The Impact Of Protestant Reform On The Church

The impact of Protestant reform on the Church

 During the Middle Ages, the Church managed to establish itself as the most authoritarian and powerful institution of the fifteenth century. As a result of its power, the Church enjoyed privileges and a corrupt life that allowed it to govern religious aspects and govern political affairs. In response to this despotic situation, by the Church, in the first years of the 16th century humanism was born, an intellectual movement that sought to highlight the qualities of man and establish reason and the human being as the center of affairs. However, the Church continued with its characteristic domain of power establishing indulgences where Christians could only reach their salvation through buying it. This situation, where the Church took advantage of its authority and faith of believers gave rise to the Protestant reform, a movement that managed to expand throughout Europe.

The Protestant reform was a religious and political movement that fought to oppose the authority that the Pope and the Church had managed to acquire during the previous centuries. This movement was driven by intellectuals, religious and even political;However, everyone was inspired by Martin Luther’s ideas. Luther’s main objective was to return to the "pure essence" of the Church, opposing the way in which monks and bishops made use of the authority conferred by the institution. Also;Luther promoted the idea that the Bible had its own and spiritual value, therefore, it was more valuable than the Church as an institution.

On the other hand, Luther said that "all Christians belong, in truth, to the same order and there is no difference except for the position" (Luther, political writings), that is, all people could achieve salvation in themselvessame and the search to the Word of God, and not for the benevolent works and indulgences paid before the law.

Also, although this movement originated in Germany;Thanks to the presence of Luther in this country and the rise of Lutheranism. The Protestant reform managed to expand around Europe;Flowing in countries like Norway, Switzerland, Netherlands, France, England and Scotland. The transcendence and expansion that this movement reached, meant the spread of a new idea and struggle against the ecclesiastical authorities that;In addition, to awaken different religious intellectuals gave way to the beginning of doctrines such as Lutheranism, Anglicanism and Calvinism. In Switzerland, Calvinism, doctrine created by Juan Calvino, promoted the idea of "God over all things". Calvin firmly believed that “in God, there is true wisdom, firm virtue, perfect abundance of all goods and purity of justice;Therefore, we certainly be driven by our misery to consider the treasures in God ”(Calvino, institution of the Christian religion, page 42), so that, an institution or guide was not needed more than the Bible. On the other hand, in England a new idea arose, Anglicanism. Anglicanism, despite being derived from Catholicism, also defended that the Scriptures were the only laws of faith to which the believer should govern himself.

In conclusion, the Protestant reform was a political and religious movement that was imposed against the power and authority of the Catholic Church, seeking to promote a purest idea of what the Word of God is. In addition, through this movement an answer arose to Catholicism, Protestantism, which would finally impose a new way of living based on what the Bible imposed and not the ecclesiastical authorities. Finally, this transition from religion managed to expand throughout Europe creating new doctrines that would respond to different thoughts.