Events of the Early Reformation

• Support for Luther

• Rome’s response
• The Diet of Worms
• Wartburg Castle
• Spread of
Lutheranism
• Peace of Augsburg
 Support for
Luther
• The 95 Theses were translated into
German, making it a more accessible
text for Germans to read.
• The use of numerous printing presses,
now set up in Germany, further
increased the availability of the theses.
• Germans more widely expressed their
complaints against the Church such as
having to give it so much money.
• They also complained about the Pope’s
extravagant lifestyle and that priests
and bishops were often ignorant of the
church’s teachings.
Rome’s Response
• The Pope sent Cardinal Cajetan (a
leading theologian) to meet Luther in
1518 but Luther would not change his
views.
• Luther publicly debated John Eck
(another theologian) in 1519 who
defended the Catholic Church. As a
result, Luther was censured (strongly
disapproved of) by the Pope.
• In 1520, Luther was issued a papal bull
(a letter of declaration),
excommunicating (not allowed
sacraments like communion or
confession) him. In response, Luther
burned the papal bull before a crowd of
people.
 The Diet of Worms
• Charles V, the Holy Roman
Emperor (who rule dover
Germany) was asked by the Pope
to step in and help address the
situation with Luther.
• Charles arranged a diet (an
assembly) to be held in Worms
(in south-east Germany) in 1521
between him, other German
nobles, clergy members and
Luther.
• Again, Luther refused to turn
back on his beliefs thus denying
the authority of the emperor.
• Following the Diet of Worms,

Wartburg Castle
Luther became an outlaw.
• Charles issued the Edict of
Worms, banning Luther’s
writings and calling for his arrest
and that no one should give him
refuge.
• However Luther was given
refuge and protection by
Frederick the Wise (a German
prince) in Wartburg Castle.
• He was there for a year and was
disguised as a man called Knight
George.
• While there he translated the
Old and New Testaments of the
Bible into German.
 Spread of Lutheranism
• Luther’s actions led to a split in
German Christianity between
Catholics and Lutherans.
• Despite Charles rejection of
Luther, his followers persisted in
their support for him and
formulated the Confession of
Augsburg that outlined the
beliefs of Lutheranism.
• Several German nobles (e.g.
princes) supported the new form
of Christianity and churches
were either taken over or built to
give it places of worship.
The Peace of Augsburg
• The newly established divisions between
Catholics and Protestants (Lutherans) led to
bitter civil war (when the people of a country
fight each other) in Germany.
• The war effectively reached a stalemate (no
sign of an obvious winner) and was brought to
an end by the Peace of Augsburg.
• This treaty allowed princes to decide the
religion (Catholicism or Lutheranism) of their
individual realms.
• It facilitated the movement of Catholics from
Protestant areas to Catholic ones and visa
versa.
• Most importantly, it officially acknowledged
Lutheranism as a Christian denomination.