Unit: Renewal in Europe

Lesson Title:The Protestant Reformation(See textbook pages 328-333)

At the beginning of the Renaissance, almost all people in western Europe were Roman Catholic. This would change greatly in the later Renaissance.

A movement called the “Protestant Reformation” led to the start of many new Christian churches that broke away from the Catholic Church.

Do you think the ideas of the Renaissance

helped bring about this change? Which ones?

By the early 1500s Renaissance ideas (like Humanism and science) had caused many Europeans to view their lives with a more critical eye.

Some people began to complain about problems in the Catholic Church. They called on church leaders to end corruption and focus better on faith and religion.

Can you think of ways the Catholic Church

could have become corrupt?

?

Reformers arose who wanted to change and improve the Catholic Church.

The reformers criticized the behavior of priests, bishops and popes, and Church practices.

In class reading activity

Read “The Catholic Church Faces Challengers”

on pages 328-329.

Answer these questions:

1. List 4 major criticisms people had of the Catholic Church and/or its leaders.

2. Why did some people criticize the selling of indulgences?

3. Who was Erasmus and why do you think he was important for Church reform?

One of the most important reformers was a priestnamed Martin Luther.

In 1571, Luther nailed a list of complaints about the Catholic Church to the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany.

Luther’s lists of complaints is called the Ninety-five Theses.

The newly invented printing press spread copies of the Ninety-five Theses throughout Germany.

The Ninety-five Theses criticized the Catholic Church and many of its practices. They also outlined Luther’s own religious beliefs.

One of his beliefs was that people didn’t need to do charity work or give money to the Church to get to heaven. They needed to believe in God and live by the Bible for their souls to be saved.

How do you think Church leaders reacted to this?

Art Analysis

Examine the handout of the woodcut by Matthias Gerung depicting the sale of indulgences. Answer these questions:

1. List 4 characters portrayed in the bottom portion of the woodcut. Why do you think Gerung included all of these figures?

2. What is happening in the top scene? How does it contrast with the bottom? Why does Gerung make this contrast?

3. Why do you think Gerung would have used art to express his opinion of the Catholic Church?

In class reading activity #2

Read “A Break from the Church” and

“Luther’s Teachings” on pages 330-331.

Answer these questions:

1. How did the pope handle Luther’s actions against the Church?

2. How did the Holy Roman Emperor react?

3. What was the outcome of the argument between Luther and the Catholic Church?

4. How was Luther’s teaching different from that of the Catholic Church?

The work of Erasmus and actions by Martin Lutherencouraged religious reformers in other places in Europe.

William Tyndale John Calvin Henry VIII

In class reading activity #3

Read “Other Reformers” pages 332-333.

Copy and complete this table:

William Tyndale

John Calvin Henry VIII

His country

What he argued or did

What happened to him

The problems with the Catholic Church and its response to reformers resulted in the creation ofseveral Christian churches in Europe in the 1500s.

Right Side Notebook Activity

Martin Luther started out by trying to improve the Catholic Church. His actions and writings changed Christianity forever—and also had great impact on life in Europe.

Write and illustrate an acrostic poem about Martin Luther

that describes who he was and his impact. (see 330-331)

L …….

U …….

T …….

H ……

E …….

R …….