SIGNIFICANCE AND

IMPACT OF LUTHERAN
REFORMATION
RASHI BABBAR
2020/127
 INTRODUCTION
• The Reformation in the conventional sense implies the break within
the Roman Catholic Church that functioned under the Pope in Europe
for centuries and the creation of a separate Protestant Christianity. It
led to the creation of several radical and moderate folds within
Christianity such as Lutherans, Calvinists, Puritans, Anabaptists,
Anglicans and Presbyterians. Since then the western church came to
be called the Catholic Church (means universal) and the church in the
Byzantine Empire came to be known as the orthodox Church (means
the ‘right faith’) or Greek Orthodox Church in some parts.
 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LUTHERAN
REFORMATION
 Lutheran Reformation had its beginning in a simple question often asked by
Christians - what must be done to seek the forgiveness of God. Luther’s answer
did not fit into the traditional practices of the church and so he decided to split
with the Papal church and provided his own solutions and became a popular
reformer.
 Luther’s primary concern as a monk was focused on the assurance of salvation.
The prevalent beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church failed to
provide any satisfactory answer to him.
 When the Pope issued a bull (a Roman Catholic Church proclamation) of
excommunication, Luther publicly burned it. He published a series of pamphlets
in which the Pope and his whole organization was openly condemned.
• In his doctrine o f ‘Two Kingdoms’ he drew a distinction between the
spiritual and the worldly government.
• Luther also criticized the views of the Catholic Church on ‘sacraments’
that included seven sacraments-baptism, the Eucharist or Mass,
marriage, penance, confirmation, holy orders and extreme unction.
Luther reduced them to just two - baptism and the Lord’s Supper
(Eucharist).
• Luther declared that each Christian was to be his own priest. He
abolished the hierarchy of church officials.
• Christianity was made simpler and confined to the basic teachings of
the Bible with the scriptures as the sole authoritative source of
Christian dogma.
• He abolished monasteries and the practice
of celibacy by the priests. Luther himself
married a former nun defying the conduct
for the clergy. He thus brought about a
distinction between religious and socio-
political matters and destroyed the all-
pervasive hold of religion. He translated the
Bible into German language so that all the
people may have direct access to it.
• The printing press played a crucial role in
this.
 THE IMPACT OF THE REFORM
Economic
Political
Education Impact of the
consequences
Reformation

Family life Popular

and women Culture
 POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES

• One of the first consequence of the Reformation was the breakdown

of the Catholic Church into many divisions.
• The rulers had taken the property and wealth of the church away but
paid no attention to the relief of the poor.
• Protestantism indirectly contributed to the idea of political liberty.
• Lutheran Reformation also led the creation of modern states .
 Family life and Women
• The Lutheran reformers placed family life above celibacy.
• The Protestants placed family at the center of human life and
stressed on mutual love between husband and wife.
• Protestant reformers advised men and women to read the Bible and
participate in religious services together. Indirectly, though this
encouraged the education of girls so that they could read the Bible
and religious literature.
• women were seen as wives, mothers, managing household duties
and living under the authority of their husbands.
• Even schools founded specifically for girls offered them only the
ability to read religious texts and train them in household duties.
 EDUCATION
• The Protestant reformers successfully used and implemented
humanist methods in their schools and universities.
• Martin Luther advocated education for all children and the expenses
were to be provided by the state.
• There was rapid growth in education and a network of colleges arose
between 1550 and 1630 when nine colleges were founded in Bavaria
alone.
• Psalm singing was popular both among the Catholics and Lutherans.
 Economic Impact of the Reformation
• In the middle of the nineteenth century, Karl Marx suggested that
Protestantism succeeded because it gave expression to the new
capitalist values of thrift, hard work, self-discipline and rationality.
• The real controversy began in 1905 with the publication of Max
Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. For him,
capitalist form of enterprises existed before the Reformation but the
capitalist spirit was lacking.
• Weber’s thesis, according to M.J. Kitch, is more passionate than
others but confused. He believed that capitalist spirit was contrary to
human nature and left to themselves to maintain the condition.
 POPULAR CULTURE
• Protestants wished to abolish popular rituals and festivals because
they paved way for drunkenness, violence, physical desires .
• Luther was tolerant to popular culture such as images, saints and
festivities.
• Performance of religious ceremonies became simpler.
• Religious plays disappeared.
• Religious carnivals and traditional games were discouraged.