The Genesis of the Reformation

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The Reformation is a very essential part in the history of any Christian. The Reformation called for an examination of the church to bring it back to the principles established in the Bible. The cause of this challenge to the Catholic Church and its authority is not credited to the idea of a single person, but it is credited to several influential people. The Reformation did not occur suddenly, different factors set the Reformation in motion and more pieces added to it until the Reformation and rise of protestant churches was spreading like wildfire across Europe.
The leaders of the Catholic Church were straying from the Biblical truths that were once their foundation. Power, corruption, and greed took root instead. They told people that they should buy indulgences, which is basically saying you can buy forgiveness for your sins. The leaders then used this money to fund the building of churches. Many people over the course of the 16th century noticed the corruption and took a stand against the church and its views.
One of the many people who challenged the church was John Wycliffe. Wycliffe was a Catholic man who opposed the teachings of the church. People didn’t like him because of what he taught. He believed that the Bible has more authority than the Church. John Wycliffe’s views influenced a man named John Huss. John Huss compared the church to the Bible and began preaching out against the Catholic Church. The leaders of the Catholic Church thought they could stop John Huss from preaching by excommunicating, or removing, him from the church. The influence of people like these helped set the stage for the Reformation to expand.
People like Wycliffe and Huss weren’t the only ones to further the Reformation. Johann Gutenberg’s in...

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...ly a few people. However, as time went on, these ideas and beliefs took root and spread to other people all across Europe. This essential piece of Christian history makes us who we are today.

Works Cited

"Luther Defiant at Diet of Worms." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2013. Web. 05 Dec. 2013. .
Waugh, Barry. "The Importance of the Printing Press for the Protestant Reformation, Part One." Reformation 21. N.p., Oct. 2013. Web. 04 Dec. 2013. .
Waugh, Barry. "The Importance of the Printing Press for the Protestant Reformation, Part Two." Reformation 21. N.p., Oct. 2013. Web. 05 Dec. 2013. .

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