They had used several immoral practices such as simony, the buying and selling of church offices. And as author Dan Petty put it, “pluralism (holding multiple offices simultaneously) and absenteeism (failure to reside in the parish where they were supposed to minister),”(Petty). Several situations in which the church displayed its power included taxations and practicing celibacy (Petty). Due to the church’s immense power, many expressed fear and became discouraged to contest its actions. One of the main leaders in the act to resist the Roman Catholic Church’s authority and change the ideas of Christianity in the Protestant Reformation was Martin Luther.
This Theses was addressed to Pope Leo X, who was building St Peter’s. Luther was angered about this and made his opinion in the Theses that if the pope could open the doors of purgatory for people who paid, why could he not open them for all people.Luther published other scriptures against the sale of indulgences, his letter to Albrecht of Mainz and the explanation of the 95 Theses. His initial writings were catalysts in the course of the reformation, it was Luther’s anger and bravery that began the Reformation. Luther continued to publish impactful works, in 1520 he released To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, where Luther outlined the doctrine of the Priesthood of all believers and denied the authority of the Pope to interpret, or confirm interpretation of the Bible, On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church, and On the Freedom of a Christian. These publications all became influential as they were able to spread around Germany through the German printing press and were allowing people to form their own opinions of the church rather than being told by the church what to believe.
In the early 16th century, the Protestant Reformation divided the unity of the Roman Catholic Church. The Reformation movement began in Germany led by Martin Luther. His speeches and writings were passed on all over Europe with the help of the printing press. It started in response to the rising sense of corruption in the church. For instance, “the sale of indulgences for the benefit of the church of Rome specifically for the rebuilding of St. Peters Cathedral provoked harsh criticism, especially by those who saw the luxuries of the papacy as a betrayal of apostolic ideals ” (Fiero 119).
Peasants were captive to their lords, essentially forced into servitude without wages. Through the worst conditions, a constant source of comfort was the Church and it's promise of a better life in Heaven. As it grew in power and riches, the Catholic Church became a political power, and peasants began to fear the church instead of worshiping the God, through the life of Jesus Christ, that it represented. In the political climate, protest was difficult. Anyone that was considered a threat to the power of the Church were often executed or exiled.
The Puritans were a group of people who grew dissatisfied with the Church of England and worked towards societal, moral and religious reforms. The writings and ideas of John Calvin, a leader in the Reformation, led to Protestantism and were critical to the Christian revolt. They contended that The Church of England had become a product of political struggles and man-made doctrines. The Puritans were one branch of separatist who decided that the Church of England was beyond reform. They broke away from the persecution of church leadership and the King to come to America.
This was because the war had been fought on German soil, causing them to lose money in agriculture; also the trade routes had shifted. In 1648, they found peace, although the Holy Roman Empire was still marred. Another cause that attributed to the fall of the Holy Roman Empire was the religious reformations and religious wars. In the 16th century, calls for reformation began because criticism of the church was so widespread. In 1517 when Martin Luther posted the “Ninety-Five-Theses,” he started a chain reaction.
How far do sources 1, 2 and 3 suggest that the early 16th century church exploited the faith of its followers to increase its own wealth? We know that in the early 16th century, around the time of the reformation of the church in England, much had been said about the state in which the church was in. Many opponents, such as Simon Fish, the writer of source 1, would state that the church was riddled with corruption and in a state of collapse. However, the Catholic Church still played a vital role in the life of most everyday people. Source 1, would strongly support the statement, as it aggressively attacks the church and its actions.
Calvin was a strong influence on French Protestants because of his, “education and implementation of doctrine; second, his experience of cooperation and conflict with urban authorities; and finally, his formation as a religious refugee,” (Kümin, 109). The Huguenots were in direct theological conflict with the Catholic Church. The strong Protestant presence would begin to threaten the Catholic churches hold over the state, and potentially threaten the churches financial holdings in France. The significantly increasing population of Huguenots, including some ranks of nobility, led to aggression that started conflict in the Catholic Church and state. The St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre was instigated by the French Wars of Religion, the Peace of Saint-Germain-en-laye, and the religion crossing wedding of Henry of Navarre and Margaruite de Valois.
The rise of Christianity would have been a festering wound to the Senate that just wouldn’t go away but that they couldn’t ignore. To conclude, the rise of Christianity contributed the destruction of the Roman Empire by undermining the Roman Senate. Jesus of Nazareth and his follower’s beliefs contradicted the common Roman law and caused a rift in the Empire. Although by no stretch was this the sole cause of the declination of
The rise of Christianity would have been a festering wound to the Senate that just wouldn’t go away but that they couldn’t ignore. To conclude, the rise of Christianity contributed the destruction of the Roman Empire by undermining the Roman Senate. Jesus of Nazareth and his follower’s beliefs contradicted the common Roman law and caused a rift in the Empire. Although by no stretch was this the sole cause of the declination of