Chistianity's Reform
In its two-thousand year history Christianity has faced many challenges that forced changes in its belief or organization. Perhaps one of the greatest challenges occurred when Martin Luther posted his ninety-five theses on that parish church door in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517, putting the church hierarchy in distant Rome on notice that Christendom was facing a crisis. (Jackson) For centuries the Roman Catholic Church's understanding of its role in the world and its perception of the world beyond Rome, were becoming less and less compatible with actual conditions. Society had been changing in Europe throughout the Middle Ages, the Renaissance was dramatically transforming the way in which people looked at the world around them, and more importantly, how they looked at themselves and their place in the world. The pace of change was not rapid, but it was relentless, and the church in Rome had not kept pace with events. Church leaders were out of touch with the common people, and unable or unwilling to admit that all was not well in Christendom. Corruption had worked its insidious way into the ranks of the clergy, and alienated many of the common people, who recognized base hy
The end of the devastating Thirty Years War in 1648 brought some stabilization, but the force of the Reformation did not end. Motivated by a variety of considerations, King Henry VIII issued the Act of Supremacy in 1534, which rejected papal control and created the Anglican Church. The new church spread in Germany, Denmark, and Sweden, especially among princes and people who hoped for a greater degree of freedom. (Barzun 20) This dramatic act of defiance symbolized a definitive break with the entire system of the Western church. The desire for change and reform within the church was increased by the Renaissance, with its study of ancient texts and emphasis on the individual. Ultimately, Calvinism superseded Lutheranism in the Netherlands, and spread across the North Sea to Scotland through the efforts of John Knox. In conclusion, the Reformation divided forever the Catholic Church, and ultimately led to freedom of religious dissent across much of Europe. (Barzun 34) In England, the Reformation took its own course. In France the Huguenots, inspired by Calvin's doctrine, resisted the Catholic majority in the Wars of Religion, which raged between 1562 and 1598. Meanwhile, in 1536 the city of Geneva had become the center for the dramatic teachings of John Calvin, perhaps the greatest theologian of the Reformation era. Calvinistic thought was, however, strong in England, and it influenced later reforms. These were debated at the Colloquy of Marburg in 1529 by Martin Luther and Philip Melanthchon on one side and Zwingli and Johannes Oecolampadius on the other, but no agreement could be reached. Despite the temporary settlement reached at Augsburg, continuing discord and strife ultimately led to the brutal Thirty Years War.
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Acceptance Essays
