Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the Printing Press was a revolutionary development at

a time when the masses were mostly illiterate-they could not read. His movable printing press

made it possible to deliver written materials into the hands of the people. This essay will address

how his invention influenced the history of Europe, the players of the Reformation and how

beliefs were changing, the widespread differences in these beliefs, and why that was the case.

In 1488, Johannes Gutenberg along with several other people invented what would be

called the Gutenberg printing press. Although the process was cumbersome it made the printed

word more readily available to larger numbers of people. Basically, the printer would arrange the

letters of what he wanted to say then he would press down and the letters would imprint upon the

paper. This invention was revolutionary, according to the book Western Civilization: Ideas,

Politics, and Society, printing with movable type, quickened the spread of Renaissance ideas.1

The text goes on to say, with the advent of the printing press, the book publishing industry

began to develop.2 Books were not only cheaper to make and much more numerous, but printing

made it very easy to learn how to read. This was a good thing because most of the population

was illiterate. Typically, the only people who ever learned to read, were royalty, scholars and

priests. Now books were considered a big business driven by consumer demand and profit

motive3

Little did Gutenberg know that his invention would inevitably spark a rebellion that

would shake the very foundation and fabric of Europe changing its history forever. Europe and

the Church would never be the same again.

1
Marvin Perry., “Western Civilization: Ideas, Politics, and Society 11th ed.” (Cengage Learning,
2016) 307
2
Marvin Perry., “Western Civilization: Ideas, Politics, and Society 11th ed.” (Cengage Learning,
2016) 307
3
Marvin Perry., “Western Civilization: Ideas, Politics, and Society 11th ed.” (Cengage Learning,
2016) 308

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 One of the first groups to abuse the power of the Gutenberg printing press was the Roman

Catholic Church. They printed the Bible in Latin, which limited the people ability to read the

word of God themselves. They were forced to take the Church’s interpretation or the word. In an

effort to promote orthodoxy or conformity of the masses to the Catholic faith, the Church leaders

tried to unify the protesting offshoots and punish heresy. In their eyes, the Roman Catholic

Church was the only Church. This angered many followers who would speak out against the

Church and eventually leave.

One of the central figures of the Reformation and the greatest speaker against the

practices of the Roman Catholic Church, was the German monk Martin Luther. Martin Luther

had a distaste for the Church’s practice of selling Indulgences. In a simple sense Indulgences

were get out of hell free cards, to be purchased at a price. If you bought an indulgence, attended

Church and practiced charity you would go to heaven. This practice was popular for those who

were going on Crusade in the Holy Land. Luther was incensed by this idea and took it upon

himself to challenge the practice. He did this in the form of the Ninety-Five Theses. His theses

emphatically challenged the whole notion of selling indulgences which Luther believed was not

only a corrupt practice but also a theologically unsound assumption-namely that salvation could

be earned by the good work of supporting the Church.4 His whole argument rested on his belief

that salvation through piety required contrition for sins and trusting in God’s mercy and grace. In

his mind, indulgences were useless. He was declared a heretic, refused to recant his views and

was condemned by both the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor.5 Martin Luther used the power

of the printing press to translate the Latin Bible into German, so that the clergy could both learn

to read and also read the Bible. The printing press didn’t just help Martin Luther with the Bible.
4
Marvin Perry., “Western Civilization: Ideas, Politics, and Society 11th ed.” (Cengage Learning,
2016) 321-322
5
Martin Luther. “The Freedom of a Christian.” (1520) 267

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It was a way to further spread his message to the masses on the abuses of the Church and his

ideals. One was his beliefs on marriage and celibacy. He believed that the Priests should be able

to marry. In his work Of Marriage and Celibacy he says if he cannot abstain living chastely then

let him take a wife; God has made that plaster for that sore.6 Martin Luther, was a brilliant

preacher and used his message to inspire the people to leave the Church, and this did not only

happen in Germany. The text states it appealed to people in towns and cities in Austria, Hungary,

the Netherlands, and Switzerland. There was even discontent in Paris and London along with

Northern Italy.7

Another major figure in the Reformation was John Calvin. John Calvin was a French

theologian and scholar who seized upon the ideas of Martin Luther. As a young university

student, Calvin would soon leave his studies at the University and become a preacher in favor of

the Reformation. The book says, Calvinists were individuals who assumed that unfailing

dedication to Gods law could signal salvation; their obedience to human laws would always be

contingent on their inner sense of righteousness.8 As with Martin Luther, John Calvin used the

printing press to his full advantage and spread much of his message throughout France. One such

document is The Necessity of Reforming the Church. This writing addressed the nature of

idolatry and the cult of the saints, that was perceived in his mind to exist. He states that they

adorn their idols now with flowers and chaplets, now with robes, vests, girdles, purses and

frivolities of every kind. 9

6
Martin Luther., “Of Marriage and Celibacy.” (1566) 271
7
Marvin Perry., “Western Civilization: Ideas, Politics, and Society 11th ed.” (Cengage Learning,
2016) 328
8
Marvin Perry., “Western Civilization: Ideas, Politics, and Society 11th ed.” (Cengage Learning,
2016) 329
9
John Calvin., “The Necessity of Reforming the Church.” (1543) 290

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 There are endless accounts of individuals taking part in the Reformation elsewhere in

Europe. In France, which was predominantly a Catholic country, Protestantism was very much

illegal. It became an underground movement that advanced in the eyes of people of various

social statuses, the nobles, peasants and women. This group became an offshoot of the Calvinists

known as the Huguenots. Their appeal for fair treatment under their oppressor the King went

unheeded and broke out into a brutal religious civil war, which only ended when the Protestant

bride groom Henry of Navarre, escaped the fate of his supporters who were massacred on St

Bartholomew’s Day. He chose instead to convert to Catholicism and became King Henry IV.

England’s reformation differed greatly from the Reformation in Germany and France. Its

origins were not with the common folk, but came about by the actions of King Henry VIII who

wanted an annulment from his wife Catherine of Aragon. History tells us that when his

annulment was refused by the Church, King Henry broke away from the Catholic Church and

formed the Church of England. He divorced his wife and married again. There is considerable

irony in this because scholars have said initially King Henry VIII rebuked the claims of Martin

Luther against the Catholic Church which earned him the title of “Defender of the Faith.”

The Reformation had a major impact on the history and the evolution of politics in

Europe. To this day we can still feel the effects from this monumental schism. The Catholic

Church splintered into multiple Christian denominations that continue to morph until this day.

Gutenberg’s invention was a novel idea that made it possible for information to get into

the hands of the people. The dissemination of information continued to evolve. Newspapers

delivered information to people all around the world; we today live in a world governed by social

media, and revolutions are started by a single post on Facebook or Tweet on Twitter. The spread

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of information is critical to the continued progress of society, but truth in information is most

important to its survival.