Reading-10D: Protestant Reformation

Anthony Cucuzza

Religion: History of Christianity

Prof. Piccolo Paci

11/10/13

The Protestant Reformation

Hans J. Hillerbrand

           

            The title of my reading was called: The Protestant Reformation by Hans J. Hillerbrand. The selection opens by talking about how there was a lot of controversy surround the Reformation during the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries. The author asks a few questions to start the reading. He asks what were the causes of the Reformation, would the reformation happened if Luther wasn’t alive, and whether the Reformation was driven by religious feeling or political purpose.

            During the time before and during the Reformation, most people were extremely religious. And although one could find faults in the Church, like the was the finances were spent, and the behavior of the clergy, no one complained or even found these too problematic. Apparently, this non-religious behavior of the Church did not happen frequently. These types of things happened far and few between. Martin Luther’s 95 treaties, which condemned the indulgences that the Church was selling, was meant to just scold this behavior of the church. Since his message was thought to go against the papacy, more people who disagreed with the Pope joined in with support. Luther’s ideas of sola scriptura, which said only the Bible was the source of truth, and sola fide, which stated one could only be saved by faith alone, became popular ideas.

            Protestantism did not take off until King Henry XIII needed the Protest idea that the Pope was not the head of the Church. He was looking for a divorce from his wife Catherine, but the Pope could not do as Henry requested. Because of this, Henry decided to separate England from the Church and named himself head of his own Church. It was further cemented under the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

            What truly made it a success was it’s coincidental rise with the invention of the printing press. Propaganda books were spread more easily throughout Europe. This coupled with the lure of Protestantism being a more personal religion made it the success it became.