The Church started selling indulgences, in which church officials were telling people that they could be forgiven from their sins by paying money to them instead of praying for them. Another thing was that bibles were being printed with the improved printing press.The bibles were being written in the vernacular languages and now people were being able to interpret the bible themselves. People started noticing that the way the church interpreted the faith was different than the bible. Many started questioning the church about the interpretation and the selling of indulgences. They also started getting excommunicated from the church. The Roman Catholic church were being criticized by the people and were rejecting the authority of the Pope. Because of that situation the formation of many protestant churches were made.
Who were the People associated with the Change?
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was the spark of the Reformation. He stated that faith alone was the key to salvation. He was against the selling of indulgences being sold inside the church. Luther was angered and wrote a 95 Theses that he nailed on the door of the Castle church in Wittenberg. He was also against the authority of the Pope. The Pope had power, and he could decide who was to have salvation and not. The authority of the Pope didn't matter to Luther and the protestants anymore. The protestants believed that the God had the authority of who had salvation, not the Pope.
John Calvin
John Calvin was one of Luther's followers. Calvin had different ideas to reach salvation than Luther did. Calvin's doctrines were mainly about human nature, God, and salvation. He even thought the government should be run by religion; a theocracy. Calvin believed that God selected a few people to save; which is predestination. He had strong beliefs for the elect; which were chosen to be saved. John Calvin also stated that humans could not earn their salvation, only God could elect;for who to be saved.
Ignatius Loyola
Ignatius Loyola was a Spanish soldier that fought and was injured in a war. He didn't have any hopes if living any longer ,and only had a short time to live. Ignatius started to think about the life of Jesus, his teachings, and sins. He later started to have followers. He had 8 followers that had the same beliefs as him. They took a vow in front of the Pope and created the Society of Jesus; known as The Jesuits. The Jesuits took great part of the Counter-Reformation. They were on a mission to go spread the teachings and convert people.
King Henry VIII
King Henry VII was a very strong Catholic, as his wife. The Pope and the King had a very good relationship with each other. When the King found out about the protests of Martin Luther, he attacked them and the Pope gave him the title Defender of the Faith. The King's wife Queen Catherine of Spain had a daughter, but the king wants a son. Queen Catherine is too old to have children and the king wants to get divorced. The king had to get permission to get divorced by the Pope, but the pope says no. Asking the Pope for a divorce was dangerous and you could get excommunicated and loose your salvation. The king was angered and desperate to have a son so he asked parliament to make a law that made the king the head of the church. This ends up making England break apart from the Roman Catholic Church. Some spoke against the king and told him it was illegal. Anyone who spoke against the king was to be executed. The king would make executions public so he could show fear to his people and make them think; to not speak out against the king.