Causes of the Reformation

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Causes of the Reformation The sixteenth century was a time when the acts and teachings of all religions came under a great amount of analysis. As a result, there was a great division from the dominant Roman Catholic Church; this was known as the Protestant Reformation. There were many factors in the coming of the Reformation, but the three worthy of note are the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church, the leadership of Martin Luther, and the invention of the printing press. The Roman Catholic Church was a strong force in sixteenth century Europe and as such became overly rapacious in its desire for both political and economical power. Under Pope Leo X the church began the sale of indulgences in Mainz, Germany. Indulgences presented a way to buy your way into heaven, despite the grace-based biblical model for salvation. Along with indulgences was the issue of papal supremacy, meaning that the Catholic Church claimed that the Pope had supreme power over the church. Throughout the Middle Ages, the Church had gradually become weaker because of abusive leadership, philosophical heresy, and a renewal of a form of the Pelagian heresy. The common masses were also unhappy with the Pope and church. They were not only unhappy with the prevailing corrupt practices in church and the flimsy grounds on which the church collected funds from innocent people but also disliked its interference in the secular affairs. Even the rulers were quite unhappy with the Pope and strongly protested against Papal interference in the affairs of their states. Perhaps the greatest religious leader the world has ever seen, Martin Luther is seen as the spark to the Protestant Reformation. Some viewed him as a heretic while others saw him as an advocate for religious freedom and truth. In the present, most Christians would credit Luther as the most influential person to help shape the state of
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