Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th century movement that altered the
course of European and world history in a many different ways. This movement led
to the eventual influence of the previously powerful Catholic Church. People
were now able to worship God as they believed and they no longer relied on the
Catholic Church for guidance with religious matters. Most importantly, people
began to leave the Church in the Europe and they headed west to America to
worship God as they pleased. Martin Luther was a former Catholic monk who wrote
the 95 Thesis document and nailed it on the door of the Catholic Church of
Wittenberg. Once this happened many people all throughout Germany began to
react to his convictions. Though Martin Luther was not the only voice of the
Reformation, he was certainly one of the top figures that influenced the vast
changes which resulted.
Martin Luther’s new ideas were extremely revolutionary and they threatened the power of the Pope and the ruling monarchs who depended upon the Catholic Church to maintain their power. Luther expressed the ideas that people could not buy themselves into heaven by purchasing forgiveness for their sins from the Catholic Church. He exposed the church for what he believed to be corrupt. Many Catholic rulers and priests had grown rich off of these purchases, so they became alarmed by Luther’s Thesis. This document threatened their finances and their lives. Many different groups of people began to disregard the Catholic Church and decided to worship as they pleased. Many Catholic priests and rulers became alarmed.
Even though people were worshiping as they believed, the Protestant Reformation brought about a new set of problems. Catholicism refused to let go of its power and they fought hard to keep their dominance over the people. People all throughout Europe began to engage in bloody conflicts over their religious disagreements. The Reformation did not only drive people to found America, but it also helped to establish the Constitution. After the religious heretics from Europe arrived in America, society was dominated by a clash of various religious beliefs. Those beliefs continued to dominate America for hundreds of years, up until the latter half of the 20th century. Religion was so strong in America that it dictated the lives of millions of settlers.
Martin Luther’s new ideas were extremely revolutionary and they threatened the power of the Pope and the ruling monarchs who depended upon the Catholic Church to maintain their power. Luther expressed the ideas that people could not buy themselves into heaven by purchasing forgiveness for their sins from the Catholic Church. He exposed the church for what he believed to be corrupt. Many Catholic rulers and priests had grown rich off of these purchases, so they became alarmed by Luther’s Thesis. This document threatened their finances and their lives. Many different groups of people began to disregard the Catholic Church and decided to worship as they pleased. Many Catholic priests and rulers became alarmed.
Even though people were worshiping as they believed, the Protestant Reformation brought about a new set of problems. Catholicism refused to let go of its power and they fought hard to keep their dominance over the people. People all throughout Europe began to engage in bloody conflicts over their religious disagreements. The Reformation did not only drive people to found America, but it also helped to establish the Constitution. After the religious heretics from Europe arrived in America, society was dominated by a clash of various religious beliefs. Those beliefs continued to dominate America for hundreds of years, up until the latter half of the 20th century. Religion was so strong in America that it dictated the lives of millions of settlers.