Religious Changes In The 16th Century Essay

Religious changes in 16th century Europe led to many political changes and slowed down the formation of religious unity during the 17th century. Absolute monarchies were put to an end or they were severely limited. The Protestant Reformation, the Catholic Counter-Reformation and the Thirty Years’ War were all effects of the constant battling between the different religions. The religious changes in the 16th century caused chaos in the churches and let to a battle of religions.

During the Scientific Revolution Galileo Galilei proved the church wrong. By proving the earth was heliocentric rather than geocentric, he showed that the church could be proved wrong, and that there was way more to earth than what the church taught. Europeans began to drift away from the church’s teachings and began to convert to different cultures. The Protestant Reformation was a period of time that was aimed at changing the teachings of the Roman Catholic church. The Protestant Reformation is said the be “The beginning of the Modern Era” because it reformed the Catholic Church and let other religions practice their beliefs. Lutheranism was a main reason why people separated from the church because his teachings were …show more content…
Religious disputes continued on mainly because Calvinism was not recognized by the Peace of Augsburg. The war lasted for 30 years before it was ended with the Peace of Westphalia. The Peace of Westphalia stated that all German states can determine their own religion. The also signaled the end of the Holy Roman Empire as a political unity. Henry VIII was an absolute ruler. He wanted an annulment from his first wife Catherine, but the church would not allow him one. He broke off from the Catholic Church in England, and established his own Church of England. Now Henry had the power to annul his own marriage. Because of his actions England was changed and was stuck in a religious struggle for a long