REFORMATION

Reformation in the conventional sense implies the schism or the break within
the Roman Catholic Church (RCC- functioned under the pope in Europe for
centuries) and creation of a separate Protestant Christianity.

Reformation

1-led in to the break up

2- creation of several radical and moderate folds within Christianity

- Lutherans
- Calvinists
- Puritans
- Anabaptists
- Anglicans
- Prebyterians

Some Catholics tried to reform the church – Counter- Reformation

More significant changes

 Profound changes in the religious sensibilities and attitudes of the people

towards social and economic issues

Reformation touched various areas

1-Reform of both the morals and structures of the church and society

2-Re-interpretation of Christian spirituality and reform of its doctrine

Reformation should not be looked as a religious movement only rather it had

historical, political, social and economic context

Far more than a movement against the abuses in the RCC, it was the
culmination of a complex situation which had roots deeply buried in medieval
past

Prelude
-Church – unified till mid-11th century

-Western and central Europe – under the control of pope

-Byzantine church emerged under the influence of patriarch of Constantinople

-bitter conflicts between the two, on the question of supremacy and church
incomes

-Split in Christian church in 1054 AD

- Western church (catholic)- which meant universal

-Church in Byzantine empire came to be known as Orthodox Church (right

faith)

Catholic Church

-Strong bond- provided religious uniformity

-during absence of political unity it provided stabilization of social relation

-pope was the head of catholic church –owned vast amount of wealth and
property

-all the ecclesiastical (important) appointments throughout Europe were made

by him

- pope lived in Rome

Had an elaborate hierarchical establishment-with splendid rituals , and

magnificent cathedrals and a vast organization to control education and
charity

Raised his own and his own ambassadors – appointed in distant states

-rulers and princes found it difficult to disobey the papal edicts (orders of the
pope having the force of law)

-pope interfered in the internal, political and financial matters of the rulers

-during 13th century, several rulers became vassals of pope innocent III

-1/3 of all cultivated land in western Europe – under the control of catholic
church

-owned cattle, granaries and cellars

-bishops, abbots and other church officials varied less from other feudal lords

-in a way, church provided unity to European feudalism

- the weakening of the feudal structure from the late medieval period was
bound to have repercussion on the church as well

Origins of the Reformation

-CC faced institutional problems in the 14th and 15th centuries because of the
failure of the papal authority to provide spiritual leadership