The Protestant Reformation

• baptism
• confirmation
• confession

• Eucharist

• ordination
• marriage
• extreme unction

"For the just shall live by faith" -- Romans 1:17

[the printing press is] "God's highest and extremest act of grace, whereby the business of the gospel is driven forward" --Martin Luther

"How many printing presses there be in the world," wrote the Protestant polemicist John Foxe, "so many blockhouses there be against the high castle" of the Pope in Rome, "so that either the pope must abolish knowledge and printing or printing at length will root him out."

"Ohne Humanismus keine Reformation" (without Humanism no Reformation)

I am persuaded, that without knowledge of literature pure theology cannot at all endure, just as heretofore, when letters have declined and lain prostrate, theology, too, has wretchedly fallen and lain prostrate; nay, I see that there has never been a great revelation of the Word of God unless He has first prepared the way by the rise and prosperity of languages and letters, as though they were John the Baptists. Certainly it is my desire that there shall be as many poets and rhetoricians as possible, because I see that by these studies, as by no other means, people are wonderfully fitted for the grasping of sacred truth and for handling it skillfully and happily. Therefore I beg of you to urge your young people to be diligent in the study of poetry and rhetoric. --Martin Luther

The Reformation &

Martin Luther's

"Passion of Christ and Anti-Christ

Jesus washes the feet

of his disciples.

The Pope makes others kiss his feet.

A crown of thorns is prepared for Christ.

The Pope wears three crowns of gold.

humanism

from Foxe's Book of Martyrs

printing

English Bible

Translation (1525)

“If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plow to know more of the Scriptures than thou dost”

• "sola scriptura"

William Tyndale

• "sola fide"

dr. gideon o. burton

brigham young university

strong

central

authority

Religious continuum - 16th C. Britain

Protestant Tenets

Henry VIII

(1509-47)

Mary

1553-58

Catholic

• Hierarchical Structure and Offices
• Monasteries and Convents
• Political Institution
• Corrupt Priests
• Superstition
• Sale of Indulgences
• Rituals
• Celibacy of Priests

Catholic Sacraments

Edward VI

(1547-53)

Criticisms of

Catholic Church

16th century

Erasmus of Rotterdam

Elizabeth

1558-1603

humanism / new Latin Bible (1516)

preparing the way

Popular Piety

Imitatio Christi

15th century

Thomas à Kempis

(1380–1471)

Lorenzo Valla / philology

Gutenberg / printing

Martin Luther

14th century

John Wyclife, “Lollards”

Reform Movement, 1382-1430

Inner spiritual life

Faith and Grace

Lollard Bible, 1390

(English trans.)

Lay preachers

Anti-clerical

Equality

Anglican

Protestant

no

central

authority

ornate

visual

theatrical

interactive

public

elite / educated

religion and Art

Catholic

Puritan

paintings

stained glass

sculpture

pageantry

hymns

Protestant

devotional poetry

diary / meditations

plain

textual

private

democratic