Henry VIII and the Reformation

Christianity in Europe 1500

• Christianity in 1500 was divided into Catholic and Orthodox religions
• Orthodox: Greece and Russia
• Catholic: everywhere else

Further Information

• The Pope was head of Catholic countries
• Catholic Church cardinals and bishops held great power
• Religion was highly important
• The Catholic Church claimed to provide salvation
• Problems with the church led to the Reformation

The Reformation

• Began in Germany in the 16th Century
• Protested abuses within the Catholic Church
• 100 years later, Northern Europe was almost entirely Protestant because of the Reformation

What caused the Reformation?

• Influence of the Renaissance
• Church funded much of the Renaissance, which led to consequences
• Increased literacy and more people reading the Bible, leading to differing interpretations
• Invention of the printing press allowed ideas to spread readily
• Wealth of the Church
• Church was the wealthiest organisation in Europe
• Bishops owned significant land (⅓ of land in Germany), and received tithes (1/10th of income)
• This caused resentment from Kings and the common people
• Abuses within the Church
• Church abused its power
• People believed the Church was focused on wealth instead of serving God
• Abuses included Simony (buying and selling church positions), Nepotism (appointing relatives to positions regardless of merit), Pluralism (holding multiple positions at once), and Absenteeism (priests/bishops absent from their parishes for extended periods)
• Misbehaviour of priests and popes, including breaking celibacy and having children. Inability to read or write of certain clergy preventing successful mass delivery
• Sale of Indulgences: Catholics believed they had to pay to get into heaven, or faced purgatory. The Church sold these prayers/indulgences to raise money for the Church.
• Power of kings
• Kings in Europe brought nobles under control and established rule
• The church remained outside their authority and was controlled by Rome, not royal power
• Kings looked to break the Church's control

Martin Luther

• Born to a wealthy family in Saxony, Germany in 1483
• Studied law, but became an Augustinian monk
• Studied theology and became a Professor of Theology at the university of Wittenberg
• Luther worried about his own salvation
• Believed man could not earn salvation but only God's grace
• Justified his views from the Bible
• Believed in "Justification by Faith Alone"

Selling of Indulgences

• 1517: Johann Tetzel came to Wittenberg to sell indulgences
• People could buy indulgences to get into Heaven
• Half of the money collected went to building St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, other half went to Archbishop of Mainz

Luther's 95 Theses

• Luther objected Tetzel's sale of indulgences
• He wrote 95 Theses in Latin (scholars language), but they were translated into German.
• Intended only to challenge the sale of indulgences, not rebel against the whole Catholic Church.
• The Pope had no power to forgive sin
• Indulgences did not save people from punishment
• The Pope should pay for the rebuilding of St. Peter's Basilica himself, not the poor

Rome's Response

• Pope took action and called on Luther to meet Cardinal Cajetan
• Luther didn't budge
• Public debate against John Eck questioning papal authority
• Pope sent a bull excommunicating Luther, which Luther famously burned

Diet of Worms

• Charles V (Holy Roman Emperor) called a meeting of the Diet of Worms in 1521
• Luther refused to recant his views
• Luther: "I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe"

Wartburg Castle

• Luther stayed at Wartburg Castle after the Diet of Worms
• Translated the New and Old Testaments into German vernacular for people to be able to read

Luther's Beliefs

• The Bible is the sole source of guidance for Christians. There is no need for bishops or church hierarchy, each prince/king controls their area of rule
• Mass should be in vernacular
• The clergy should be allowed to marry
• Catholics believe in 7 sacraments, Luther believed there were only 2 (Baptism and Communion)
• Catholics believe that the bread and wine turn into actual blood and body at mass, Luther believed they co-exist (consubstantiation)

Spread of Lutheranism

• Divisions grew between Catholics and Protestants
• Luther's support came from Princes in Northern Germany
• Emperor Charles V rejected the Augsburg Confessions

Luther's Later Life

• Married Catherine von Bara and had 6 children
• Died in 1546
• Luther's beliefs spread rapidly bringing consequences for Germany and Europe

The Peace of Augsburg

• Civil and religious war broke out for 9 years
• 1555: Peace of Augsburg established that each ruler decided the religion of their state
• Establishment of Single-religious states

Spread of the Reformation

• People after reading Luther's writings questioned church teachings
• This inspired other reformers
• 1531: Ulrich Zwieli launched the Reformation in Switzerland
• 1534: Henry VIII established the Church of England
• 1537: Christian III declared Lutheranism as the official religion in Denmark and Norway
• 1571: The Netherlands became Protestant
• 1572: John Knox introduced Presbyterianism to Scotland
• John Calvin began in Geneva, founding the Calvinist/Presbyterian Church with followers called Huguenots in France, Puritans in England. and Presbyterians in Scotland

The Catholic Counter-Reformation

• Catholic Church was alarmed at the growth of Protestantism
• Feared the church would collapse
• Used force and persuasion to keep people in the church

The Courts of Inquisition

• Set up to arrest, try and punish anyone deemed a threat to the Church
• Used imprisonment, torture and public burnings
• Primarily used in Spain and Italy

New Religious Orders

• Church realised it needed to reconnect with the faithful
• Set up new religious orders like Ursuline nuns and Capuchin monks
• Missionaries set up in newly discovered land (South America and Asia) converting people to Catholicism
• Jesuits (Society of Jesus), set up by St Ignatius of Loyola, were heavily educated and acted like soldiers
• These orders educated sons of nobles to grow their power and influence

The Council of Trent

• 1545-63: Bishops and cardinals met in Trento, Italy to respond to the Reformation
• Actions included banning Simony, Pluralism, Nepotism, and Absenteeism and indulgences
• Set up seminaries to train priests
• Strict rules for celibate priests
• Published a list of forbidden books (Index of Prohibited Books)
• Required belief in faith and good works to enter heaven, along with seven sacraments
• Mass and the Bible MUST be in Latin, consistent message with a rulebook

Was the Counter-Reformation Successful?

• Success: stopped the spread of Protestantism,strengthened the authority and control of the pope
• Failure: could not undo the spread of Protestantism, led to greater division

Henry VIII and The English Reformation

• Began the Reformation in England between 1514/29
• Declared himself Supreme Head of the Church of England in 1534, causing a rift with the Catholic Church
• Married six times, beheading two wives, resulting in even further issues
• Son, Edward VI, succeeded him

Henry's New Acts

• Act of Appeals: People could not turn to the Pope to overlook his ruling
• Act of Succession: Required all subjects to take an oath to Henry
• Act of Supremacy: Made Henry Supreme head and severed ties with Rome

Henry's Life

• Had six wives: Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr

Rebellion Against Henry

• 1536/37: The Pilgrimage of Grace occurred. 30,000 people rebelled against Henry
• Leaders of the rebellion executed
• Rebellion was the only real threat to Henry's reformation

Additional Notes on English Reformation

• Henry disbanded monasteries
• This gain him wealth and suppressed political opposition
• He implemented his religious views into Ireland but failed to convert the majority of the Irish
• Plantations used to grow Protestantism in Ireland

Results from the Reformation

• Division and persecution, Religious Wars, Power of Kings, Education, and Art/Architecture

Religious Wars

• Sectarian violence in various countries
• Catholic and Protestant wars and violence

Explore Henry VIII's reign, his challenge to papal authority, and the dissolution of monasteries. Understand the Act of Succession, Pilgrimage of Grace, and the impact on Ireland. Examine the broader consequences of the Reformation and its influence on education and church design.