Protestant Reformation of Christianity Essay - 899 Words

The renaissance period marked radical changes in many fields, this includes religion. The so-called Protestant Reformation was the split within western Christian Church initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin, and other early Protestants. Calls for reform came form all sectors of the European society and it is this dissatisfaction that explains why the ideas of Martin Luther evoked such extreme responses, there was already a ready audience. Although there had been significant attempts at reform before Luther, the date usually given for the start of the Protestant Reformation is 1517, when Luther published The Ninety-Five Theses. As he developed his ideas, Luther gathered followers, who came to be called Protestants. The word protestant†¦show more content†¦Several men simultaneously claimed to be the true pope. Driven by politics rather than any theological disagreement) badly damaged the prestige of the church leaders. Papal tax collection methods were also attacked, and so me criticized the papacy itself as an institution. Court records, written descriptions of bishop’s visitations of parishes and even popular songs and printed images show widespread anticlericalism, or opposition to the clergy. Much of the criticism towards the Roman Catholic Church was administrative rather than theological. In the early 16th century critics of the church concentrated their attacks on clerical immorality, clerical ignorance and clerical absenteeism. Charges of clerical immorality were aimed at a number of priests who were drunkards, neglected the rule of celibacy, gambled, or indulged in fancy dress. Charges of clerical ignorance applied to barely literate priests who delivered poor quality sermons and who were obviously ignorant of the Latin words of the Mass. In regards to absenteeism, many clerics, especially higher ecclesiastics/clergymen, held multiple offices simultaneously- a practice termed pluralism. However, they seldom visited the communities they served by the offices, let alone performed the spiritual responsibilities those offices were entailed. Instead, they collected revenues from all of the offices assigned to them and hired a poor priestShow MoreRelatedThe Catholic Reform ation And The Jewish Torah1229 Words   |  5 PagesReligion has been altered and developed throughout history. Christianity developed based on the Jewish Torah, also known as the Old Testament in the bible. Likewise, Christianity itself has evolved over the centuries. In order to survive, it has had to change and adapt. Not only have many religions and branches of Christianity become extinct over the centuries, but Christianity has also had to merge with the cultures of other religions. For example, Christmas was not originally a Christian holidayRead MoreThe Reformation : The Success Of The Catholic Reformation864 Words   |  4 Pages The Catholic Reformation was the response of the Protestant movement in the sixteenth century. By the sixteenth century, many people lost the trust for the Catholic Church because it was corrupt. Popes and Cardinals became involved in politics and were more like kings than spiritual leaders and Nepotism was rampant. This loss of trust led people t o moved on into other branches of Christianity which includes, Lutheranism, Calvinism, and Anabaptism. Catholic Church’s realized it needed to re-establishRead MoreProtestant Reformation1706 Words   |  7 PagesPAPER 1 (PROTESTANT REFORMATION) DOUGLAS HOLLOWAY STUDENT ID# 23766838 CHHI 302_DO5_201340 FALL 2013 DR. 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This has not always been true, the many events of the sixteenth century Reformation vastly influenced the development of Christianity. As the fifteenth century closed, it was clear that the church was struggling and in need of reform. Corruption of the papacy was widespread and distrust filled the minds of the people. Historian Justo Gonzalez stated,Read More Religious Controversy During the Time of Karl Marx Essay1372 Words   |  6 Pagestime of the Communist Manifesto was very unstable; two events prior to this time that contributed to this instability are the Separation of Christianity into Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic, and the Protestant reformations that took place. One of the most significant turning points in the history of European religion was the separation of Christianity into western and eastern religions. 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It was a period of revival for Catholicism stemming from the Council of Trent. The Council was established to address the numerous issues disputed by Protestantism, defining and reforming Church teachings, doctrine, and structure. Catholicism and Protestantism were also divided regarding the visual arts. The Protestant Reformation promoted iconoclasm, calling for the removalRead MoreThe Story of Christianity by Justo Gonzalez925 Words   |  4 PagesThe Story of Christianity is a book written by Justo Gonzalez; a native of Cuba. Gonzalez serves on the faculty of the Interdenominational Theological Center which is located in Atlanta Georgia. He attended Yale University, where he received his M.A. and Ph.D. in historical theology; in fact Dr. Gonzalez is the youngest person at Yale to be awarded a Ph.D. He is also one of the first generation Latino theologians and instead of growing up Catholic, comes from a protestant background. In addition