The Role of Religion on Ideology of the Protestant Reformation

Religion has always been a topic of interest, due to the sheer power that one can acquire by having control on the aspect of life after death. Reformers such as Luther and Calvin set a basis on which the world can retaliate, and no longer be served based on following a religion blindly. The sixteenth century, a violent religious period in which people became spiritually awakened, a time where the basis on which todays social constructs, freedom and political debate derive from. Even those who have no religious ties have been affected, every aspect of life in human existence will forever be marked by the events pursued throughout this era. History sets forth the examples of what todays society should live by. In order to become a society that prospers, humanity must learn from its own mistakes, the sixteenth century became notorious through its rigorous religious movements took the world by its feet, in order to create a perfect playground in the name of God, and Jesus Christ. Through the actions such as Luther, Calvin and the basis of the Bible. The knowledgeable passageway of spiritual revolution shifted from the hands of Corrupt practices such as the Catholic Church, to the spiritual awakening of people’s mentality impacts today’s society in all aspects of life. Because of the actions set forth by reformers such as Martin Luther, and John Calvin who highlighted the dishonorable practices of the Catholic Church, set an example of the stepping stone humanity will set forth to a modern era, which will impact all future aspects of life by invalidating misconduct brought upon those with power.

Luther who at the young age of thirty-three, fueled with raged by the form in which the catholic church defined Christian practice. Believing that the Catholic Church no longer centered around the Bibles scriptures. Luther planned to cleanse the Catholic Church and bring back tradition into the source of spiritual morality. Luther’s fury came from the Pope, Leo X, originally known as Giovanni de’ Medici through the, “sale of indulgences to raise money to complete St Peter's at Rome, and had sent Johann Tetzel, his commissioner for indulgences,” (Heffer). The Pope made it known that with the purchase of an indulgence a person could come about with less time in purgatory. Luther’s deep-rooted distaste allowed for his creation of a “system of belief in which simple faith, not the execution of good works or donations of money to various forms of charity, was the way to salvation.” (Heffer). A religious take over, based on the scriptures of the Bibles teachings, to which Puritans where born. The Ninety-Five Theses initiated the form in which Luther managed to place a halt in the Catholic Church’s corrupt practices by giving, “a voice to a sentiment that would eventually provide legitimation for disobeying all forms of authority.” (Furedi). Although contrary belief, “IT IS UNLIKLEY that Martin Luther set out to shatter authority. Yet the Reformation, which stated with the publication of his Ninety-Five Theses in, 1517, set in motion a chain of events that fundamentally undermined the idea of authority itself.” (Furedi). By Luther posting the Ninety-Five Theses Luther opened the eyes of the whole world. Through the posting of the Ninety-Five theses such as, Luther’s eighty-sixth Theses stands out asking why, “given the pope's wealth, he did not use his own money to pay for St Peter's rather than that of 'poor believers'. (Heffer).

Luther’s theology reform unleashed a window of political debate and rule. Allowing for the first time, in an era where no democracy festers. A voice granted though Luther, appeared. Luther attempted many routes to reach those of higher power in the Catholic Church, to which there no response arrived. In order to get his Ninety-Five Theses into the public Luther used the revolutionary instrument, the printing press, which “allowed their view to be broadcast with an ease hitherto impossible.” (Heffer). An act that could not have been done before, swept the nation through out all of Germany, and eventually Europe at a swift pace. Due to these actions followers of Luther such as Thomas Carlyle, “Luther was one of history's heroes, called this expression of outrage a 'shout', and wrote: 'The Pope should not have provoked that 'shout'! It was the shout of the awakening of nations.” (Heffer). The beast has been agitated, and Luther came back with flying first. Vengeance put onto an authority which has never been questioned before. The Church Hierarchy attempted to get Luther to repent his statements of the Ninety-Five Theses to which came no avail. The Catholic Church responded on April 1521, Luther appeared in front of the Diet of Worms, to be trialed for his betrayal of the Catholic Church through the posting of his Ninety-Five Theses. In response “'the greatest scene in Modern European History;” (Heffer). Through this trial Luther became famous by his argument which, “implicitly called into question the right of external authority to exercise power over the inner life of people.” (Furedi). With these actions, Luther created a prototype for the future creating a world, where people can have freedom, opening new doorways to intellectual capabilities and social morality. Luther had a goal to reform the corrupt practices of the Catholic Church, and through this path people where given a right which made it, “clear that once individuals are granted inner freedom they find it difficult to unquestioningly obey any form of authority.” (Furedi). (ask if I can fit something better to end this and transition

The Five Solas

The Reformation formed the era in which modern society commenced. An era in which people began to think for their own wellbeing and not follow the will of the Church without question. Luther’s core belief that salvation came through one on one interaction with God and faith in Jesus, comes from the Latin word for alone. Through the Sola scriptures, Luther set forth the blueprints in which his reformed Catholicism should be based. These five principles became the basis into what todays reformed Christianity originated from.

The first sola, being Sola Fide, “that people are saved by faith in Jesus alone, not by anything they do.” (The). The importance of Sola Fide dwells in the form in which change came forth throughout the globe. People became intellectual and began to question if the Church still stayed on its righteous path of giving homage to God and Jesus Christ. Luther had a very strong will in which he believed this scripture, Sola Fide, lies the path to salvation.

The Second sola, Sola Gratia, “that this faith is given by grace alone, and cannot be earned.” (the). This set forth the layout that people everyone would considered equal in the eyes of God. Social aspects such as being rich, poor, or even being in position of power such as a king or Pope do not exist in the supreme one’s vison. Due to the Popes attempt to gather funds for the building of St Peters Cathedral, through the selling of indulgences the reality of fraud became unmasked, and the actions of the Pope became clear. The cruel reality that the Pope abused the authority given to him, showed that a service that only God can offer cannot be offered by any human being due to everyone being equal in the eyes of God.

The third Sola, incarcerates the purpose in which Luther kept pushing forth the idea that everyone should have a deep understanding of the bible, Sola Scriptura, “is based on the authority of the Bible alone, and not on tradition or the church.”(The). No matter what a person of higher power in the Catholic Church says, such as the Pope, a priest, Bishop says can change the true meaning of the Bible. The preporderant consequence (influence) in allowing the third sola to be brought to light due to the printing press. Through Bibles being reprinted, in mass production in the common tongue, people began to see the true wording of the Bible and could no longer be taken advantage of and the church lost power through, “this act of defiance, Catholicism ultimately lost its monopoly of Christian salvation in the West.” (Dixon). Due to worshipers now not having to rely on the Church to read them the Bible. People where now reading it on their own since now they could. Luther wanted, “Christianity to go back to the 'pristine Gospel': the teachings of Jesus and the apostles” (The). Luther put forth a plan to reform the Catholicism as a whole, reformed in a path in which the religions basis came solely on the bibles scriptures and their true meaning.

The fourth sola, 'Solus Christus' - through Christ alone” (Evangelical). Also brought up as Solo Christo, imbedded the appreciation that all humans where saved through the actions of Jesus Christ, and nothing else that anyone else has done. Because of this scripture people began to (love) Jesus and in a way form a (plan) to repay this debt.

The fifth sola, Soli Deo Gloria' - glory to God alone.” (Evangelical). Calvinist put forth their life based on serving God, as Gods mercy influences the reason life exists. Due to the lord bringing forth human existence It became the will of the people to praise and put God in all aspects of humanity. The sola scriptures became the outline to modern day democracy by, 'The separation of powers, toleration, freedom of conscience, they are all Protestant ideas,' says Jacques Berlinerblau, a sociologist at Georgetown University.” (The).

The Reformation has had many steps in which religion took twist and turns. Catholicism went through a few different strands of change, from complete control by the Catholic Church, to Martin Luther unleashing a path towards a bright future from which Protestants came. Through the reformation of Luther’s teaching, a strand of Protestant branch in which followers follow the Bibles verses to the core. Calvinism emerged.

There two main figures who come credited with the Reformation, as stated previously Martin Luther, who took initiative in turning the tidal wave of a world in ancient beliefs came to an end by giving individuals the capability to stand forth as (look a better word later). The second figure, arguably by many goes to no other than, John Calvin whose works, “regarded as the most significant religious work of the sixteenth century.” (McGrath). Calvin will be praised as the one of the most important figure of the second half of the Reformation due to his dedication and diligence towards the expansion of the reformed Christian Religion.

John Calvin, born in France on July 10, 1509. Calvin gathered Luther’s teaching and merged it into his own, this religious movement would take on the name Calvinism. Calvin, only eight years old when Luther nailed the Ninety-Five Theses on the Church door. The though process of Calvin emerged from his staying in the city of Geneva, in which Calvin developed his movement. Calvin had an education which he pushed forward as he, “had considerable interest in the development of an authentic Christian theology, and was well aware of the importance of issues of personal piety and spirituality. (McGrath). To Calvin theology, “offered a framework for engaging with public life.” (McGrath) Calvin has a task at hand. To unify and straighten what Luther had begun and continue to stay on a basis of the Bibles scriptures.

The Reformation came forth in many different steps, originally engulfed with total sovereignty through the Catholic Church, whom practically had a monopoly of Christianity as a whole. Luther came in with his teachings, and Lutheranism came into play where the teachings of Luther, which caught wave and later Luther’s religious movement created Protestants, which then became reformed through John Calvin’s teachings in what is today called Calvinism.

The basis of Calvinist beliefs derives from the basis that individuals have no choosing on who gets admitted into Heaven, as God already predestined everyone’s lives. In comparison to Luther’s teaching, salvation can be acquired through faith alone. Calvinism teaches that salvations not possible to everyone and only a few seats to heaven are attainable. While Lutheranism teaches that salvations attainable to any person. Calvinist belief that God has supremacy on all actions done by a person. In this belief lies the reason behind why only a select few got seat saved at the doorways of Heaven as its Gods will for specific people to serve his needs. Lastly Calvinist believe that Christ comes to light through the sacred sharing of bread and wine, as Lutheranism believe that Christ always presides in spiritual form.

This age, in which Christian tradition came solely into pleasing God. Condemend those who had to work a labor job, where considered a second-rate Christians, those who had to work where exhausting time that could be put onto pleasing the lord. In Calvin’s views, “God places individuals where He wants them to be, which explains Calvin's criticism of human ambition as an unwillingness to accept the sphere of action God has allocated to us” (McGrath). Due to this, social aspects where irrelevant to the views of Calvin due to believing that God places people where he pleases, and a person has no saying in the path God Chooses for a person. Anyone thinking they where superior than a human where going against Gods will, as God created everyone equal. According to Calvin, “All human work is capable of “appearing truly respectable and being considered highly important in the sight of God.” (McGrath). No matter the task at hand, from the most minute to largest, God placed every person in a position, and it’s a human’s task to fulfil Gods will, by not doing said task one goes against the lords will. This strong belief derives from the fourth sola, Solus Christus, through Christ alone. And the Fifth sola, Soli Deo Gloria. In order to repay a debt given by Jesus Christ and God one must excel in all aspects of life and become superior in any way possible.

Calvin had a very strong will towards uniting our society in order to transcend in the name of God. As such the ultimate praise to god, shows by working on Gods behalf. As the follower of Calvin, William Perkins put it,” The true end of our lives is to do service to God in serving of man.' (McGrath). Calvin has a stern believe on St Paul’s directive, “ If someone does not work, then he should not eat' (McGrath). Calvin perceived that it came to an individual’s duty out of recognition to God to serve all people in respect to Jesus Christ. Through Jesus Christ one can in one form or another repay their debts. Great shame arrives from a person who does not allow their lives to intertwine with that of Gods plan. Social aspects went against gods will.

Calvin, “was instrumental in furthering the Protestant faith during the reformation. The idea of predestination was defined by Calvin. Movements such as Puritanism, capitalism and representative democracy are in part attributed to the theologian” (Presbyterians). Calvin knew in order to set forth the footwork of a proper religion there must be a leader, and Calvin took it upon him self to become that person. Calvin, a well-educated man, knew the importance of putting full faith that all people should have a deep knowledge of their Bibles. Calvin set forth to Geneva, in 1541 to lead a ministry. He created a system in which, “Ordinances there were to be four offices in the church: pastors (ministers or teaching elders), teachers (doctors), elders, and deacons. Candidates for the ministry.” (Vissers). Calvin only allowed those with the deepest of knowledge to become a part of this industry, before allowing people a position they would, “be examined in two main areas: on their doctrine and on their morals.' (Vissers).

Anyone who wished to become a minister had to have a “a good and sound knowledge of scripture, an ability to communicate it clearly to people in an edifying way, and an understanding and commitment to the Reformed doctrines held in Geneva.' (Vissers). In order to acquire the knowledge necessary to be able to execute this task to the finest of capabilities, there were a few routes people could take between 1531 and 1559. The first step, students were required to serve 20 weekly services. The second step, students could attend daily Bible study sessions taught by Calvin and doctors of the church. Lastly, they could participate in weekly meetings served by a mixture of ministers, pastors and teachers. This school of ministry, “intended to be comprehensive, communal, and continuing. In short, Calvin believed that it took a whole church to raise a competent minister!” (Vissers).

Calvin wanted first class people to preach the word of God, and in order to achieve this goal, Calvin knew he must set forth a first-class ministry. Through the years the brightest of minds would come and attend the teachings of Calvin. And spread the word of God, through the scriptures of the Bibles. The main lesson through Calvin simply put lies in, “ this: John Calvin affirmed the necessity of theological education.” (Vissers). Calvin knew that the key to success relied on education and in order to have set a prestigious institution, Calvin made it the responsibility of the institution to create exceptional ministers. The theological education, used to this day came from the examples left behind from Calvin, “The academy was a remarkable achievement and it became a pattern for Protestant theological education in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and in Scotland--including St. Andrew's, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, after which our own Presbyterian theological schools in Canada were originally modelled. (Vissers).