Protestant Reformation: Schism Between France And Italy

During the early Fifteen Hundreds a man known as Martin Luther became a voice for a movement that would change the way people practiced religion. Previous to the Protestant Reformation, Europe had been through over a century of plague from the Black Death which desimated the population killing a third of European society. The plague was thought by many to be punishment by God for the sins Europeans had committed. Society especially the middle and lower class began to view the Church differently with some beginning to look away to other forms of religion. Along with the plague the Catholic Church had been through a schism between France and Italy over control of the papalcy. From the schism the Catholic Church had many corrupt leaders who …show more content…
Catholicism allowed only a select few to understand the Bible as it was still in Latin and if you were not of a higher class you were not able to afford indulgences which many people had at this time. Martin Luter offered a new view of Christianity that appealed to this lower class of people as it was more focused on a personal relationship with God. Luther publicly spoke out against the Church and Government stating that they, ¨rob your subjects in order that you may lead a life of splendor and pride,” which in turn pleased many common folk to become Protestant (Document 5). Many common folk felt they were left out of Catholism while Protestantism allowed for more inclusion and a feeling of personal salvation. Other Reformation leaders like John Calvin appealed to the lower class by saying that, ¨many so enslave all their senses to delights that the mind lies overwhelmed¨ (Document 6). Calvin meant that the rich may have alot of material things, but the were not spiritually minded. Many lower class saw this as another opportunity for them to be a part of a religion that was inclusive to their ways of …show more content…
Similar to the Great Schism, the American Scopes Monkey trial would later show another split this time between Creationism and Evolutionism. Martin Luther did not trust the Papalcy because, ¨it is clear as day they have frequently erred and contradicted each other¨ (Document 4). The lower class saw that Luther could not follow a split Church so many agreed and became Protestant as well. Similar to Luther, John Calvin stated that, ¨Nothing therefore can be more absurd than the fiction, that the power of judging Scripture is in the Church¨ (Document 9). Calvin is saying that the Church may think they are the greatest of society but in reality are just has corrupt as everyone else. Lower class people also liked the idea of their leaders being on the same level as them so no one could be superior. The appeal of having a personal, classless relationship with God appealed to many common people and only fueled the fire of the Protestant