Reformation in Western Europe

Reformation in Western Europe

During the Sixteenth century, a widespread Religious reformation took

place in Western Europe. It was between the Catholics and the Protestants. A

reformation is a 16th century religious movement marked ultimately by rejection or

modification of some Roman Catholic doctrine and practice and establishment of the

Protestant churches. This particular Reformation separated the Christians of Western

Europe into Protestants and Catholics. Some of the major Reformations of the Sixteenth

century were the Catholic Reformation, the Genevan Reformation, German Reformation,

English Reformation, and the Swiss Reformation, also known as the Zwinglian

Reformation. They all shared some similar characteristics, while also having some

different characteristics.

During the Sixteenth century corruption was widespread throughout all of

Western Europe. Clergy men, popes, and priests were all sinning alike. Greed, sex, abuse

of power were just some of these abuses. The Reformations sought to eliminate these

abuses. In each of these reformations, Royalty played a part in it. In the Catholic

Reformation, taking place in Spain and Italy, Queen Isabel of Spain brought the church

further under the crown's control than ever before. Her reason for Reformation was to

raise the intellectual and moral standards of the church. In the German Reformation,

Martin Luther was the leader, and he split the church into two groups the Catholic and

Protestant. He had protested that some of the clergy were selling indulgences (temporal

pardons of sins) without making clear that people must also be sincerely repentant for

those sins. He's most famous for his list of 95 indulgences that he nailed to the door of

the catholic church. In Switzerland Zwinglian lead the Swiss Reformation. He broke

Traditional standards.

He said "A church without the magistrate is mutilated and

incomplete."Relics and images were abolished; all paintings and decorations were

removed form the churches and replaced by white washed walls. He also had music

removed from the sermon because he felt it was a distraction from the word of god.

(Spielvogel 471)

The English Reformation came about because of Henry VIII's desire to

divorce his wife, in search of one that could bear him a son. The Genevan reformation, (I

don't get this part because it's in Switzerland so isn't it the same thing then as the Swiss

Reformation?)It was lead by John Calvin. Calvin enforced the ideals of purity, simplicity,

and devout religious faith.

All of these Reformations took power away form the churches and placed it

under the crown. No one's power will be higher than that of the crown. All of these

Reformations sought to eliminate corruption, sin, and any other wrong doings from the