The Protestant Reformation began in response to perceived issues within the Catholic Church, including that it had become more focused on wealth than spiritual matters, the pope had become too political, and some priests had engaged in misconduct. Martin Luther helped spark the Reformation by posting his 95 Theses criticizing the Church and certain doctrines like the selling of indulgences. He went on to be excommunicated from the Catholic Church and establish the Lutheran Church, emphasizing salvation through faith alone rather than good deeds. The Reformation then spread through the establishment of new Protestant denominations across Europe in the 1500s-1600s.

1. THE PROTESTANT
REFORMATION

2. CAUSES OF REFORMATION
church more interested in income than saving souls
lost sight of spiritual mission
popes were too political
some priests engaged in vice and misconduct
new emphasis on personal faith and spirituality

3. Martin Luther
Excommunicated
he began teaching his
ideas against the church
Luther posted the 95 theses
(statements)
Tetzel began
selling indulgences
no central government
in Germany

4. Luther summoned to appear before
Imperial Diet
Luther refuses to abandon his ideas
Luther banished from empire, his
works banned
Luther translates Bible into German
Luther’s works and ideas
continue to spread
Luther establishes the
Lutheran Church

5. LUTHERANISM
Leader: Martin Luther
Belief: “justification by grace
through faith”
Significant Events
Used the printing press
excommunicated from the
Roman Catholic Church

6. ANGLICAN CHURCH
Leader: King Henry VIII
Belief: England should have a
separate religion, with the king
as its head
Significant Events
Parliament passed a series of
laws to create the Anglican
church, after the Catholic
Church refused to grant
Henry VIII with a divorce

7. CALVINISM
Leader: John Calvin
Belief: relied on faith and the
Bible; believed in predestination,
the idea that at the beginning of
time God had decided who
would be saved
Significant Events
Calvin moved to Geneva, which
became a theocracy as a
result; Calvinism spread
throughout Europe

8. HUGUENOTS
Leader: John Calvin/high ranking
French nobles
Belief: relied on faith and the
Bible, belief in predestination
Significant Events
After a series of Civil Wars
with the Catholics, the
Huguenots were given
freedom of worship by King
Henry IV in the Edict of
Nantes

9. LUTHER’S BELIEFS
ceremonies and good
deeds made no
difference in saving a
sinner
only a inner faith in
God and could receive
salvation through the
grace of God

10. FACTORS THAT LEAD TO THE
SPREAD OF PROTESTANTISM
many Europeans’ desire for a simpler more direct
religion
German rulers’ establishment of Lutheran Churches
within their states
Charles V’s inability to defeat Protestant Princes
Peace of Augsburg (each German ruler could choose
the religion of its state)
Henry VIII’s desire for a divorce and subsequent
creation of the Anglican Church

11. CALVIN’S CHURCH
carried on the work of Huldrych Zwingli
1536 - Institutes of the Church Religion
emphasized predestination - beginning of time God
had decided who would be saved called “the elect”
formed a special community following a high moral
standard and emphasized self-discipline
Geneva becomes a theocracy

12. THE SPREAD OF CALVINISM
French Calvinists - called Huguenots converted 1/3
French Nobility
French monarchs considered them a threat
1562 - Civil wars break out between Catholics and
Huguenots
1598 - King Henry IV (France) issued the Edict of
Nantes - gave them religious rights
Calvinism spreads to Poland, Hungary, Scotland,
Northern Netherlands, England, and America.