The Protestant Reformation in Europe

The Protestant Reformation in Renaissance Europe

Origins. Originates with the Black Death Plague of the 14th century, which undermined Catholic authority, as prayers and Catholic worship were of no help. The Church also supported the aristocrats in forcing the peasant class to continue to work for pittance, despite the fact that labor became a scarcity, and therefore should have commanded a much higher price under a fair economic system.

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Renaissance. As troubles deepened during the plague and its aftermath, and questioning of the Catholic Church became more common, there was an increase in philosophical reasoning along with a desire for education among the masses.
Printing Press. Created a desire to have the Bible translated in one’s own language. The Church prohibited the Bible in any language other than Latin, but the movement could not be stopped, and the Bible was mass- produced in a variety of languages. Their worst fears were confirmed as readership increased, and interpretations along with it. When Martin Luther drafted his grievances with the Church, he was able to economically circulate his point of view to a mass, far-flung audience thanks to the printing press.

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Martin Luther. The father of Protestantism. As a Catholic monk, he was appalled with the practice of selling indulgences, where the Church would offer a remission of sins for a price. He also questioned the authority of the pope and his priests, bishops, etc., asserting that worship and sin could be between taken up with God personally, by the individual. Therefore, the Church’s authority/rituals were not necessary for the salvation of one’s soul, but instead for the purpose of maintaining power over the people. Luther produced a long list of grievances/disagreements with the Church (95 Theses), which were distributed far and wide, gaining support, while also sparking other Protestant movements.

Religious Wars. By the time the Catholic Church decided to respond, it was too late. Protestantism could not be put back in the bag. It spread throughout Europe, changing the religious affiliation of entire nations. Protestantism compelled the Dutch Protestants to revolt against its master Spain, a Catholic nation that attempted to enforce Catholicism upon those under its rule. The Dutch (Netherlands) would achieve independence from Spain. The German states splintered according to religious lines, sparking the Thirty Years’ War pitting Catholics against Protestants. Protestant England and Sweden came to the aid of the Protestants, helping them to victory, forcing the Catholics to allow German princes to select a religion for their respective principalities. Protestantism was now and forever more a competing force in Christianity.

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