The Reform of the Roman Catholic Church in Europe Essay

Protestantism and the Protestant form of Christianity were established, and continued to gain momentum in the 1500’s mainly due to the overall discontent many Europeans had with the socio-economic and religious dealings of the Roman Catholic Church. This discontent eventually lead to the reform of the Roman Catholic Church in Europe, and religious beliefs and attitudes became divided between northern and southern Europe. This is a summary of the events that lead to this historic change in religious culture that would impact Christianity for the next 500 years and beyond. By the late medieval period, many Europeans perceived the large amount of riches and land acquired by the Roman Catholic Church as unjust when compared to their own†¦show more content†¦Luther was subsequently excommunicated from the church, and might have been executed for blasphemy had he not had the backing of a prominent prince living in the area. While in refuge, Luther translated the Old and New Testaments of the bible into German, which was as important to the Germans at the time as the Kings James Bibles importance to the English. All of this lead to Luther having a substantial following and many people taking interest into Luther’s ideas and works in the area of church reform. Martin Luther rejected many of the Catholic religious principles. One of these principles was the requirement for celibacy and the monastic lifestyle. Martin Luther undoubtedly studied the disciples Paul’s directions for marriage found in the bible at 1: Corinthians. According to Van Voorst (2009), Paul’s direction states â€Å"†¦.each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband† (280). Martin Luther married a former nun, and together they raised a family with six children. Martin Luther’s version of church reform included the importance of religious faith and emphasized the authority of the bible. To encourage greater church participation, Luther’s sermons were given in German as well as the traditional Latin language. He also wrote beautifulShow MoreRelatedChhi 301 Papacy Paper1697 Words   |  7 PagesRAMIFICATIONS OF THE PAPACY’S POWER IN ROME Church History 301 April 20, 2014    Ramifications of the Papacy’s Power in Rome The papacy – the office held by the pope as head of the Catholic Church - gained great power from the sixth through eighth centuries, and there are several reasons for this surge in influence. Starting around 590, Pope Gregory I sought to convert Teutonic invaders to Christianity. Islam was also in play, as it had taken over most of Asia and Africa. According toRead MoreCounter Reformation And The Counter Reformation849 Words   |  4 Pagesarticle about Catholic Reformation, and it wrote that â€Å"Counter Reformation, 16th-century reformation that arose largely in answer to the Protestant Reformation; sometimes called the Catholic Reformation. 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