Reformation And Peasants War

The Real Relationship Between the Reformation and Peasants’ War After a long period of growing social and religious unrest, situations arose that led to two separate movements, and eventually to changes within Europe. The first of these movements shattered a Latin- Christian religious and ecclesiastical tradition which had endured for over a thousand years within the Holy Roman Empire. The second “shook the social and political foundations of central Europe,” and was the “largest peasant insurrection in European history and the most massive popular rebellion prior to the French Revolution.” (Baylor ix) These movements were very controversial in their beginnings and still are today. One widespread belief is that Martin Luther was directly and

Some of the worsening conditions on the peasants included the lords raising the taxes and prices of fees such as rent. As populations grew, prices rose and wages dropped, making everyday necessities much harder to get. Due to the fact that the church was strongly tied into both the economy and government, it would be easy to connect the Protestant Reformation to the peasants’ cause. Which led them to misinterpret Luther’s 95 theses as support, despite Luther’s intentions of only reforming the church. The peasants even stated that the need for a religious change was not one of their main causes. The Peasants’ War began in June 1524 when peasants in Stühlingen refused to fulfill obligations that they regarded as unfair and their protests led to a series of rebellions over the coming months. "They wanted to do away with all human law and be subject to only godly law." (Baylor 35) The peasants eventually drew up a list of grievances and demands for reform, known as the “Twelve Articles,” which became the most widely influential program of the Peasants’

He published the 95 theses protesting against various clerical abuses such as the sale of indulgences. When the Rebellion arose Luther originally said that both sides were wrong and needed to come to a peaceful agreement in “Admonition to Peace: A Reply to the Twelve Articles." Luther later published "Against the Murdering and Robbing Hordes of Peasants," which was his most notorious pamphlet. In this article, he took a strong stance against the peasants and condemned them as traitors who had violated their oaths of obedience. Luther made it clear that he did not condone the rebellion and he was not to be faulted for the peasants misconceiving his works as an encouragement to rebel. Luther also tried to steer the reformation from violence and even took criticism for his harsh words against the