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MIT 21H 912 - Study Guide

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21H.912 Week 4 Protestant Reformation & European Rivalries Introduction Previously, the Catholic Church tolerated and embraced a wide range of practices that all fell under the rubric of Christianity. As discussed in week 2, there existed syncretism: cults, mysticism, saint worship, pagan rituals cloaked in Christian garb, etc. Mysticism was the only way for lay people to experience religion directly. It also opened up opportunities for women: i.e. you can be a mystic, but not a priest. There were large numbers of female mystics in the 14th and 15th centuries--e.g. Joan of Arc (d.1456). Precursors to Reformation: Rise in urban literacy--allows people to read the Bible on their own--before focus of religion was on the ritual of the sacraments and easy lessons, e.g. 7 deadly sins. One of the reasons for the rise in literacy was improvement in paper technology--13th and 14th centuries--and the development of movable type in the 15th century. A related development was reading glasses, which enabled those with poor vision to read. A movement called Brothers of the Common Life, later known as Modern Devotion encouraged religious life outside formal religious structures. It began in the late 14th century in the Netherlands and spread throughout N Europe. The Imitation of Christ, written in 1425, summarized the philosophy of the movement. The rise of humanism in Renaissance Italy (15th century--spread N&W thereafter)--movement which involved the self-conscious idea of entering a new age: the ancient world was distinct from the medieval one, and people were embarking on another phase. This movement involved the copy, preservation, and study of ancient texts. Abuses of the Church There were large numbers of priests who did not satisfy the obligations of priesthood: illiterate, ignorant, and not necessarily celibate. There are Bishops who don't even live in the territory for which they are in charge. Accumulation of revenue utilizing less than legitimate means: sale of high church offices and sale of indulgences. In the 14th century Pope Clement VII proclaimed the existence of a "treasury of merit" which could be dispensed at the Pope's discretion. It was on this basis that the Church could sell letters of indulgence covering works of satisfaction owed by penitents. About a hundred years later, the Pope extended indulgences to purgatory such that a person could pay not only for their present and future sins, but also the sins of relatives suffering in purgatory. Martin Luther (d. 1534) He was born to a simple miner's family in what today is central Germany. He was fixated by the idea of guilt/evil. Consequently he spent a lot of time thinking about the use and abuse of indulgences. Originally schooled as a lawyer--a stepping stone to public office--he joined an Augustinian monastery after being thrown to the ground during a thunderstorm. He begins the reformation in 1517 by nailing his 95 theses against indulgences to the door of a Church in Wittenberg. His message can be condensed into three main ideas. Authority of Scripture--the Bible is the sole foundation of Christian thought--not what other people say about it. Justification by Faith--More faith, less ritual--keeps only Baptism and Eucharist. Priesthood of Believers--no separation between the lay people and the priests--no need for celibacy--no miracle in mass--language of the believers should be the vernacular--translates Bible into German. Spin-offs, Responses, & ConsequencesZwingli (d. 1531)--likes Luther's simplicity. Belief that man is good, but needs constant correction and reminders to stay that way. Anabaptists--while Zwingli and Luther see some role for church authority, these radical Protestants take things one step further. They want to return to the simplicity of the Church in the time of Christ--adult baptism, communal property, etc. Calvin--discuss in class--predestination--much larger and longer lasting impact than Luther. Counter-Reformation--Reform against the worst examples of corruption and extreme repression of heterodoxy via the Inquisition. Catholic orders, e.g. Jesuits, arise to emphasize good works and community service. Catholicism and Protestantism become almost like two major international parties which can intervene in and complicate local disputes. Watch as people become more concerned with their allegiance to their state rather than their religion. A strong monarchy and a strong church will support each other, and the most effective monarchs place political objectives before religious ones. Impact on Women & Family Protestantism places a high degree of emphasis on the family. One did not have to pledge his or her virginity to God to achieve a higher state of religiousity. While there existed the notion of an equality of believers and a high degree of individualism, this did not mean equality in marriage. The husband and wife and complementary roles. Sexual fidelity was demanded by both sexes. The main function of sex is procreation, but recreational sex is OK within the bounds of marriage. There is no place for women as pastors, eliminating a space that had existed in Catholocism for nuns and Saints. Charles V & Protestants Charles was just a teenager in 1516 when he ascended to the Spanish (Castile & Aragon) throne as Charles I--he was schooled in the Netherlands and did not even speak Castilian Spanish. He had trouble getting his subjects to accept him, and when his Grandfather died, it created the opportunity for becoming Holy Roman Emperor as Charles V. He borrowed money from Fugger banking family (Augsburg) to bribe the electors (see below). See chart for geneology and land. As the old adage goes, the Holy Roman Empire was neither holy nor Roman. It had been dominated by the Austrian branch of the Habsburg family since the 13th century. The empire consisted of 2000 imperial knights, some of whom owned no more than a few acres of land; 50 ecclesiastical and 30 secular princes; more than 100 counts; 77 prelates; and 66 cities all of thich were politically independent but subordinate to the emperor. The unifying institution was the Diet, which had 3 assemblies: reps. of the cities, the princes, and the electors (the seven princes who decided who would be the emperor). Early in his reign (1521), Charles takes a firm stand against Protestantism. About a year after Luther had been excommunicated, he issues the Edict of Worms, the secular equivalent of excommunication. After dealing with difficulties on


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MIT 21H 912 - Study Guide

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