Protestant Reformation Essays: Martin Luther's Life and Impact

The Protestant Reformation Essays
During the Late Middle Ages, Christian followers and clergy were becoming increasingly concerned about the corruption of the church. Some had
even declared that the dogma was false, however, the church had dealt with similar challenges before. In the 1500's a new series of attacks on the
church's authority had started to destroy Christianity creating both political and cultural consequences. At the center of the changes happening in
Germany was Martin Luther who lived between 1483 and 1546. His life began simply enough. His father was a merchant and his grandfather was a
peasant. Luther originally went to university to become a lawyer, when he had, "the calling" to become a not–so–humble Augustinian monk in 1505.
He spent his...show more content...
He also believed the doctrine strayed from the teachings of Saint Augustine, who like Luther, believed that God had alone chosen specific souls
that were worthy of being saved, and that all others were damned to hell. This was called the Doctrine of Predestination. The church however,
adopted a more gentle approach to all of this by using the arguments of Saint Thomas Aquinas. The church decided that the taking of church
administered sacraments and being a good Christian was all that needed to be saved from a life of sin. In 1513, Luther dealt with a conversion
experience crisis. Concerned that he could not get over his own personal sin and be in God's favor, he could not for the life of himself, figure out
why God wanted man to follow the commandments, knowing they would be broken, hence being damned. He dove into the Old Testament and
finally decided that the way to God's grace was to find it alone in one's faith. With this revelation, he considered himself "born again." Luther believed
after all of that that God had granted him salvation without regard to his behavior, and on this point he disagreed with St. Augustine who argued that
there was no way of knowing whether or not you had been saved by God. Luther knew it. His concept about the Justification by Faith remained is main
postulate and established his messy break–up with Rome. In 1517, gain little interest with his debate over indulgences. Prince Albert of Brandenburg
bought his way into his
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The Protestant Reformation Essay
The Protestant Reformation
Throughout the Middle Ages the Catholic Church was subject to much criticism and disappointment. The Great Schism brought about a feeling of
mistrust and separation. More and more people of Europe were beginning to lose their faith in the church's leadership. One man by the name of Martin
Luther ignited a group of people who believed that the Church had fallen away from the teachings of Jesus and their meanings. They also believed that
the Church was overly obsessed with money. These believed faults compelled Luther to take action. In 1517, on the eve of All Saint's Day, Luther
posted up on the doors of Wittenberg Cathedral, ninety–five problems with the Church. They are more popularly known as the...show more content...
21. Those indulgence preachers are wrong who say that the pope can remit every penalty.
40. Genuine contrition seeks and loves penalties 27–28. They say, В‘As soon as the coin in the coffer rings the soul from purgatory springs.' What
springs out is the spirit of avarice. 86. Why doesn't he build the St. Peter Basilica out of his own money seeing that he is richer than Croesus."
Of course this action drew the critical attention of the archbishops and cardinals who argued that Luther was acting heretical. The pope reciprocated
Luther's action by issuing a Dominican to reply to Luther. In the statement it was written "В…He who does not accept the doctrine of the Roman
Church and of the Roman pontiff as the infallible rule of faith from which sacred scripture draws its strength and authority is a heretic." Bickering
and arguing continued for a couple of years following. Seeming as the pope and the church would never change or conform to Luther and his people's
cries for reform, Luther sought to establish his own practice of religion; one that would follow Jesus' plan for love and humility.
One of the most drastic steps that Luther took toward the breaking away from the Church was revising the seven sacraments. Luther only
acknowledged that there were three genuine sacraments: baptism, Eucharist and penance. At that particular time in the Catholic church, the idea of
receiving the blood of Christ did not exist. Luther believed that you could not have

PROTESTANT REFORMATION: A MENTOR TO CHRISTIAN CIVILIZATION
When we talk about Protestant Reformation, what usually comes to our mind is a movement that brought about negative effects not just in Europe but
also in the whole Catholic Church, which are still being felt and experienced even today. Although it may be true that the Protestant Reformation had
been one of the causes of the gradual decline of the Catholic Church during the 16th century, it also brought about numerous contributions in the
development not just of the Catholic Church but the whole Christian Civilization as well. It was through the establishment of these Protestant Churches
that the Catholic Church started taking a second look and...show more content...
The Reformation in France was a bloodier business than in either England or Germany, for the question of reform became entangled with the political
fortunes of the crown and of certain noble families. While reform proceeded relatively peacefully in the first part of the 16th century, the so–called
Wars of Religion dominated the second half. The fights were not just about difference in religious beliefs but various powerful families saw in these
events an opportunity to gain influence and advance their own interests. The Wars of Religion created a deep division within French society. They also
weakened the kingdom that France's international position was seriously threatened in the later 1500s. These events clearly showed how grave and
worst things could get in religious dispute once political matters and personal interests influence it. The disputes become more of a fight for one's own
self rather than that for the greater good. In this manner, it becomes more of a selfish act. Just like with what is happening between the church and the
state today and with other religious disputes among the different religious groups, we must always keep in mind that we are not fighting for ourselves
but for what we believe is good for all.

Protestant Reformation of Christianity Essay
The renaissance period marked radical changes in many fields, this includes religion. The so–called Protestant Reformation was the split within western
Christian Church initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin, and other early Protestants. Calls for reform came form all sectors of the European society
and it is this dissatisfaction that explains why the ideas of Martin Luther evoked such extreme responses, there was already a ready audience. Although
there had been significant attempts at reform before Luther, the date usually given for the start of the Protestant Reformation is 1517, when Luther
published The Ninety–Five Theses. As he developed his ideas, Luther gathered followers, who came to be called Protestants. The word protestant
...show more content...
Several men simultaneously claimed to be the true pope. Driven by politics rather than any theological disagreement) badly damaged the prestige of
the church leaders. Papal tax collection methods were also attacked, and some criticized the papacy itself as an institution. Court records, written
descriptions of bishop's visitations of parishes and even popular songs and printed images show widespread anticlericalism, or opposition to the clergy.
Much of the criticism towards the Roman Catholic Church was administrative rather than theological. In the early 16th century critics of the church
concentrated their attacks on clerical immorality, clerical ignorance and clerical absenteeism. Charges of clerical immorality were aimed at a number
of priests who were drunkards, neglected the rule of celibacy, gambled, or indulged in fancy dress. Charges of clerical ignorance applied to barely
literate priests who delivered poor quality sermons and who were obviously ignorant of the Latin words of the Mass. In regards to absenteeism, many
clerics, especially higher ecclesiastics/clergymen, held multiple offices simultaneously– a practice termed pluralism. However, they seldom visited the
communities they served by the offices, let alone performed the spiritual responsibilities those offices were entailed. Instead, they collected revenues
from all of the offices assigned to them and hired a poor priest

Protestant Reformation In The 16th Century
The Protestant reformation in the 16th century splintered Catholic Europe, it was a political, religious, and cultural upheaval. It also placed the
structures and beliefs that would definitely continue out in the modern era. Reformers like John Calvin and Martin Luther also contributed a main part
in the reformation. They also altered the Catholic Church's ability to define Christian practice. They mainly aligned for religious and political
redistribution of power into the hands of the Bible and pamphlet. The redistribution triggered wars that were called counter reformation. The Catholic
Church's delayed, but forceful response to the protestants. The protestant reformation started in 1517. That was also the publication of Martin Luther's
"95 theses". The Swiss Reformation began in 1519 with the sermons of Ulrich Zwingli,...show more content...
Isaac Newton and John Locke enjoyed the king of England's favor and the freedom to publish. The point is that the Catholic Inquisition was held in
high odium in Protestant countries, and while the English Star Court Chamber was every bit as nasty, the activities of that court were confined pretty
much to sedition even when couched in religious terms. The Huguenots had been drawn to a reformational view by Calvin or priests whom Calvin
had influenced. The Huguenots were mostly drawn from a newly mobile artisan class and rentier minor aristocrats. A favuorite destination for the
Huguenots was England. The French monarchs had been encouraged by their advisors to strive for absolutist rule. This absolute course of action was
proposed initially by Cardinal Richelieu. In due course Richelieu mentored a successor, Jules Mazarin, an Italian who, for a brief time, was a layman
until Richelieu put him on fast track to becoming a cardinal. Then another advisor succeeded

The protestant reformation began in the 16th century. This reformation was seen as a counter to the religious authoritative rules set in place by society.
Many citizens saw it as a disrespectful threat to the society as a whole, but as the protest began to increase
, several people would rise in fame in Europe. The creation of a new Christianity branch of faith would produce a new theology and philosophy within
Christianity. The church was forced to defend themselves, using the Counter Reformation. The Reformation had three parts : Lutheran, Reformed and
English. There are many influences that impacted the Protestant Reformation that will be discussed in the following. The first major person was Martin
Luther. Luther spent most of his younger years being a monk and scholar. During that time the church was practicing the sale of
"indulgences" to absolve sin. Due to that corrupt practicing of Christianity, Luther decided to write the "95 Theses" that was published on October 31,
1517.
The "95 Theses" contained some of the following main points:
в—Џ "When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, says "Repent ye," etc., he means that the entire life of the faithful should be a repentance."
в—Џ 27. "They preach human folly who pretend that as soon as money in the coffer rings a soul from purgatory springs."
в—Џ 32. "Those who suppose that on account of their letters of indulgence they are sure of salvation will be eternally damned along with their
teachers."
в—Џ 36.

Protestant Reformation Dbq Essay
At the beginning of the sixteenth century the church was promptly losing respect due to the corruption and simony within the church. However when
Johann Tetzel began to sell indulgences, many felt that the church had reached rock bottom. Due to this sale of indulgences, Martin Luther issued his
95 Theses which sparked a religious reformation movement that spread throughout Europe. During the reformation, religious, political, and social
aspects were associated with the changes in the church, significantly affecting Europe.
Many social changes emerged following the Protestant Reformation. The printing press and mass production of books were a major source of growth
and success to the Reformation (Document 3). Because of the printing press, Martin Luther's message was simply spread throughout Europe. Now that
people could access the Bible on their own, the Europeans were able to study Scripture without a...show more content...
The difference between a political and a church official was small to none, even when it came to the pope. They were both treated and viewed the same.
Through the use of the commoners money, the self–glorification of the princes, bishops, and priests was seen (Document 1). And many people had no
faith in the government at all but rather the Bible itself (Document 8). This political confusion led to riots and several deaths. In Document 6, Luthe
says that the religious transformation must first occur within the peasants themselves, before any other course of action is acted upon. This shows his
disapproval of the peasants' course of action towards the princes. The Reformation also contributed to patriotic feelings throughout Germany. All in all
the Reformation influences political aspects.
The Protestant Reformation forever changed the religious, social, and political aspects of the world. These changes forever altered the world and
paved the way for revolutions to

What happens when people start to break away from the entity that bound an entire civilization together for over a thousand years? How does one go
from unparalleled devotion to God to the exploration of what man could do? From absolute acceptance to intense scrutiny? Sheeple to independent
thinkers? Like all revolutions preceding it, the Protestant Reformation did not happen overnight. Catholics had begun to lose faith in the once infallible
Church ever since the Great Schism, when there were two popes, each declaring that the other was the antichrist. Two things in particular can be
identified as the final catalyst: a new philosophy and simple disgust. The expanding influence of humanism and the corruption of the Catholic Church
led...show more content...
A long history of corruption caused people to view the Catholic Church as a for–profit organization rather than God's voice on Earth. By the
Renaissance, the Catholic Church had already lost much of its power over secular rulers but still held leverage over the masses. This authority naturally
paved the way for corruption. The most outrageous form of corruption practiced by the Church was the sale of indulgences. An indulgence is the
remission of temporal punishment still due for a sin that has been sacramentally absolved. One of the ways the Church would generate income was by
selling them. The notion started off innocently enough; it stemmed from the idea that punishment for crimes could be converted to payments of
money, in essence, a fine (Simon 35). However, it soon spiraled out of control as the Church used indulgences simply to gain money, as whenPope Leo
X needed money for the construction of St. Peter's basilica (Duiker and Spielvogel 429). People began to view salvation as something that could be
bought; they could go out and sin on Saturday night, then simply pay for it monetarily Sunday morning. To encourage people to buy more indulgences,
the Church even claimed that indulgences could be bought on behalf of those already dead and in purgatory (Sporre 378). This blatant victimization
was what spurred Martin Luther to write his Ninety–Five Theses, which

Essay Outline: Protestant Reformation
Michael Gugliotta 11/5/14
Global 2 Mr. Jennings
Protestant Reformation Essay Outline
Question: Although the protestant Reformation is usually interpreted as a religious movement, it did have a profound impact on European Civilization
in general. Discuss the political, social, and economic consequences of the Reformation. How did the Reformation effect women?
Intro:
The Protestant Reformation began in the early 16th century and ended in the 17th century.
Martian Luther put up his "95 Theses" on the doors of Wittenberg Castle church in the year 1517
...show more content...
P1: How the Reformation effected Europeans politically
The reformation split Europe apart
Some Europeans separated themselves from the Catholic church– became Protestant
Nobles, princes, and the monarch had supreme power of their region
They choose what religion their state will follow– Protestant or Catholic
Example– Henry VII
The church began to isolate themselves from involvement in the government
Anabaptists and how they wanted the church separated from the gov't
P2: How the Reformation effected Europeans socially
Peasants' War
Occurred in the year 1525
The crops were not growing during the years 1523 and 1524
The peasants were angry and protested to their landlord
Luther agreed with the peasants argument until violence began
The War led to 75,000 peasant casualties
This shows that the peasants had no say in the government
Also that Luther did not believe that violence was the way to go in the situation

Peasants were considered the lowest class in the Roman

Impact Of The Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation during 1518–1648 was a key period in the Church's history that saw the acts and teachings of all relifgions come under
great scrutiny. Through the contributing social, cultural, politcal and religous factors that lead to the Reformation it has undoubtedy had a significant
impact not only on the 16th centruy but also in our world today.
Political/Religious :
During the 16th century the monarchy was still actibely utilizing their power. As well as this, the whole of Europe were Christians time, which lead to
the Church having primary authorty over people's lifestyles. Due to this, it lead to many discrepancies in scoeity as they believed the Catholic Church
was focused more on money and power tthan in saving...show more content...
Specifically, churchmen disagreed about the primary issues as God's sovereignty, gaining salvation, effects of sin and grace on the soul etc. With the
abundance of universities and printed books around 1500, many people in society became aware of these debates of Christian faith, which therefore
sparked the Reformation controversies.
Due to the protestant reformation, the schism from the Catholic Church was primarily initiated by Martin Luther, who actively protested and therefore
made him an enemy of the pope and so was excommunicated. However, many people such as John Calvin and Huldrych Zwingli continued Martin
Luther's protests and their theologies resulted in Lutheranism and Calvanism, which were both one of the major branches of Protestanism.
Moreover, in c. 1524, millions of peasants rebelled against the nobles for equality and humanity. Many countries in Europe therefore followed this
notion of reformation and therefroe lead to Europe dividing by denomination. This consequently brought religious wars such as the French Wars of
Religion.
Counter Reformation:
As a result of the movement of the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic Church responded to this with the counter reformation, which began with the
Council of Trent in 1545 and ended at the close of the 30 years war in 1648. The Roman Catholic Church at the time made new religious orders such as
Jesuits, which were made to combat Protestantism and inform people about Catholicism. The Church

Chloe Cooper Mrs. Trahan English 10, 1st period 10 November 2016 Catholic vs Protestant Throughout history, the Protestant Reformation and the
Catholic Church have developed similarities and differences among their religions. Because they are both a major part of history they're both equally
important. The most important thing is knowing facts about our history and major events that occurred. Catholicism and Protestantism are both two
very different religions that have different opinions. While Catholics use statues and paintings as a sign of inspiration Protestants did not permit them.
Another key difference was Catholics believed that the Pope should have the authority while Protestants did not. While Catholic believed that Sunday
was the only day of worship and was a personal sacrifice during lent Protestants thought it too should be Sunday but believed in other days if treated
with the same amount of worship. While in church Catholics believed that if they confess their sins it goes straight to God through the priest while
Protestants believed it went to God through Jesus. Catholics also consider Mary an intercessor of God and that you could pray to her. Protestants
believed that besides being the mother of Jesus she was just another simple human (Catholics vs Protestants.) The magisterium was also a major part to
the Catholics but not the Protestants. To the Catholics it provided a trusted voice and allowed church officials to make announcements on issues. Also a

The Reformation Essay
The Reformation
Religious ideas have developed from every society known since the Sumerians, with theological ideas evolving as communities progressed and changed.
Throughout recorded history there have been dissenters and revolt to every religious institution. However, the Reformation of the sixteenth century
religious institutions led to changes in social, political and cultural life that have profoundly effected Western Civilization (McKay, Hill, Buckler, A
History of Western Society, page 451).
By the early sixteenth century, church and state had become inextricably intertwined. Both factions were removed from the greatest percentage of the
population by wide margins in education, nutrition, mobility, and income....show more content...
Martin Luther himself was a member of the Catholic church, a trained priest. Luther was literate, educated, trained by the Church, but also, the son of a
lower–class miner who empathized with and was respected by peasants. The theological issues questioned by the "Protestants" were primary to the
faith and power held by the Church. First, is salvation attained by faith and good works, as the Catholic Church maintained (and profited from by
selling "indulgences" as good works), or by faith alone as Luther asserted. Second, does authority over the people rest with the Church or on the Word
of God (the Bible) alone, as interpreted by the individual. This idea
THE REFORMATION WAS A GREAT MILESTONE ON THE ROAD TO PROGRESS
Page Two
directly questioned the authority of the Church. Third, does the Church consist of the hierarchical clergy of the Church or the community of Christian
believers. Fourth, is the monastic life superior to secular life, or do all vocations have equal merit, as Luther argued. Theology was adapting from one
dictatorial faith ruling the masses to different sects empowered by their individual faith and better suited to their society. As a leader of peoples
yearning for salvation, Luther's revolt, which led to the secularization of Christianity, is more of a progression of Christianity, than a "protest."
By 1521 Luther had a vast number of

The intent of this paper is to evaluate the distinct character and quality of the expressions of the Protestant Reformation. This paper will discuss
Lutheran Reformation, The Anabaptist, and The English Puritans as well as the Catholic Reformation also known as the Counter Reformation. It is
the hope that after the reader has had the opportunity to view each of the characteristics and the expressions of each of the reformation the reader will
have a better understanding of each and will be able to articulate the differences of each.
The Protestant Reformation called the Protestant Revolt and known too many as The Reformation. This movement was the European Christian reform
movement this was the beginning of Protestantism the branch of...show more content...
Written in his theses was the debate and criticism of the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope. Luther concentrated upon the selling of indulgences,
which are extra–sacrament remission of the temporal punishment due in God's justice, to sin that has been forgiven, which remission is granted by the
Church in the exercise of the power of the keys (Knight 1993, 2009) the indulgences replaced the severe penances of the early church. The theses also
included the debate of doctrine policies about purgatory, judgment, devotion to Mary the Mother of Jesus, the intercession of and devotion to the saints
and the authority of the Pope there are others that were not mention in this paper. The Lutheran Reformation is particularly associated with the German
territories and the pervasive personal influence of one charismatic individual Martin Luther. Luther's concern was the doctrine of justification, which
formed his central point of his religious thoughts. The Lutheran Reformation was initially an academic movement, concerned primarily with reforming
the teaching of theology at the University of Wittenberg (McGrath 2007). The Lutheran began in 1822 this happen after Luther's return to Wittenberg
from his enforced isolation in Wartburg. Luther was condemned for "false doctrine" by the Diet of Worms in 1512 (Noll 2000). The

The Protestant Reformation
Why the Protestant Reformation is considered a significant development in the Christian Church.
The Protestant Reformation was an event which occurred within the Catholic Church during the 16th century. This Reformation was prompted by
Martin Luther's '95 theses' which were a list of 95 criticisms towards the church. The Reformation formed another branch of Christianity called
Protestantism which is comprised of many different Christian denominations including Anglican, Presbyterian, and Lutheran. TheProtestant
Reformation is considered a vital part of the Christian Church's history and in order to explain why, this essay will look at three key parts of the
reformation: the events which lead to Luther nailing his 95 theses on the door of the church, the event itself, and the consequences on the Catholic
Church, the Protestant Church, and Western Society.
The first cause that I am going to talk about is the corruption that was going on within the Catholic Church which led Martin Luther to write his 95
theses. In order to understand why people did what they did, one must understand that everyone was religious and no one assumed that it might be
possible that what they were taught was wrong, heaven was up above and this was why the churches were built tall, in order to be closer to heaven
and god. Hell was below and was for the sinners; and the in–between state of Purgatory, for people who didn't deserve either. Purgatory was considered
a place of

Essay On The Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was the 16th–century religious, political, intellectual and cultural upheaval that splintered Catholic Europe, setting in place
the structures and beliefs that would define the continent in the modern era.
To begin, the Protestant Reformation began in reaction to the Catholic Church's rather corrupt practices. Prior to the Reformation, the only major
Christian denomination in Western Europe at the time was Catholicism, headed by thePope in Rome. Through many acts of violence such as the
formation of the Spanish Inquisition and the slaughter of the Cathars, amongst others, Europe's Monarchs had wiped out and suppressed any form of
religious competition. With the Catholic Church holding a tight stranglehold over Europe, Catholicism was the only option. This allowed...show more
content...
This period of fighting saw massacres of Huguenots (French Protestants) by the Catholic monarchs of France, most prominently during the St.
Bartholomew's Day Massacre of 1572 (where almost 30,000 French Protestants were killed across France in targeted assassinations and mob
beatings). Eventually the wars would culminate with the Edict of Nantes in 1598, a treaty issued and signed by King Henry IV of France, who had
converted from Protestantism to Catholicism and called for general tolerance.
England, too, experienced political upheaval. When King Edward VII died in 1553, Protestant ministers sought to prevent his Catholic sister Mary I
from succeeding him, and so crowned his cousin, Lady Jane Grey. Nine days later, however, Mary and her supporters gained power and Jane was
executed. Mary sought to re–establish Catholicism through the executions of many Protestants, giving her the infamous title of "Bloody Mary." In
1558 her Protestant sister Elizabeth would succeed her, and Protestantism and stability would return to

The Protestant Reformation during the sixteenth century established a schism between Christian beliefs that lead to the emergence of divergent
interpretations of the Bible. Through this transformation the Papacy was prosecuted for its unrelenting and restricted renditions of the gospel that was
seen to oppress the populace and corrupt the true meaning of God's Word. Though there were individuals such as Desiderius Erasmus who greatly
criticized the Catholic Church yet remained loyal there were others who broke away entirely. With the increasing dissatisfaction across Europe factions
began to be founded providing elucidation on the "truthful" interpretations of the Bible. Two various factions were known as Lutheranism after German
priest...show more content...
Erasmus was also disturbed by the isolation the theologians practiced by hiding behind their doctrines and "hedged in by rows of magistral
definitions, conclusions, corollaries, explicit and implicit propositions."3 So much so that they remained untouchable to the people creating a divide
between the church and the populace. Furthermore, Erasmus was in disagreement with the continual practice of the "very foolish"4 belief that one
could rectify the ill conceived notions and practices in their lives through worshipping particular paintings or statues such as the statue of Barbara in
hopes of a safe return from battle. These practices were Erasmus believed,"a great comfort in soothing self delusions about fictitious pardons for
their sins"5 and enabled people to believe all acts that were practiced against the will of God could be paid off "like a mortgage, and paid in such a
way that he could start off once more on a whole new round of sinful pleasures"6 creating an unending cyclical realm of corruption and injustice.
Through these unfavourable views of the Catholic Church Erasmus remained faithful during the Reformation. However, his beliefs that circulated
provided the grounding for the emerging views of Martin Luther and John Calvin who were amongst the central figures developing various ideals of the
Protestant Reformation.
The base ideologies

Cause and Effects of Protestant Reformation Essay
Major Causes and Effects of the Protestant Reformation
There were several causes of the Protestant Reformation that effected society, politics, and religion in Europe during the 16th century.
In my opinion, the immediate cause that started the reformation was Martin Luther's act of posting the 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg
Cathedral in the Roman Empire. Luther was unhappy with the Catholic Church, and posted the Theses due to the sale of indulgences that was going on
to raise money for the renovation of St. Peter's cathedral from people who wished that their souls go from purgatory to heaven. Luther believed that an
indulgence was justified for a person's wrongdoing. By selling indulgences, the Church was giving forgiveness to...show more content...
It also allowed for mass production which put the Bible and other literature in the hands of a much larger audience. The effects on society were that
common people were getting more educated on their own, and didn't need the Church for guidance to run their lives. It also encouraged more people
to learn how to write because there was a wider market for their words and opinions. Religion became more accessible to the common people. This
allowed for people to come up with their own opinions on the translation of the Bible. The people began to challenge the Church's authority because
they no longer needed a Priest to translate to them. This would end up causing the Catholic Church to lose power.
The next major cause of the Protestant Reformation was the creation of Lutheranism and the Lutheran Church. The Lutheran Church changed the
entire culture in Europe. It caused society as a whole to live more wholesome lives by cutting down on sinful acts and criminal offenses. The Church
began to draw the line on what was acceptable and what was not. People began to live more holy lives. Since religion had so much to do with the
government and politics at the time, it affected how governments had to be run because they could no longer pay off the Church to get their way. This
caused a major political effect on the Catholic Church. Power struggles began to influence how rulers would deal with the Church. Luther's

The Protestant Reformation was a major 16th century European movement aimed initially at reforming the beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic
Church. The Reformation in western and central Europe officially began in 1517 with Martin Luther and his 95 Theses. This was a debate over the
Christian religion. At the time there was a difference in power. Roman Catholicism stands with thePope as central and appointed by God. Luther's
arguments referred to a direct relationship with God and using the local vernacular to speak to the people. Luther's arguments remove the absolute
power from the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church in general. The revenue from the taxes paid to the Church would be reduced with Luther's ideas,
in part because of...show more content...
He did this because he felt that he would never earn his eternal salvation otherwise. He didn't feel that all of the prayer, studying and sacraments were
enough and felt that he would never be able to satisfy such a judgmental God. After entering the religious life he later became a monk and entered the
Augustinian monastery at Erfurt in July of 1505. While there, Luther became a well–known theologian and Biblical scholar. Luther took his religious
vocation very seriously. This led him into a severe crisis in dealing with his religion. He wondered, "is it possible to reconcile the demands
of God's law with mankind's inability to live up to that law?" Luther then turned to the New Testament book of Romans for answers. He
realized that everyone is burdened by sin because it happens as a result of our weaknesses. He concluded that man could never earn his salvation by
leading a blameless life or by performing Holy acts. Instead, man's salvation was a divine gift from God resulting from faith in Jesus, especially the
saving power of His death and resurrection. This was known as the protestant doctrine of "justification by faith alone." The fact that Luther
believed this led him into his first confrontation. The leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo X, was trying to raise money in order to build St.
Peter's Basilica in Rome. In order to do this, the Pope offered the sale of indulgences, which were donations of money that would give

From the time Christianity began to the time of the Protestant Reformation, for about a millennium and a half, there was only one sect of Christianity:
Catholicism. After the Protestant Reformation, however, different Christian denominations sprang up in many parts of Europe. The Protestant
Reformation's beginning is most commonly associated with Martin Luther's beliefs and his protest of the wrongdoings of the Catholic Church. Before
the Reformation, the Catholic Church was more interested in raising funds for its leaders and keeping political ties healthy rather than the spiritual
enhancement of the Christian people. There were problems with Catholic leadership years before during the Babylonian Captivity and the Great
Schism, in which there were multiple popes as a result of political rivalries between regions. These two events greatly depreciated papal authority for
years to come, and although many people still practiced Catholicism, their confidence and trust in the Church was never completely restored. Luther
protested the sale of indulgences, the belief that the Church's interpretation of the Scripture was the only right interpretation (that people should read
the Bible themselves), and the corruption of the Catholic clergy. Catholics believed that, by purchasing an indulgence, a soul could escape from
purgatory; the leaders of the Catholic Church took advantage of this belief in order to receive more revenue. Since the start of Christianity, the Catholic
Church

Protestant Reformation Essays: Martin Luther's Life and Impact

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Protestant Reformation Essays: Martin Luther's Life and Impact