Christianity, Crazy People, and Chaos

During this time, many people had to choose what they were going to believe since new and seemingly rational ideas were being spewing out left and right.

What religion would you choose? Calvinist or Anabaptist?

According to you guys, the Anabaptists are the crazy ones and are more radical and further down the denomination tree than Calvinists. They have three central tenets: pacifists, the church should be separate from the state, and adult baptism. I would call them the hippies of the Christian faith. 

      

http://theskinnyonline.blogspot.com/2014/08/crazy-eyes-quote.html

On the other hand, the Calvinists are very strict. Calvin released a "guide book" The Institutes of the Christian Religion. Calvin was so set on his ideas that anyone who didn’t agree with him (dissenters) was referred to as dogs and swine (aka pigs). 

Calvinism was not a missionary religion. Calvin believed in absolute sovereignty and omnipotence of God and the weakness of humanity. He believed in predestination, which states that God had already chose people to go to Heaven before the beginning of time. Those who were going to Heaven were the elect and those who were not were called the non elect. The elect also called themselves Saints. 

Calvin even created a perfect Calvin society in Geneva, which I believe was more like a crazy cult town. Despite the craziness, the Calvinist church and Geneva became a model for other denominations. Where did Calvin stand on salvation? Did he believe that it could be done through faith alone or through good works. He didn’t really believe in salvation because salvation is deliverance from sin and its consequences and according to predestination those who were damned could not be saved.

Why did Protestants work hard if they didn’t believe in good deeds? The Protestant work ethic is a concept in theology, sociology, economics and history which emphasizes hard work, frugality and diligence as a constant display of a person’s salvation in the Christian faith, in contrast to the focus upon religious attendance, confession, and ceremonial sacrament in the Catholic tradition. This is also why Protestantism and capitalism are tied together. 

On the other hand, Catholics believe in both faith and good works. "The works of mercy or acts of mercy are actions and practices which Christianity, in general, expects all believers to perform. The practice is commonly attributed to the Roman Catholic Church” (HA)  aka seven corporal works of mercy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Works_of_mercy

Was Martin Luther a radical? No, he just lead the way to radicalism. After Luther, everyone started to express their own ideas and beliefs. I think our class simulates the climate during the Reformation period. Everyone had to make a choice between philosophies; everyone was making their own philosophies (mine’s the best); everyone was saying another person’s belief was wrong (but in our class you’re all just yelling at me). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRxuAvA0220 (CLICK ON THE LINK I KNOW YOU GUYS DON’T WANT TO BUT DO IT)  Luther started the chemical reaction that lead to the decomposition of what was once a united Roman Catholic church. 

Lutheranism in Germany

As we all know, Luther separated from the Catholic Church to form a newer, "purer" religion. This religion, Lutheranism, was just like Catholicism except without all of the controversial aspects (like popes, the clergy, transubstantiation, etc.)

Although Luther rebelled against the Catholic Church, he did not support the peasants when they rebelled against their lords. He believed that it was okay to fight against there being a papal authority between you and God but not okay to fight against a political class that stands between you and freedom. He did not support violence in any form.

Lutheranism viewed all vocations as equal, which raised the status of the women working at home. It also endorsed co-ed schools and advocated marriage. 

HOWEVER, he believed that marriage should be a woman's career.

The King of Germany at this time, Charles V, tried to establish political and religious unity for all of Europe under the Catholic Church. Since he was the last person to attempt this, he is considered the last medieval emperor. He made the religious issue of Catholicism v Lutheranism into a political issue that eventually proved disastrous for Germany.

Why can't we all just get along like the children in this photo?

But if you take anything away from this time of political division, revolts, and reform movements, it should be that Nicole is not equal to Beyonce.

Protestantism 101

In 1483, Martin Luther was born. He was a miner’s son who would eventually become the founder of Protestantism. Luther’s story starts when he published his 95 theses. He disagreed with the church’s practices of indulgences, transubstantiation, and papal bulls.   

Luther’s beliefs contradicted with everything the Catholic Church taught. In order to sort out exactly what was happening, the church council summoned Luther to the Diet of Worms.

Your first though for the Diet of Worms was probably:

 

But it was actually an assembly of the Estates of Empire in Worms, Germany.

 

There the council was trying to determine if Luther was a heretic. This resulted in an ultimatum for Luther: recant all his writings or be excommunicated. Luther chose excommunication and became an outlaw.

After being excommunicated, Luther hid in different German states. This Protestant Reformation started by Luther eventually made it to Switzerland through Ulrich Zwingli. Although Zwingli believed in reforming the church, they could not agree on every doctrine.  

However, they were able to agree on four points of Protestantism

1.    How are people saved?

Only faith can save a person. It does not matter if they do good deeds because only God can save you.

 

2.    Where does religious authority reside?

The bible alone has all the information a person needs. The church does not need people to guide them.

 

3.    What is the church?

The entire community of believers made up the church.

 

4.    What is the highest form of Christian life?

All vocations are equal in the eyes of Protestantism. 

The Tale of Martin Luther and the Reformation

Once upon a time in the land of not America (or Europe), the Reformation was about to happen. However, it could not happen on its own. It was only able to happen because of three things:
               
1.) Immorality
            During this time, a lot of priests were not so "priestly". They did not follow the laws laid down by the church and committed sins such as sexual transactions, drunkenness, gambling, and the absolute worse of all the indulgence in fancy dress. Sorry, father, no designer outfits for you. These sins often scandalized the educated who were faithful to the religion.

2.) Ignorance
           Most priests at this time were not at all educated. They could not read or write let alone say the masses in Latin. With these uneducated clergymen running churches and masses, the Renaissance humanists with their concern for learning often turned away from the ignorance of those uneducated, fancy dressing priests.

3.) Pluralism
          Pluralism was basically the practice of one priest holding many jobs and being paid for all of them but not doing any work. Usually these priest that held these jobs would pay a poor priest a fraction of what they made to do their work. One archbishop only entered his cathedral for the first time at his funeral.

So pretty much most of the church was corrupt at this point. Whether it was a small parish priest getting drunk or a high ranking bishop not doing his job the church was a mess. However, this mess set the perfect stage for Martin Luther to take his stand.

Instead of going into detail about Martin Luther, here is a link to a wonderful video Papal Bulls, Indulgences, and Transubstantiation. In general however, Martin Luther wanted to reform three things in the church: papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation.

1.) Indulgences

           Indulgences were given out by priest to relieve people of sins. However, people had to buy them. They were sort of a get of hell free card except they weren't free. Martin Luther disagreed with this and wanted to get rid of them. 

2.) Transubstantiation

            Transubstantiation is the belief that the bread and wine are the actual body and blood of Jesus. Simply, Martin Luther did not believe this.

3.) Papal Bull

            A papal bull was a degree from the pope that was supposed to be taken as the word of God. Again Martin Luther did not believe in this.

Martin Luther did not believe in many of the churches teachings. But what he did believe in was that salvation comes from simple faith in Christ which attracted many others who were tired with the  excessiveness of the church. Even higher class people favored this plainer faith for it meant they no longer had to answer to the Church and its rules. 

Martin Luther may not have been the only one to act against the church but when he did the timing was perfect. The world was ready for the Reformation and Martin Luther gave it the push it needed to begin.

New Monarchs, England, and that country Gyarn hates

ENGLAND

England's political situation began to change along with the end of the Middle Ages and the emergence of the Renaissance.

It all started when Henry IV didn't have a big enough piece of pie.

By pie, of course, we mean power. Instead, the nobility and the church had a lot of that.

After a big messy secession of Henry IV, V, and VI...

These divisions of pie lead to a royal civil war. Who gets to be king? 

This war, a competition between the house of York and the house of Lancaster (two noble families) as to who is going to become king, is called the War of the Roses.

An essential fight between the crown and aristocracy, the lack of central power (not enough pie!!!) allowed for the War of the Roses to occur.

Eventually, at the conclusion of the war, Henry VII comes to power (one of the first New Monarchs).

Even after the war, however, these tools of the king serve as evidence of remaining tension between the royal and the aristocratic:

The Royal Council - excludes noblemen; made up of middle class, whom the king trusts; more important than Parliament

The Court of Star Chamber - deals with real or potential aristocratic threats to the crown through a judicial offshoot; effectively reduced aristocratic trouble making; procedures ran directly counter to English common law (customary "laws" agreed upon without being written)

Thus, Henry VII squashes the power of the aristocrats in order to centralize the power of the crown.

FRANCE

CHARLES VII -- Following the Hundred Years' War, France was left depopulated, commercially ruined, and agriculturally weak. Charles VII managed to expel almost all remaining English from French soil, reconcile with the Burgundians and the Armagnacs, and reorganize the council.

Under his rule, many taxes were imposed to attempt to fix France's economic situation.

 Gabelle - tax on salt

Taille - land tax

These taxes were the ultimate source of revenue for France up until the Revolution.

Look, a PIE chart.

Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges - gives French population the power to elect bishops, thus essentially (through a chain of later elections) elect the pope; this gives the French Crown major control over the appointment of clergy, depriving the pope of French ecclesiastical revenue.

Then comes LOUIS XI (He's a new monarch, too)

Louis XI promoted new industries and trade with other nations to improve the army and increase tax revenue, as well as invaded neighboring areas to increase French Territory. 

Concordat of Bologna - takes away the Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges; enforces the general council as more important than the pope; gives more money to the pope

NEW MONARCHS

Along with Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, the royal rule of Louis XI and Henry VII are the new monarchs.

New monarchs invested kingship with a strong sense of royal authority and national purpose, characterized by the belief that the crown was the one institution that linked all classes and people within definite territorial boundaries.

New monarchs were essentially characterized by a reassertion of ideas and practices used by Monarchs earlier in the Middle Ages.

Basically...

Ethnicities and the Renaissance

The word slave has always had an ethnic group attached to it. In the 13th and 14th centuries, a slave in Europe was someone of Slavic decent. In the beginning of the 15th century, a few African slaves began to matriculate into Europe. There are three important things to remember about black African slaves:

1. African slaves were a signs of wealth. (along with women)

2. There were a lack of African slave revolts because of the small numbers and wide dispersion of slaves, also they had a relatively benign pattern of slavery. 

3. African rulers cared more about economic goals than about their people. Some even conformed to European culture.

As Africa suffered from the loss of people, the Renaissance flourished in Northern Europe.

http://www.wanderlustore.com/qs/category/127/7238/0/0

Each European region took their Renaissance thoughts in different directions and applied them to different things.The cultural traditions of northern Europe tended to remain more Christian. As a result, people began to combine classical and Christian ideas to reform society. Thomas More expressed his ideas in Utopia. More believed that problems in society did not come from people, but rather social institutions. Erasmus believed a better educated society would lead to reform. 

The politics during the Renaissance had shifted after the Hundred Years War. In the 15th century, rulers used Renaissance political ideas to rebuild their governments.

In France, the monarchy was restored. With King Charles VII on the throne, France made an actual army. Previously, they hired people to fight for them.

In England, society suffered from political turmoil. First, there was the War of Roses. On top of that, they had a crazy guy on the throne (Henry IV). The country relied on groups such as the royal council and the justices of peace. 

Spain still had independent kingdoms with different cultures. It was believed that the marriage of Isabella and Ferdinand would bring the people together. It didn’t work. Reconquistas wanted Spain to be a united, Catholic kingdom, so they tried to get rid of anyone who wasn’t Catholics, for example, Muslims and Jews.

It is evident that the Renaissance had very different effects on people from different cultures and ethnicities.