Standard 1.docStandard 7.9.1 V. I. P. (Very Important People)
By-lbumgar
Martin Luther-
¬ An important leader of the Reformation, or a religious movement that started during the 1500s to reform the Catholic Church
¬ German monk
¬ Born in 1483 during horrible times of massive prosperity and much change in Germany
¬ Was caught one day in a brutal thunderstorm as a young man and vowed that if he were to survive the storm, he would become a monk
¬ Keeping his promise and after surviving the storm, he entered a monastery
¬ Visited the center of the Catholic Church known as Rome during 1510 and was astonished by the worldliness of the Roman clergy
¬ Noted many abuses during his visit to Rome
¬ Was angered by the sale of indulgences
¬ Wrote a list of theses, or arguments, that criticized the sale of indulgences, posting the list on the door of the main church, located in Wittenberg
¬ Arguments eventually became known as the 95 Theses, which challenged the ChurchΔτs authority and stressed the spiritual character of the Christian faith
¬ Believed God gave every true Christian salvation as a gift
¬ Was excommunicated by the pope in 1521
¬ Was summoned by the Holy Roman Emperor before an assembly in the city of Worms
¬ Was put on trial for his attack on the Church
¬ Was ordered to take back his criticism said toward the Church
¬ Was declared an outlaw by the assembly, making for illegal anyone living within the geographic borders of the empire to offer him food or shelter
¬ Despite this, had many powerful supporters
¬ Was admired by thousands as a hero for standing up against the cruel abuses of the Church
¬ Produced the first translation of the Bible into German during 1534
¬ Wanted people that comprehended German to be able to read the Bible
¬ Emphasized the importance of individuals reading the Bible for themselves
John Calvin-
¬ French scholar
¬ One of the most influential of the new Protestant leaders
¬ Born in France during 1509
¬ Studied to be a priest at the Roman Catholic Church
¬ Had a Δϊsudden conversionΔω during the early 1530s, declaring himself a Protestant
¬ Published The Institute of Christian Religion during the year 1536
¬ Set out the basic ideas of Protestant faith
¬ Believed that salvation could only be gained through faith
¬ Regarded the Bible as the sole source of religious truth
¬ Most important teaching was predestination, or the belief that God had a long time ago decided who would gain salvation
¬ Taught that salvation had not been a choice but had been decided by God from the very beginning of time
¬ Applied his ideas to government in 1541
¬ Was invited by Protestants of Geneva, Switzerland to help them with ruling their city and to reform their church
¬ Set up a theocracy, or a government ruled by religious leaders
¬ Had a goal to create a Δϊcity of GodΔω
¬ Stressed hard work, honesty, and morality
¬ Imposed strict laws on peopleΔτs behaviors
William Tyndale-
¬ Printed an English translation of the New Testament in the Bible which helped bring Reformation ideas to England
¬ Proud of his role in spreading the word of God
¬ Was tried for heresy by the Catholic Church and had been burned at the stake
*What Happened?*
TURMOIL AND WEAKENING OF THE
CATHOLIC CHURCH
¬ Clergy was concerned mostly about the increase in wealth and power, rather than saving their immortal souls
¬ Priests were poorly trained
¬ Church leaders rose because of their wealth and political, not through their moral qualities
¬ Many wealthy bishops living far from their flocks sometimes neglected their duties
¬ Catholic Church weighed its members with heavy taxes, using the money to pay for construction of lavish churches and a wealthy lifestyle for the pope
¬ Also raised money by selling indulgences, or a pardon for sins
¬ Priests sometimes promised followers that they and any of their family members that had already passed away would be guaranteed free entry into heaven when contributing a specific amount of money to the Church