Question

What factors combined to foster a religious reformation in eurpoe?

Answer 1

The Protestant Reformation was the 16th-century religious, political, intellectual and cultural upheaval that splintered Catholic Europe, setting in place the structures and beliefs that would define the continent in the modern era. In northern and central Europe, reformers like Martin Luther, John Calvin and Henry VIII challenged papal authority and questioned the Catholic Church’s ability to define Christian practice.

Answer 2

Answer:

Papal corruption and nations looking to get rid of the Vatican's influence.

Explanation:

The Protestant Reformation is the Christian theological movement in 16th century Europe that challenged the political and religious leadership of the Roman Catholic Church.

Pre-Reformation Europe during the Middle Ages was dominated by the Catholic Church. Europeans monarchs were formally under the Church and the Pope, as they derived their power from divine blessing. The Catholic Church itself held large territories, organized under the Papal States, which were a major European power. The amount of wealth and power held by the Church corrupted its hierarchy. Pope Alexander VI was an extremely controversial Pope, as he fathered seven children.

In 1917, German priest Martin Luther published his Ninety-Five Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences. Luther criticized the Catholic Church and the Pope, focusing mostly on the sale of indulgences. Indulgences were temporary remittances of punishment, which helped buyers to reduce time they would spent in Purgatory after their death. Luther considered this practice against the teachings of the church. Later on, as the schism deepened, Protestants would extend their criticism to other aspects of Catholic practices, like salvation through works, or clerical celibacy.

By challenging the religious power of the Vatican, the Protestant Reformation moved onto challenging its political power. Other Protestant Leaders, such as John Calvin and Henry VIII, led political-religious that broke off with the Catholic Church and established Protestant churches.