The Protestant Reformation

Martin Luther & John Calvin

EQs:1) How does religious reform lead to conflict?

2) How does the Protestant Reformation impact the world today?

Background info… Salvation Heaven, hell Purgatory Erasmus Roman Catholic Church

Martin Luther (1483-1546) A German theologian

Catholic monk until age 40 Bible study

Develops a problem with the Catholic doctrine of salvation

Catholicism Vs. Luther To reach salvation one

must: 1) Have faith 2) Do good works

Selling of indulgences Johann Tetzel

How can one possibly do enough good works to achieve salvation? Faith alone justifies

man’s salvation

Wants RCC to stop selling indulgences

Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses 1517 – Luther posts 95 Theses on the door

of a Catholic Church in Wittenburg

His theses statements accuse the RCC of abuse (esp. indulgences)

What Luther Wants His doctrine of salvation: faith alone

2/7 sacraments; keeps baptism and communion

Clergy should be able to marry

Excommunication Luther summoned to appear before the

Holy Roman Empire to withdraw his opposing beliefs, which he does not do

He is excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church in 1521

So What Happened To ML? Has protection and support from German

rulers

Translates the bible from Latin to German Gutenberg Printing press

Lutheran churches form in Germany

John Calvin (1509-1564)

Born into Catholicism in France Converted to Protestantism and

fled to Geneva, Switzerland Establishes himself as a leader in the

Protestant movement after publishing his Institutes of the Christian Religion in 1536

Calvin’s Beliefs Like Luther, Calvin believed that faith alone

justified salvation

More emphasis on the absolute sovereignty of God

Predestination - you’re saved or you’re not, and your destiny is determined by God before you are born

The Consistory Employed commoners and clergy together

Keep an eye out for immoral behavior

Punished for participating in activities like dancing, intoxication, cursing, card games, etc…

Geneva Calvin created a tightly-knit institution of

faith in Geneva

Training grounds for missionaries, who began spreading Calvinism throughout Europe

Calvinism most popular in France, Netherlands, Scotland

Final Points Luther and Calvin created two separate

religions

Lutheranism and Calvinism are each a form of Protestantism

How will reform lead to conflict?