Protestant Reformation Research Paper

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The Protestant Reformation is one of the most influential events that has occurred in the history of religion.This Reformation of religions took place in the 16th Century due to the concerns raised by people such as Martin Luther and John Calvin. They had concerns with the leadership, rituals, ecclesiastical structure and doctrines of the Catholic Church. The Church had overall supremacy, controlling political institutions, economic activities, literacy and artistic developments expecting a blind faith and unquestioned loyalty. Some of the Clergy were involved in immoral activities and were facing stiff opposition to these. The Pope’s interference in non-religious matters were beginning to make him unpopular and the selling of indulgences…show more content…
The Renaissance also had an effect on the Reformation. Catholic Churches wanted to keep man ignorant, illiterate and unquestionably loyal but the Renaissance challenged them to use their minds to create a better life for themselves. The invention of the printing press also helped Luther get his word out in mass. Translating the bible into German in 1517 to spread it throughout Europe. A few years later the first English translation was printed. Then in 1549 the ‘Book of common prayer’ was printed to give the illiterate the ability to understand the bible through illustrations. This book was able to spiritually unite all social and political classes against…show more content…
The English Reformation occurred because the Pope would not grant King Henry VIII a divorce. This resulted in King Henry VIII’s destruction of the Catholic monasteries. Which in turn caused the Catholic Church to lose not only a great deal of financial power but also the loss of artworks and documents rich in spiritual value.This in turn broke the stranglehold of the Pope’s power over England and Protestants become stronger and stronger.With a ‘compromise’ between the Catholic and the Protestant faiths, the Anglican faith is created and well bedded in during the long reign of Elizabeth

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