Causes of the Reformation

Martin Luther
(1483-1546)

In the 1500s, the Protestant Reformation was a religious reform movement that spread across Europe. It culminated in the formation of a branch of Christianity known as Protestantism, a term that refers to the many religious groups that split from the Roman Catholic Church over theology disputes. Major reasons why the Reformation came to be was the rise in nationalism and moving away from the church. Important figures such as that of Martin Luther is one that stood out from encouraging this movement. 
 

Religion was a major factor when it came for people to understand the world and why everything was the way, but many, such as Martin Luther, began to believe in more of a collective identity constituting a demand to separate from the church. Stated in Chapter 14, "Thus Luther's insistence that the German rulers reform the church because the church was important to do so appealed to both economic and nationalistic self-interest", (Cunningham pg. 329). This was the first time in history that individuals were instilled with a sense of collective identity through diverse customs and behaviors. 

"95 Thesis"
Martin Luther

Another major reason why the Reformation began was because of how corrupt the church was to its people. In the reading, " The idea of reform in the church had actually been maturing for centuries, with out cries against abuses and pleas for change", (Cunningham pg. 329). The church during this period was the most superior ranking and social class holding a lot of power and abusing all of it. In the Article "An Economic Analysis of the Protestant  Reformation" by Robert B. Ekelund stated, "It treats the Roman Catholic Firm as a firm that provided religious and legal services used its market to extract rents from it customers", (Ekelund pg. 647). Many, including Martin Luther, were tired of this and wanted change to happen. An iconic moment during early on in the Reformation had to ben when Martin Luther nailed his "95 Thesis" to the church door. Martin Luther published his 95 Theses in an attempt to persuade the Roman Catholic Church to stop selling indulgences, sometimes known as "get out of hell cards." Luther believed the Church lacked the right to grant such indulgences, especially for a fee. Luther refused to change his mind about his convictions.

A Fun, Animated History of the Reformation and the Man who Started it All

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Work Cited

    Ekelund, Jr., Robert B., et al. “An Economic Analysis of the Protestant Reformation.” Journal of Political Economy, vol. 110, no. 3, The University of Chicago Press, 2002, pp. 646–71, https://doi.org/10.1086/339721.

    Riech. "Chapter 14: The Renaissance in the North." Culture and Values, by Lawrence S. Cunningham. 

    A fun, animated history of the Reformation and ... - youtube. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhGGjRjvq7w.