Download The Spread of Protestantism

Chapter 16 Lesson 2
 Once Protestantism as promoted by Martin Luther
was a presence in Germany different forms of the new
sect emerged in Europe during the 1500’s.
 SWITZERLAND: The Peace of Augsburg officially
ended Christian unity in Europe. In Switzerland,
French educated John Calvin also believed that faith
alone was sufficient for justification (being deemed
worthy of salvation), but Calvin believed in
predestination (God determines in advanced who
will be saved & who won’t) & Calvinism became a
dynamic & activist faith that through the use of
missionaries would spread to all parts of Europe.
 ENGLAND
 The English Reformation was rooted in politics.
King Henry VIII wanted to divorce his first wife &
marry Anne Boleyn- which the Catholic Pope
would not allow so Henry turned plead his case in
England’s highest church courts and won. At
Henry’s request, Parliament OK’s England’s break
with the Catholic Church under The Act of
Supremacy of 1534 giving the throne control of all
religious affairs in England. Although his
daughter Mary (“Bloody Mary”) tried to restore
Catholicism, her efforts would fail.
 Reformers essentially allowed the state to play an
important – even dominant role in Church affairs.
Anabaptists strongly disliked that and called for
the complete separation of Church & state.
Anabaptists saw the true Christian church as a
voluntary community of adult believers; & their
baptism as adults made them different from other
Christians; they also believed all followers were
equal and that anyone in the community were
eligible to lead as minister. Their radical beliefs
threatened most of the rest of 16th century society
& they were persecuted.
 Protestant reformation ideas impacted education
in Europe. Luther advocated for all children to
receive a state provided education & urged
German Protestants to provide schools paid for by
the public.
 Anti-Semitism remained common in Europe after
the Reformation. Luther expected Jews to convert
& when they didn’t he wrote that their homes &
temples should be destroyed; Catholic leaders
also called for Jews to convert & those who would
not were segregated in ghettos.
 The Catholic Church was weakened by the various
Protestant Reformation movements, but then it went
through its own Counter (Catholic) Reformation,
driven by 3 elements:
 The establishment of a new Jesuit order;
 The reform of the Papacy;
 The Council of Trent.
 Jesuits (Society of Jesus) members took a vow of
absolute obedience to the Pope; they used education
to spread the word & founded many schools; later St.
Teresa of Avila reformed a religious order of nuns as
well. Both followed very strict lives of self denial &
restored some faith in religious life in the Catholic
Church.
 Reforming the Papacy – was needed because of
the accumulation of wealth & questionable
financial transactions of Popes during the Middle
Ages & the Renaissance; a reform commission
blamed corruption within the papacy for many
church problems… and
 The Council of Trent reaffirmed the Catholic
belief system & brought strength & unity back to
the followers of Catholicism. Catholics defended
their faith under the firm leadership of the Pope.
Mary Tudor