In the Middle Ages, the power of the church became the dominant force not only in the spiritual, but also in the political sphere of society. Preaching abstinence, humility, church servants profited from indulgences, tithes, requisitions from the population.
Beginning of the Reformation
The luxurious life of the clergy was condemned not only by ordinary believers, but also by some priests. As a result, a large socio-political and religious movement was formed that promoted the need to reform the Catholic Church in accordance with the Bible. It is called the Reformation.
Its beginning is considered the performance of Martin Luther (Doctor of Theology at the University of Wittenberg). In 1517, on October 31, he nailed a sign with 95 theses to the doors of the Castle Church. In them, he criticized the abuses of Catholic clergy.
Economic background
The reformation of the 16th century was primarily due to the confrontation between the representatives of the growing capitalism and the adherents of the feudal system that prevailed at that time. It was he who was the material basis for the prosperity of the Catholic Church.
In the XIV-XV centuries. a new class began to form in society - the bourgeoisie. He gradually took over the economy and strove for political hegemony. The bourgeoisie, which claimed dominance, needed a new ideology. She did not plan to abandon Christianity; she wanted its renewal. The new religion was to be distinguished from Catholicism by cheapness and simplicity. Representatives of the bourgeoisie needed money, but, of course, not for building huge temples, but for investing in production and maximizing profits.
Accordingly, the main focus of the Reformation was the removal of the church from state revenues. In those countries where there was a strong power of the monarch who supported the national bourgeoisie (in France, England), special decrees were adopted. According to them, the claims of the Catholic Church were significantly limited.
In other states, the central government was not so strong (for example, in Germany). In these countries, churchmen felt very free. Constant extortion and extortion caused hatred among the local population, which was aggravated by frequent incidents of obscene behavior by the clergy.
If we take this into account, it becomes clear why different directions appeared in the Reformation . People found themselves in different conditions and had various opportunities to achieve their goals. In some countries, the process was relatively peaceful, in others it was not without armed conflicts.
Spiritual background
The key areas of the Reformation in Europe were formed not only under the influence of economic reasons. The intellectual environment in European states, which underwent significant changes, was of no small importance.
Free criticism, used during the Renaissance, pushed people to a new look at all cultural phenomena, including religion. During the Renaissance, attention was focused on personal responsibility and individuality. This contributed to the formation of a critical view of the structure of the church. The prevailing fashion of ancient manuscripts led people to pay attention to the many discrepancies between early and modern Christianity.
The reformation continued until 1648.
Lutheranism
In his theses, Luther did not propagate the extended teaching. He only talked about the need to refute the mythical merits of the church and stop selling indulgences. In 1518 he was invited by the Pope. It was assumed that at the meeting they would discuss Luther's behavior. However, the author of the thesis declined the invitation.
By 1521, Luther already had a fairly strong support for the burghers and the masses. However, his teaching was recognized heretical at the imperial Diet.
Left wing
In the course of the further formation of Lutheranism, a peasant war began. The leader of the extreme left wing was T. Müntzer. The social goals of the movement were close to utopian communism. The emphasis was on the need to conduct a kind of nationalization of property. This goal, of course, was not consistent with the ideas of the bourgeoisie. This is also why different directions appeared in the Reformation .
In religious matters, the views of the rebels were based on the recognition of the possibility of establishing direct contact between the soul and the deity. Consequently, the clergy as a mediating force was excluded from this chain. This movement became known as Anabaptism.
By 1530, the movement moved to Northern Germany. At the beginning of 1534, the city of Muenster was captured. Anabaptists began to rebuild public order. However, their dominance did not last long. Muenster was besieged and soon fell. The surviving Anabaptists fled to the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. The leader of the Dutch current was Menno Simone. Under his influence, the movement took on a more peaceful orientation and became known as Mennonite.
Accordingly, it is understandable why different directions appeared in the Reformation - they used a different theoretical basis. Some sought to destroy the hated class of clergy, while others were more tolerant of the clergy and tried to defend their position without war.
Further Strengthening Lutheranism
Luther condemned the peasant war. This helped strengthen his position among the authorities and burghers.
After the Worm imperial Diet, which condemned Lutheranism as heresy, the Speer Reichstag took place in 1526. He canceled the earlier decision and allowed the princes to choose the faith for themselves and their subjects. However, after three years, the Speer Reichstag canceled its previous decision. The history of the Reformation in Europe , however, did not end there. The cancellation of the decision by the Speer Reichstag caused a wave of indignation.
The confrontation lasted until 1555. After the conclusion of the Augsburg religious world, freedom of religion was established. However, for quite some time in Germany, military and political struggle was waged in a religious form.
Soon, almost the whole of Europe was swept by the Thirty Years War. It ended with the Peace of Westphalia, which, in essence, legalized all the conquests of the Reformation.
Situation in Switzerland
This country in the political and political respect was a confederation of cantons. She was not dependent on the German authorities. Religiously, the cantons were subordinate to the bishops of various Catholic dioceses (administrative units) - Italian, Austrian, German. Accordingly, it is clear why different directions appeared in the Reformation : in addition to religious issues, the problems of the formation of a sovereign state were solved. The centers were Geneva and Zurich.
Reformation Results
The movement dealt a significant blow to Catholicism. However, it was not possible to completely destroy it. In Europe, centralized absolutist monarchies began to strengthen. In such circumstances, the papacy could not count on the role of a political center. The Catholic Church was forced to take measures to prevent the onslaught of Protestantism.
The results of the Reformation are difficult to characterize unambiguously. The united Catholic world, uniting the Western European peoples under the leadership of the Pope, ceased to exist. Many national churches arose. Often they depended on secular rulers. At the same time, national churches formed the basis for the formation of the national consciousness of European peoples.
The educational and cultural level of the population of Northern Europe has significantly increased. The need for scripture study contributed to the growth of primary and higher education institutions; Universities began to be created in which clergy were trained.
Spiritual equality ensured the development of ideas about political equality. In the states where the majority of the reformists, laypeople were given more opportunities to manage church affairs, and citizens were given more control over the affairs of the state.
Conclusion
The main achievement of the Reformation can be considered that it ensured the replacement of the former feudal relations with new capitalist ones. The society strove to save, develop industrial production, and abandon entertainment and expensive services. The goal was the accumulation of capital for its subsequent investment in production and trade. This led to the fact that the Protestant states began to get ahead of the Orthodox and Catholic countries in economic development.