The Reformation Essay - 537 Words

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, Luthers 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 ofShow MoreRelatedThe Protestant Reformation And The Reformation Essay1379 Words   |  6 PagesThe 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. 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It started with Martin Luther nailing the Ninety-Five Theses on the door of the Catholic Church in Germany in 1517, and ended with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. The Reformation was a religious movement triggered by the rise of humanism during the Renaissance and the general corruption of the Roman Catholic Church that eventually led to theRead MoreThe Protestant Reformation And The Reformation Essay1978 Words   |  8 Pagestime 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, t he Catholic Church was more interested in raising funds