The Catholic Church triumphantly reigned throughout the middle ages, but some began to question the ultimate authority of the pope and the church. The Roman Catholic Church believed that the pope was the ultimate authority that was necessary for spiritual discernment and salvation. In contrast, the Renaissance was characterized by the growth of individualism and achieving excellence for oneself. The Renaissance led to a spiritual movement known as the Reformation which illuminated the truth that salvation comes by grace and not by the church. The Roman Catholic Church's belief in the pope as the ultimate authority over the church was challenged by the leading thinkers of the Renaissance and Reformation eras. Following the fall of the Roman …show more content…
This led to the beginning of the Renaissance era in the 14th century. The Renaissance began within the city-states of Italy and flourished within the nation-states that were protected from the pope’s authority (p3). From the Renaissance came humanism which “was the study of the Greek and Latin classics and the ancient Church fathers, both for personal edification and in hope of a rebirth of these ancient values” (p6). Upon studying classical texts, humanists rediscovered the ancient Greek concept of Arete or human excellence (p6). By focusing on arete, humanists emphasized humanity’s pursuit of excellence through one’s abilities rather than mankind's sinful nature. The pursuit of personal excellence led to the development of individualism which promoted the idea that one should pursue what they believe is pleasurable apart from the authority of the pope (p4). Therefore according to the humanists, the ultimate authority of the church was the individual person. While the humanists denied the authority of the pope, it is important to note that most humanists never questioned Christian belief or the truth and accuracy of Scripture. Studying ancient texts led humanists to develop a fondness for “the early church of the classical period” (p8). Drawing on their appreciation for the early church, humanists criticized the practices and …show more content…
With the church’s corruption becoming more prevalent, the Reformation era began as an offspring of the Renaissance with the goal of reforming the church. Coming out of the Renaissance, many prominent Reformers such as Martin Luther, were humanists (p10). Martin Luther’s concern for the church came from a trip to Rome in 1510, where he realized the immoral lifestyle of officials within the church. In 1515 Luther was studying Romans 1:17 when he recognized a profound revelation. The passage reads, “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The just shall live by faith." Reflecting on this passage, “Luther realized the righteousness of God is passive, not active. It is a gift to be received. It cannot be earned through rituals, penance or prayer” (Week 7 2013 p12). This revelation led Martin Luther to challenge a number of the church’s practices including the selling of indulgences and the belief that the pope is the ultimate authority of the church, not the Bible. According to Luther the ultimate source of authority over the church is the Bible (Gabriel 2017 p1). Luther’s claim has Scriptural support. According to II Timothy 3:16, all Scripture is
Luther believed that the church did not have any power over the bible. For example, in the 22nd and 23nd statement he says “As a matter of fact, the pope remits to souls in purgatory no penalty which, according to canon law, they should have paid in this life. If remission of all penalties whatsoever could be granted to anyone at all, certainly it would be granted only to the most perfect, that is, to very Few” (Martin Luther: Ninety-Five Theses). In the 95 Theses Luther challenges common beliefs about purgatory.
As Luther is fighting the corrupt Papacy he writes this, “Faith is a living, bold trust in God’s grace, so certain of God’s favor it would risk death a thousand times trusting in it.” Luther writes this to show what true religion is, to show what a truly faithful person should do, believe in their God and give him every bit of faith from someone's person. The Papacy hates Luther not because he is wrong, but because he is right, which means if Luther was right and the masses believed him all the power that was held by the church would crumble into nothing; most importantly though the Papacy members personal power would crumble into nothing. During the early phases of the Reformation, Luther wrote the 95 Theses, which described everything he found wrong with the church at this time. The Theses was the catalyst, which set off the ticking time bomb of corruption and irreverence.
Theses, posted in 1517, criticized the sale of indulgences and called for a debate on issues of faith and authority within the Church. He emphasized the doctrine of justification by faith, rejecting the Catholic Church's teaching on the necessity of good works for salvation. Luther also advocated for the priesthood of all believers, asserting that all believers have direct access to God and the ability to interpret the Bible for
The Catholic church became increasingly less reliable, and in the minds of many, the church was getting away from teaching the true message of Jesus. This began to change in 1517 when Martin Luther wrote the Ninety-Five Theses, starting “The Protestant Reformation”. Martin
(Syllabus, 25). These two theses show the fraudulence that was occurring in the church, especially the Pope giving people “a key to heaven” if they were to purchase in indulgence. To sum up, Martin Luther helped spread the Protestant Reformation in order for a better and more fair, religious experience
The Reformation The Reformation was a religious movement whose influence rivaled that of the Renaissance. The Reformation was a religious revolution which coincided with the end of Renaissance. The Reformation was a product of Martin Luther’s criticism of the Roman Catholic Church, whose power in Europe during the 16th century was undeniably enormous. Luther’s works discredited the institution the Church had become, which led to the Roman Catholic Church being distanced from society, politics, and even religion.
The Reformation was an important movement during the Renaissance. Also it was initiated and shaped by one man, Martin Luther. He attended the University of Wittenberg, and while there found his answer in St.paul’s epistles, specifically in one line that said, “The just shall live by faith”(Bainton 65). In other words salvation comes through faith, not good works, not through prayer, not by fasting, not by pilgrimages, not by giving to the poor, and not by sacraments or any action that a person can take. We can never be good enough through our actions, to merit salvation.
The Reformation is an era that is widely acknowledged as a major turning point marked by substantial change politically and religiously in Western Europe and the world. This change is primarily due to the influence of Martin Luther, a man who played a pivotal role through his writings. There were many reasons for the push for the Reformation, but the main causes were political and religious. The Church was a powerhouse because the clergy comprised the majority of those who could read, the majority of Europe and most of the world believed in Christianity, and the Pope was a figurehead who had the power of excommunication. Eventually, this power would start to afflict the Church, on the outside, the Church preached its teaching, thought to be
Another thing is that Martin Luther thought all humans we 're powerless “In the sight of the almighty God”(textbook pg.173). Martin Luther went to the catholic church and nailed a paper with 95 theses ”Luther, who was greatly angered by the Church 's practices, sent a
Humanists had a great impact on society and the renaissance in Rome. They stressed ideas and beliefs that were more than just religion. People were expected to devote their lives to the church, humanists broke free from this expectation to focus on personal interests. The founder of humanism, Petrarch, had spread his ideas in Italy, which later on, his idea’s found its way to Rome. What also helped was the typewriter, it helped spread messages around Rome faster and more efficiently.
Luther stated, “For, since we are all priests alike, no man may put himself forward or take upon himself, without our consent and election, to do that which we have all alike power to do.” (Luther 3) This statement shows Luther’s view on religion and the church. He believes that everyone has the authority to read the bible. This means no one man, meaning the Pope, has the power to read and interpret the bible for the rest of the people.
Starting from the statement that Christians receive salvation through faith and the grace of God. Luther also stated, “The churches rituals did not have the ability to save souls. ”Also Luther talked about how the Church and the Pope make errors often. This had gone from a need for reforming indulgences to a whole
Luther believed that faith alone was enough for a person to be saved, or justification by faith. This was the beginning of Luther's revolution in the Church, which would later become known as the Protestant Reformation. In his 95 Theses, Martin Luther urged the Archbishop of Mainz to investigate what was going on in the Church and specifically argued against the practice of self-indulgence. As it turns out, these statements angered Pope Leo, who asked Luther to abandon his 95 Theses, which he refused to do. He spoke very simply, but he made sure he was prioritizing the authority and knowledge of the bishop over himself.
They sought to balance religious faith with individual dignity and that wealth should be earned by individual achievements. As a result of a newly founded way of thinking that had won many scholars over Catholicism, the Catholics church and humanists sparked conflict. After the act of questioning the Catholic church’s authority, people began realizing the church’s various flaws which ultimately kick-started the Reformation. Humanism initiated in Italy as of renewed interests in classical culture.
This strong disagreement among Catholics led them to reform the church. The Renaissance influenced people to believe that the church was no longer the