THE REFORMATION

MOVEMENT
Humanism and reformation
Like Humanism, Protestantism relied on first hand knowledge of the
Bible.
Both were critical of church’s control over human lives.
Both strove to make learning available to wider public.
But, Protestant emphasis on the afterlife stands in contrast with the
humanist thoughts which stresses the achievements of the earthly life.
Erasmus: Criticised Catholic Church but refused to support the
extremism of Reformation and opined that Luther’s movement was not
connected with learning.
Influences
Wycliffe and his followers: Lollards : Precursor to the Protestant
Reformation. Translated Bible (1382).
Rise of cities and merchant
Nationalism, desire to shake off the influence of the Roman Church.
The Renaissance, with its emphasis on humanism and individuality
The printing press, with the wider access to printed works and rise in
literacy, dissemination of criticisms.
State vs Church
The rise of powerful nation-states, headed by monarchs
 Church Corruption
Anger at church corruption:
Simony—the selling of church offices;
Indulgences—giving money to the church in exchange for one’s soul
spending less time in Purgatory
Increasingly poorly educated clerics
 The Movement
Martin Luther’s attempt to Germany to purify the Catholic Church
Posting of complaints and demands in the form of 95 theses in
Wittenberg in 1517.
1520: Luther was excommunicated; he burned the bull of
excommunication publicly.
Other ‘Reformers’ : Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin in Switzerland,
France, Philip Melanchthon in Germany and John Knox in Scotland.
William Tyndale’s Bible and Thomas Cranmer’s Book of Common Prayer :
adoption of a plain English vernacular.
 Emphases
New church structure: a community of believers, focused around a preacher,
needing no central hierarchy
Extended debates about doctrines.
Different conception of the ritual of Eucharist.
Reduction of the number of Sacraments from seven to two (communion and
baptism).
Eliminations of other Catholic practices including widespread traditions of
iconography, worship of saints, trust in the authority of Pope and belief in
Purgatory.
Argued that man can be saved by faith alone
Emphasised private reading of the Bible.
Reformation in England: Henry VIII
In England, the movement was far more connected with the conflict of church
and state.
Henry VIII wanted a legal divorce from Katherine of Aragon which Pope Clement
VII refused to give.
Also encouraged by the ‘purer’ agendas of change propagated by the reformation.
He ended the rule of the Catholic church in England, closed (and largely
destroyed) the monasteries, and
established himself as both the head of the church and head of state.
1534: Act of Supremacy
Act of Succession: legitimized Elizabeth and bastardized Mary
Henry VIII (reigned:1509-47)
Henry’s new Church of England retained several rituals of ‘high church’ life,
including a centralized church government.
In contrast, there existed other Protestant groups, such as Presbyterians, who
wanted a democratically governed church run by elders or ‘Presbyters’; and
others who wanted even more decentralized form of religious life, adhering to
Martin Luther’s ideal of ‘every man his own priest’.
Puritans: They thought that the Church of England was only partially
reformed.
Martyrdom of Thomas More, who refused to acknowledge Henry as the
Supreme head of the Church in England and to support the Act of Supremacy
of 1534.
Influences
Protestant emphasis on private reading of the Bible, made possible by the
spread of the printed book and encouraged by a reading culture.
Nurtured a different kind of sensibility, identity and beliefs and
inwardness.
Authors like George Herbert, John Donne and John Milton.
Edward VI (reigned:1547-53)
Son of Henry’s third wife;
Assumed the throne at age 9
English replaced Latin in Church
ritual
Died at age 15
Continued on the path of
Reformation, but as a young prince,
was unable to rule independently
Thus, he was not able to ensure a
Protestant succession
Mary I (reigned)1553-58)
Attempted to reassert
Catholicism as England’s
only legal religion.
Repealed Act of Supremacy
(1554)
Married her cousin Phillip,
making England appear to
be an appendage of Spain.
Ordered the death of
Protestants
Earned the nickname
‘Bloody Mary’.
Violence
France was driven by the ‘Wars of Religion’, killing tens of thousands. St
Bartholomew’s Day massacre of Aug, 24, 1572 in France; death of 5000 to
30000 Protestants
Queen Mary I
On the other hand, Catholic loyalties like Thomas More were executed.
John Foxe’s Acts and Monuments of these Later and Perillous Days,
Touching Matters of the Church, popularly known as Foxe’s Book of
Martyrs – recounts the death of Protestant martyrs.