The Reformation Dbq

The Reformation The Reformation was a religious movement whose influence rivaled that of the Renaissance. The Reformation was a religious revolution which coincided with the end of Renaissance. The Reformation was a product of Martin Luther’s criticism of the Roman Catholic Church, whose power in Europe during the 16th century was undeniably enormous. Luther’s works discredited the institution the Church had become, which led to the Roman Catholic Church being distanced from society, politics, and even religion. No longer restricted by the Roman Catholic Church, Christianity branched out into different sects, such as Lutheranism and Anabaptism. As the power of the Roman Catholic Church lessened, society was able to develop secularly, and

During the Protestant Reformation, many different branches of Protestantism were established, most of them adapting Luther’s original teachings or interpreting Luther’s ideas for themselves. Luther’s teachings were based on the idea that salvation was achievable through faith alone, and that ‘higher’ religious powers, such as the Pope, were unnecessary. Lutheranism is often considered the ‘original’ branch of Protestantism, as it is entirely based upon the writings of Martin Luther, hence the name. Anabaptism is reputed to be the most radical branch of Protestantism. Anabaptists were the most persecuted Protestant group, as they were maltreated by the Catholic Church and other Protestant groups alike. Even so, both are based on the same core belief that higher man-made religious authorities, such as the Pope, were unnecessary. The discrediting of the Roman Catholic Church enabled Europeans to form their own beliefs surrounding religion. Even though many religious groups were still persecuted, the rise of new religious sects was the beginning of religious tolerance and acceptance. The Protestant Reformation had an enormous effect on religion, which in turn completely remodeled

Before the Reformation, the Church was one of the most influential and controlling powers in Europe. However, the Reformation managed to distance the Church from the government which allowed new developments to be made. The government was distanced from the Church, as more secular rulers converted to Protestantism, decreasing the Church’s authority over government. The uneasy political situation in Europe at the time allowed for the Reformation to spread further over Europe. The rise of new secular ideas made civilians more aware of political situations as they could now read political texts and form their own ideas. Luther had a lasting political legacy, as his promoting of free thinking was the beginning of modern democracy, as people were encouraged to state their opinions and think individually. Another prominent political figure during the Reformation was Henry VII of England. Henry VII called for the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church in 1534, after a disagreement with Pope Clement VII concerning the annulment of his marriage with Catherine of Aragon. There were many structural changes within politics, as more individuals became concerned and involved with political issues. Even though the Reformation is regarded as a primarily religious revolution, it had undoubtedly a profound effect on political