HY 101 Dr James Mixson The German Reformation and the Peasants War Outlined Summary of Brief History with Documents Michael G Baylor Yellow Highlighter supplemental quote pulled from introduction pages 1 30 Blue Highlighter supplemental quote pulled from any documents pages 35 141 Introduction Germany s Dual Rebellions I Holy Roman Empire a Begins to overturn b This religious ecclesiastical system is being destroyed by German Reformation c Most importantly the Holy Roman Empire goes through a period where people s faith in the Papacy was eroded there was a perceived corruption in the roman curia pope clergy bishops of the church and traditional values of the church were questioned time time again a Shatters a Latin Christian religious and ecclesiastical tradition that had endured for more than a thousand years within the Holy Roman Empire Martin Luther posts the Ninety Five Theses which condemned the pope s practice of selling indulgences or remission of time spent in purgatory by cash donation II German Reformation Indulgence a medieval act of offering of financial sums in return for their sins to be made right or justified by the church For instance people would give a certain amount of money to the church in return for certain amount of days off in purgatory Often used as a fund raising ploy for various amounts of church projects Indulgence campaigns were abused by the papacy Martin Luther spoke of the pope as the antichrist Luther and his followers rejected the authority of the papacy and all its teachings because they believed the Roman church was growing corrupt as its clergymen and pope abused their power within the church over the common people b Onset of Reformation includes the German Peasants War 1524 1526 that was the greatest popular rebellion in European history prior to the French Revolution Much debated question Who what brought about the Peasants War in the Reformation What Luther s opponents thought supporters of the Roman Church His demonstration of heresy and rejection of religious authority inspired others to do the same opened the idea made it okay to participate in this general insurrection What is insurrection Violent uprising against an authority or government What is heresy Belief of opinion opposed to generally accepted beliefs of a particular time What Luther himself thought He cautioned his followers that choosing to use violence was not the right action to instead accept the authority of the secular government Concluded that the revolt was the work of the devil peasants dragged the gospel through the mud of their own selfish carnal interests Baylor 3 Luther believed the bloodthirsty fanatical preachers were agents of the devil Baylor 3 He was aiming to revive the gospel he believed that the devil hoped the peasants war would ruin his efforts What the Peasants thought Peasants argued that they were living according to the gospel They thought that Gods word prescribed how Christians should relate to each other Luther had granted them the right to decide what Christian faith meant to them as individuals Peasants Lords Relations prior to Reformation Since lords and peasant communities were in competition for access to natural resources tensions between them grew Lords also attempted to control the churches in their domains by appropriating tithes and by ensuring that compliant clerics serves as pastors Baylor 4 Even prior to Reformation period the tension between peasants and lords were growing by means of economic expansion c Holy Roman Empire Multinational state formation in central Europe that many viewed as the continuation of Rome s late ancient Christian empire with universal and sacral qualities lacked a strong central government Baylor 5 Power actually laid within the hands of territorial principalities within the empire Bavaria 1 significant south Germany territory where little rebellion took place Reformation found little lasting support largely centralized and effectively organized territory Saxony Urban elite territory where Reformation was successful Peasants War was the most intense Saxony lacked a strong central government like the one Document 3 p 40 42 The Poor Conrad Movement in Bavaria obtained W rttemberg In the late 15th century many princes started a new phase of state formation where they introduced new actions that included raising taxes that imposed heavy burdens on the common people Document 3 pp 40 42 are the articles written by the commoners demanding justice because of this outrageous taxation The estates presented the articles to the duke at the diet Legislative assembly of the Holy Roman What is a diet Empire What are the estates Regarded as forming part of the political body of the Holy Roman Empire Heads of the church d Shared beliefs Many people shared the growing feeling of malaise and discontent because of the corrupt times and princes in neighboring cities threatening their overall political autonomy and communal spirituality Baylor 6 Reformation gained most of its support in the empire s free imperial cities autonomous urban centers where people owed obedience to the emperor and not to a territorial prince What does autonomous mean Self governing country or region at least to a significant degree Christian society had completely lost its vitality the nobility had failed in its role as defender of the people clergy and church had failed as mediators with the supernatural and had lost the favor of God Baylor 7 Commoners were bitter about church s taxation when the money that was collected was leaving Germany for projects in Rome Indulgence sale Luther protested was designed to raise funds for the reconstruction of St Peter s basilica in Rome This sparks the creation of Document 4 from pg 43 46 Martin Luther Ninety Five Theses October 31 1517 where Luther condemns the pope for abusing indulgences in the church Luther specifically mentions 50 Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the indulgence preachers he would rather that the basilica of St Peter were burned to ashes than built up with the skin flesh and bones of the sheep Baylor 45 51 Christians are to be taught that the pope would and should wish to give of his own money even though he had to sell the basilica of St Peter to many of those from whom certain hawkers of indulgences cajole money Baylor 46 Luther s To the Christian Nobility of German Nation Document 6 from pg 50 54 Martin Luther To the Christian Nobility of the German