Religious Reform in Europe PDF

# Religious Reform in Europe ## The Anabaptists - A group of radical reformers that existed in the sixteenth century. - Believed that baptism should only be performed on adults who had made a conscious decision to follow Christ. - Rejected infant baptism, as well as the authority of the state and t...

# Religious Reform in Europe ## The Anabaptists - A group of radical reformers that existed in the sixteenth century. - Believed that baptism should only be performed on adults who had made a conscious decision to follow Christ. - Rejected infant baptism, as well as the authority of the state and the church. - 1529 Charles V (with support of RCC & Prots) declared Anabaptists to be a heretical group. - 1534 A group of Anabaptists took over the city of Münster. - They established a council of twelve and took over church property. - Abolished private property and banned the use of money. - Led by John of Leyden - They practiced polygamy and burned all books except the Bible. - 1535 combined RCC & Prots forces took over the town, tortured leaders (including John of Leyden) to death. - Left campservices in cages ## Dutch Anabaptists - Lead by Meno Simons. - Practiced adult baptism. - Preached disciplined, godly living. ## The Mennonites - Became pacifists. ## Jean Calvin and the Reformation - French monarchy and Church already had some autonomy from Rome. - Concordata 1516 established authority of Pope and abbots in France. - 1521 Francis I ordered Luther’s writings to be banned. - Protestants put up posters in Paris denouncing Mass (even one on the door of the King’s room!). ## Jean Calvin - Born in Northern France. - His father was secretary to the local bishop. - His mother died when Calvin was five, and he was sent to Paris to train as a priest. - His dad changed his mind and had him study law, but Calvin became interested in reform. - 1534 Calvin fled to Basel to avoid persecution in France. - He wrote against papists and called on Francis 1 to end persecution. - Calvin believed he was living in a time of extraordinary moral crisis. - He saw a sense of religious community that should bind people together that was dissolving. ## Calvin’s Beliefs - Believed that: - people should work hard enough to get to Heaven. - people should live by faith and not by works. - Salvation is achieved through God’s grace, not by works. - one shouldn’t use images of God or Christ, because it can lead to idolatry. - there should be strict obedience to God’s will, and to help reassure people of God’s grace and salvation. ## The Institutes of the Christian Religion - A published work by Calvin in 1536. - Calvin’s most important published work. - Outlined his understanding of the Christian faith. - His main idea was predestination. - Calvin wrote that God has determined who will be saved and who will be condemned before they are even born. ## 1534 Calvin moved to Geneva - Geneva’s government adopted Calvin’s Confession of Faith. - Geneva’s inhabitants had to live by the law and according to the word of God. - If someone wanted to live in Geneva, they had to agree to follow this doctrine and be subject to Geneva's leadership. - Calvin also outlawed Mass. - He banned priests and required them to convert or leave. ## Geneva Under Calvin’s Authority - Created a system of ecclesiastical ordinances, establishing a strict and disciplined church. - This system stressed religious uniformity and obedience to God’s will. - It required each person to live according to a prescribed way of life. - Any deviant behavior was punished harshly. - Calvin encouraged the use of harsh penalties for moral infractions and encouraged people to snitch on each other. - He also created a municipal supervisory board to monitor religious behavior. ## 1538 Geneva Kicked Calvin Out - The people of Geneva kicked Calvin out of their city. - The reasons for this are unclear. - It may have been due to Calvin’s strict and uncompromising laws or because he was too powerful and unpopular. ## 1540 Geneva Invited Calvin Back - Calvin took on the role of the government leader. - This time, he was met with limited resistance from some people. ## Michel Servet - Michael Served was tried and executed for heresy in 1553. - He was a Spanish theologian who was accused of denying the Trinity. - Calvin was a key figure in the prosecution of Servet. ## Calvin’s Death - Calvin died on May 27, 1564. ## Calvinist Conversions - Calvinism spread quickly and widely during Calvin’s life and afterward. - It became one of the most influential forms of Protestantism. - This form of Protestantism was especially influential in Scotland, France, the Netherlands and England. - It was characterized by its emphasis on predestination, God's sovereignty and the importance of strict religious discipline. - During the sixteenth century, Calvinism became closely associated with the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule. - It also played a key role in the English Civil War. - For centuries afterward, Calvinism continued to be a significant force in European and American religious history.