The Reformation in the Renaissance

Learn about the Reformation of the church during the Renaissance. What was it and who was Martin Luther?

The Reformation in the Renaissance

In the Renaissance, there was the Reformation. It was a rift in the Catholic Church that gave rise to Protestantism, a new branch of Christianity.

Martin Luther

As he studied the Bible, a monk by the name of Martin Luther started to challenge the traditions of the Catholic Church. He discovered a lot of instances where, in his opinion, the Bible and the Catholic Church diverged. Luther pinned a list of 95 areas where he believed the Church had erred on a Catholic church’s door on October 31, 1517.

Martin Luther – Leader of the Reformation
by Lucas Cranach

Less Money for the Church

Luther opposed a number of customs, including the purchase of indulgences. By paying the church money, people might pardon their sins through this method. The Catholics started to lose money after Luther pinned his list on the Cathedral. This infuriated them. He was expelled from the church and labeled a heretic. Although it may not seem horrible today, heretics were frequently executed back then.

95 Theses – 95 points Luther wanted to make

Reform Spreads through Northern Europe

Martin Luther was not alone in believing that the Catholic Church had degenerated into corruption. A large portion of northern Europe started to break away from the Catholic Church. The Lutheran Church and the Reformed Church were two of the many new churches that were established. John Calvin, a pioneer of the Protestant Reformation in Switzerland, also spoke out against the Catholic Church.

The Church of England

The Church of England separated from the Roman Catholic Church in a distinct separation from the Catholic Church. This was regarding a separate subject. The Catholic Church forbade King Henry VIII from divorcing his wife because she had failed to bear him a male heir. He made the decision to leave the Roman Catholic Church and found his own, divorce-friendly church, the Church of England.

War

Regrettably, disputes over the Reformation eventually sparked a number of wars. While some tyrants adopted Protestantism, others continued to support the Catholic Church. Martin Luther’s native land of Germany saw action in the Thirty Years War, which engaged almost all of the European nations. According to estimates, between 25% and 40% of the German population perished during the war, which was disastrous.