The Protestant Reformation as a turning point in early modern Europe

Reformation

Protestant Reformation

For most of the 1000 years after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Catholic Church was the only centralized authority in Western Europe. While kingdoms rose and fell, the Church remained and was the only religious authority in Europe. But beginning in the 15th century, people began to question the authority of the Catholic Church and specifically the Pope. What followed was a turning point in the history of Western Europe and the Catholic Church's position in society.

The Protestant Reformation actually began with John Wycliffe, who first attacked corruption in the Church, "including the sale of indulgences, pilgrimages, the excessive veneration of saints, and the low moral and intellectual standards of ordained priests." ("Protestant Reformation") Wycliffe's followers, called Lollards, continued his protests after his death in 1482, and were certainly an influence on Martin Luther. Generally attributed with beginning the actual Reformation, Martin Luther was a German priest who, when convinced that the Catholic Church was in need of reform, nailed a list of grievances, called the "95 Theses," to the door of a Church in Wittenberg Germany. The 95 Theses contained a number of criticisms against the Church, its theological beliefs, and the practices it engaged in.

In response to Martin Luther, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, called the Diet of Worms in 1521, which demanded Luther explain his attacks on the Church and then, in the Edict of Worms, denounced his beliefs as "products and results of his depraved mind and were dragged out of hell ." (Mullet 134) The Diet of Worms was the first official reply to Luther and all similar theologians who dared to criticize the Catholic Church.

But once the cat was out of the bag, so to speak, others imitated Luther and began criticizing the Church, they, like Luther, eventually decided that they would start their own churches without what they decided were the corruptions of the Catholic Church. Among these others were Huldreich Zwingli, John Calvin, John Knox, and finally Henry VIII, King of England. The three main issues which divided Protestants from Catholics was the Protestant belief in the supremacy of scripture, the belief that salvation did not have to earned but was given freely as a gift from God, and the belief in the priesthood of the believer. Eventually four main categories of Protestants were formed: Lutheran, Reformed, Radical, and Anglican which, although similar, differed in their beliefs about the transubstantiation and the importance of the Lord's Supper.

After some time the Catholic Church finally recognized that it was in need of reforming, but there was no centralized reform system, no official list of things that needed reform, and no group which could discuss and recommend reforms to the Church. However, this would be rectified "by what was effectively the centerpiece of sixteenth century Catholic Reform: the Council of Trent." (Herring 272) The council of Trent attempted to address the criticism of the Reformation, and renew its doctrine with a code of reform that provided the essential inspiration for the Catholic renewal in early modern Europe." (Herring 272) In effect, the Catholic Church changed its doctrine and practices in an effort to combat the growing influence of the Reformation. However, it still maintained many of the beliefs and practices criticized by Luther and other reformers.

What began as a form of criticism and a desire for reform in the Catholic Church transformed into a major split in Western Christianity with the rise of several new, competing churches. The three major issues which ultimately would define the core of Protestant belief are the supremacy of scripture, salvation, and the need for a priesthood. Protestants believed that scripture was the ultimate religious authority, not the Catholic Church, and people should read the Bible and contemplate it themselves. They also disagreed with the Catholic Church's belief that salvation could be earned, or even purchased, and instead believed that it was a gift from God that was given freely to all. Finally, the Protestants believed that a priesthood, which acted as a conduit to God, was not necessary as God would listen and respond to any true believers. From the initial split by Luther came a number of other groups which formed their own churches and are responsible for the fractured state of Christianity in modern world.