The Reformation Dbq

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The Reformation had more of an impact on Europe than the Renaissance. The Reformation had many great reformers including Martin Luther, John Calvin and Henry VIII and his family. There were also many ideas that changed Europe for good. The Council of Trent and the Thirty Years War. With those reformers and wars, it changed Europe forever. Martin Luther was a Protestant reformer who criticized the Church’s ideas of selling indulgences in 1517 (Textbook). Luther believed that people could only be saved through faith in God. Protestantism encouraged people to choose their own religious beliefs, that led to the formation of Calvinist, Anglican, and Presbyterian churches alongside the Lutheran church, which had already existed. Luther nailed his …show more content…

These popes investigated and decided that indulgences were valid, as long as they were not being sold. The Council of Trent helped agree that Christians needed faith for salvation and the Bible and the Church had equal authorities (Textbook). Pope Paul IV made an official list of books that were from the Protestant faith, which was forbidden in the Catholic faith. Books that were not of the catholic faith were burned in bonfires (Textbook).
The Thirty Years War brought all major powers into Europe, including Austria and Spain. By this time in the war, armies are ravaging throughout the Holy Roman Empire. The war continues in 1618 in Bohemia, over the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II attempting to close churches. Cardinal Richelieu decided to help the Protestants, even though he was a Catholic. In 148, the Peace of Westphalia ends all religious wars in Europe and the princes of the Holy Roman Empire gain more freedom and can now choose between three religions.
In conclusion, people all across Europe were in favor of many things, especially the buying and selling of indulgences. Europeans thought that being able to have the freedom to choose your own religion was fantastic. Being able to choose your own religion allows you to be more open and flexible to what you believe because you aren’t being forced to worship in a particular religion