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Causes and effects of church reformation
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In the letter John Calvin brought up several key points, which support how important scripture is in someone’s life. First of all, Calvin introduced king Francis to the circumstances the book was written, then he talked about the plea for the persecuted evangelicals, where he addressed that a king should be a Godly king in order to fulfill his roles. Furthermore, he explained more in depth that the church leaders oppose the reformation teachings in many forms, then he suggested that church fathers seem to favor customs over truth. Finally, he drew the king’s attention to be aware of false charges as the innocent await divine vindication. Calvin was trying to build the king’s awareness, and discussed many potential issues that the church is facing and could face in the near future. …show more content…
Meeter, 1986). He explained that the king as a ruler has to follow God’s order and fully submit himself to serve God’s glory; and only then he is fulfilling his role as a king. He further explains that we often use God Word as our pretext, but we often corrupt it and twist the meaning of His Words for our own benefits (Calvin, et. al., 1986). Moreover, the Bible talks about that “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God” (“Bible Gateway passage,” n.d.). This supports Calvin statement as a scriptural evidence that God’s Word is holy and should not be corrupted and used for our own
In these Thesis’ Luther basically criticized the church’s wrongful practices and exposed the church’s corruption in order to bring about change in the church. Luther is quoted in Document 3 from his 95 thesis’ “Christian’s should be taught that he who gives to a poor man, or lends to a needy man, does better if he bought pardons.” Luther believed that actions, such as helping others did way more toward saving a person’s soul than buying a pardon did. He saw through the idea that one could by their way into heaven. He brought about new ideas such as God’s grace is the only way into heaven, not buying indulgences, or simply participating in church activities. His ideas eventually spread out all over Europe and his followers formed a group calling themselves Lutherans. This eventually became a protestant denomination, where Luther preached ideas, and his version of christianity. Also other reformist such as John Calvin had their own ideas, like predestination, and that everyone was full of sin until they were saved by christ. “We must resist the lust of the flesh, which, unless kept in order, overflows without measure.” (Document 6) Calvin believed that everyone was filled with this sinful “lust” that could not be kept in order without the power of christ. Calvin also started a sect of christianity nicknamed Calvinist after their leader. Both Luther and Calvin inspired others such as George Fox, who created quakerism, and Ulrich Zwingli who started anabaptism. Overall a huge force that drove the Protestant Reformation was reformers such as Martin Luther and John
The Reformation debate letters from John Calvin and Jacopo Sadoleto illustrate the religious controversy of the sixteenth century. Sadoleto’s letter was addressed to the magistrates and citizens of Geneva, pleading them to come back to the Catholic church, as they had fallen to the ways of the Reformers. In his letter, Sadoleto painted the Reformers as ‘crafty’ and ‘enemies of Christian peace’ (30), never directly addressing them. Calvin does, however, address Sadoleto’s insinuations directly in his response. The two letters disagree when it comes to justification, Sadoleto believing that it comes by faith and works and Calvin, more so along the lines that faith is what really matters. Calvin successfully argues against Sadoleto’s premise and presents influential points, making his argument more convincing than his opponent’s.
During the period between 1500 and 1700 different Protestant ideals and religions such as the views of Luther, Henry VIII, and Calvinism reflected varying degrees of closeness between church and state. Luther's views of the state being above the church represented a distance between the church and state that many other Protestant religions at the time did not have. Henry VI and Calvinism on the other hand, intertwined the church and state so that their relationship was much closer. Calvinism went much further than just intertwining church and state though; it became a complete combination: the church working as state.
In I.17.1 of John Calvin’s work, Calvin argues that people do not need to worry about anything they do not understand because God takes care of everything. It is important to understand that this is not the beginning of Calvin’s Institutes of Christian Religion, because his points in chapter sixteen set the basis for his argument in this next section. Chapter sixteen on providence gives the foundation of
Calvin’s devout interest in theology was practical. He regarded theology as a practical science. The original purpose of his Institutes was to provide a handbook which would be an aid to piety. The true task of theology was not to give answers to speculative questions, but to contribute to the edification of Christians. So, in his book John Calvin’s Doctrine of the Christian Life, author John H. Leith writes, “The conduct of the Christian, not verbal assent to doctrine and ceremony, is the decisive test of religious convictions” (26). Heith continues, “The Geneva Catechism opened with the question, What is the chief end of human life? The answer to this question was the burning mission of Calvin’s whole theology.
Luther uses harsh words to describe the popes and the bishops by calling them names such as “humbug”, “block head”, and “hypocrite”. According to Martin Luther’s Letter to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, it states “He might well make a man into a hypocrite or a humbug, and block head, but never a Christian or spiritual man”. Martin Luther believes that the priests, bishops, and popes are not different from the Christian people. Martin Luther points out that Christians were baptized and read the Bible, so why do the popes receive so much authority and power than Christians. In the Letter to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, Luther questions “Why are your life and limb, your property and honor, so cheap and mine not, inasmuch as we are all Christians and have the same baptism, the same faith, the same Spirit, and all the rest?”. Therefore, Martin Luther believes that the popes, bishops, and priests are given too much authority and power even though the popes, bishops, and priests do not possess that many special abilities. Martin Luther claims that everyone is a priest since the Christian people can interpret and read the Bible, carry the same faith and spirit, and were baptized just like the popes, priests, and bishops
And that is why we say “Amen” through Christ to the glory of God.” This passage demonstrates that God has fulfilled his promise to those who believe in Christ. Those who believe in Christ is revealed by the word of the Holy Spirit, which is the third persons of the Trinity. Calvin based his definition of faith through understanding the Trinitarian. I believe that Calvin conclusion regarding the nature of faith is valid. He explained that faith involves in a person’s heart and mind, which transformed us internally. Calvin also stated, “Faith is not human insight; it is personal knowledge of God made possible by the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is the one who helps us understand God’s love and desire to seek Him. Calvin pointed out that we have also to believe with our “heart” and not just with our mind. I think it means that we cannot just say that God exists without trusting in his love and promises. Overall, I believe that Calvin definition of faith is adamant and
Martin Luther inspired another thinker of the time that questioned the Church’s beliefs. That man was John Calvin. The Catholic belief during the Renaissance and Reformation was that one’s good deeds hel...
As a member of the Evangelical Movement which taught that the Church was the vehicle for positive change in society he taught that the secular government must submit to divine lordship--lordship in the feudal obligation sense. The king must be under the authority of God and His representative on earth was the Pope. This was called natural law, the law of creation. Kings were anointed by a high Church official like a Pope. According to Langton the king was anointed to the service of the church, not to the ministry of God.
In 1536, John Calvin was a French lawyer and theologian who lived in Geneva, Switzerland. He published a book titled Institutes of the Christian Religion. Originally he published his work in Latin but subsequently translated into different European languages. The Institutes outlined Calvin’s basic philosophies of “predestination” as a precondition for salvation. Calvin, like many Christian reformers, was most fascinated in discovering the true way to heaven during the Reformation. Calvin came to a logical spat regarding salvation as he fought to comprehend the word of God, According to Calvin’s ideas, God alone
In John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion he spends a great deal of time expounding his doctrine of God's Divine providence in all of creation. He explains not only how God continually governs the laws of nature, but also how God governs man's actions and intentions to bring about His own Divine Will. Calvin believes that God's providence is so encompassing in creation that even a man's own actions, in many ways, are decreed by God. Because of this belief there arises the question, "Does Calvin leave room for the free will of man?"
Calvin seems to present predestination not as an impending and sorrowful truth, but rather as a core component of the gospel itself. His belief in predestination is the culmination of the doctrine of sola gratis. Calvin is determined to contend that salvation begins not with faith, as Luther believed, but with election. Calvin refers to election as the “parent of faith” as Paul also declared. Calvin goes much deeper than Paul.
During Luther’s early life he faced a severe inner crisis. When he sinned he looked for comfort in confession and followed the penance, the fasting, prayer and observances that the church directed him. But, he found no peace of mind and worried about his salvation. But reading St. Paul’s letters he came to believe that salvation came though faith in Christ. Faith is a free gift, he discovered, it cannot be earned. His studies led him to a conclusion that, “Christ was the only mediator between God and a man and that forgiveness of sin and salvation are given by god’s grace alone” (Martin Luther, 01). Historians agree that, “this approach to theology led to a clash between Luther and the Church officials, precipitating the dramatic events of Reformation”.
God is King, and in spite of what some Christians may believe, it is indeed a fact that God does rule the world. “God is this central figure; he is the king who, having final authority, is ordering the events of his kingdom” (Johnson, pg 44). Nonetheless, it is important for man’s focus to maintain a vertical position instead of a linear position. “Because of man’s previous experiences, training and learning, humans have a bias in things pertaining to God” (Johnson, pg 47).
The central assertion of Calvinism canons is that God is able to save from the tyranny of sin, from guilt and the fear of death, every one of those upon whom he is willing to have mercy. God is not frustrated by the unrighteousness or the inability of men because it is the unrighteous and the helpless that he intends to save. In Calvinism man, in his state of innocency, had freedom and power to will and to do that, which is good and well pleasing to God; but yet mutably, so that he might fall from it. This concept of free choice makes Calvinism to stand supreme among all the religious systems of the world. The great men of our country often were members of Calvinist Church. We had the number of Presbyterian presidents, legislators, jurists, authors, editors, teachers and businessmen. The revolutionary principles of republican liberty and self-government, taught and embodied in ...