The Protestant Reformation: Crash Course European History #6

Summary

In this episode of Crash Course European History, John Green explores the religious motivations behind the rivalry between Spain and England post-1550. The video delves into the Catholic Church's influence and how Martin Luther's questioning of its teachings, particularly the sale of indulgences, led to the Reformation. Luther's 'Ninety-Five Theses' sparked a widespread movement advocating for salvation through faith alone, challenging the Church's authority and promoting the idea of 'Sola Scriptura.' The Reformation expanded across Europe, facilitated by the printing press, and led to significant political and social changes, including the formation of the Schmalkaldic League and the rise of various Protestant sects. The episode also touches on the impact of the Reformation on German nationalism and the tensions it created, setting the stage for future religious conflicts.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ The Catholic Church's dominance in 16th century Europe was challenged by Martin Luther, leading to the Reformation.
• 📜 Luther questioned the Church's teachings, especially the concept of indulgences, which he saw as a form of bribery.
• 🔥 The sale of indulgences was a significant point of contention, as it was viewed by many as a manipulative cash grab.
• 💭 Luther advocated for salvation by faith alone, rejecting the Church's authority and promoting the idea of 'Sola Scriptura'.
• 📚 The invention of the printing press played a crucial role in spreading Luther's ideas and the Reformation across Europe.
• 👑 Political dynamics influenced the Reformation, with German princes supporting it as a means to limit the power of the Holy Roman Emperor.
• 👥 Luther's translation of the New Testament into German made the Bible accessible to a wider audience, furthering the spread of Reformation ideas.
• 🤝 Luther's marriage to Katharina von Bora was a significant act that challenged the Catholic Church's celibacy requirement for clergy.
• 🗣️ The Reformation led to theological disagreements and the emergence of various Protestant denominations, such as Anabaptists.
• ✝️ The Peace of Augsburg in 1555 allowed rulers to determine the religion of their territories, leading to a patchwork of Catholic and Protestant regions.
• 💥 The Reformation was not without conflict and bloodshed, with the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V attempting to suppress the Protestant princes.

Q & A

What was the primary focus of the competition between Spain and England after 1550, besides money?

The primary focus of the competition, besides money, was religion, which played a significant role in the conflicts between Spain and England during that period.

How did the Catholic Church's structure and teachings contribute to social and political inequality?

The Catholic Church's structure, under the papal monarchy, enforced a powerful hierarchy that backed up social and political inequality. Church teachings described monarchs and noble people as being closer to God than ordinary people, thus justifying their elevated status.

What was Martin Luther's initial profession before becoming a monk?

Martin Luther initially pursued a career in law, as per his father's wishes, and obtained a law degree before becoming a devout monk due to his concerns about salvation.

What was the concept of Purgatory in Catholic doctrine, and how was it exploited in 1517?

Purgatory was a state after death where souls that were not pure enough for heaven but not evil enough for hell could be purified. In 1517, the Pope issued a special indulgence, which was said to release a soul from purgatory upon purchase, effectively using people's concern for the souls of their deceased loved ones to raise money for the construction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

What were the 'Ninety-Five Theses' composed by Martin Luther?

The 'Ninety-Five Theses' were a document composed by Martin Luther in 1517 that expressed his questions and differing opinions on theological issues, including the selling of indulgences. It is believed that he posted them on the door of the chapel in Wittenberg, and his ideas spread widely, contributing to the start of the Reformation.

What was the significance of Martin Luther's translation of the New Testament into German?

Luther's translation of the New Testament into German, the local vernacular, made the Bible accessible to a broader population who did not understand Latin. This was significant as it allowed more people to read and interpret the scriptures for themselves, which was a key aspect of the Reformation and the principle of 'sola scriptura' (by scripture alone).

What was the Schmalkaldic League, and why was it formed?

The Schmalkaldic League was an alliance formed in 1530 by Protestant princes to protect Lutherans and their religious reforms against the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, who was a staunch defender of the Catholic Church. The League was a political and military coalition that aimed to defend the interests of the Protestant states.

How did the printing press contribute to the spread of the Reformation?

The printing press played a crucial role in the spread of the Reformation by allowing for the mass production and distribution of texts, including Luther's translated New Testament and other writings. This technology enabled the ideas of the Reformation to reach a wider audience across Europe, thereby accelerating the movement.

What was the theological disagreement between Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli regarding the Eucharist?

Martin Luther believed in consubstantiation, which posits that the bread and wine used in the Eucharist are both bread and wine and also the body and blood of Christ. Ulrich Zwingli, on the other hand, saw the Eucharist as purely symbolic, asserting that the bread and wine remain just that, with no physical transformation.

What was the Peace of Augsburg, and how did it attempt to resolve religious conflicts in the Holy Roman Empire?

The Peace of Augsburg, signed in 1555, was an agreement that allowed the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire to determine the religion of their territories. This meant that a prince could choose either Catholicism or Protestantism as the state religion, leading to a patchwork of religious affiliations across the empire.

How did Martin Luther's marriage to Katharina von Bora challenge the Catholic Church's views on clergy?

Luther's marriage to Katharina von Bora was a direct challenge to the Catholic Church's mandate of clerical celibacy. Luther argued that God intended for the two sexes to procreate and that the Church's requirement for clergy to be celibate was against divine plan. His marriage was controversial and marked a significant break from Catholic tradition.

Outlines

00:00

📚 The Origins of the Reformation

This paragraph describes the historical context leading to the Reformation. It discusses the Catholic Church's powerful structure and its influence on social and political inequality. Martin Luther, a German monk, is introduced as a key figure who questioned the Church's teachings on salvation and good works. His objections, particularly to the selling of indulgences, led to the formulation of the 'Ninety-Five Theses', which spread rapidly and ignited religious and political change across Europe.

05:02

🏛 The Rejection of Papal Authority and the Rise of the Reformation

The second paragraph details the progression of Martin Luther's critique into a full rejection of the Church's authority, known as the Reformation. It explains Luther's belief in the primacy of the Bible (sola scriptura) and the principles of salvation by grace (sola gratia) and through faith alone (sola fide). The paragraph also covers the political implications of the Reformation, the Diet of Worms, and the protection of Luther by German princes, leading to the formation of the Schmalkaldic League. Additionally, it highlights the role of the printing press in spreading Luther's translated New Testament and writings, contributing to a wider European movement.

10:04

🛡 The Aftermath and Impact of the Reformation

The third paragraph discusses the aftermath of the Reformation, including the Peasants' Revolt and its suppression by the nobility and Luther himself. It outlines the spread of the reform movement and the emergence of different Protestant sects, such as the followers of Ulrich Zwingli and the Anabaptists. The paragraph also touches on Luther's personal life, including his marriage to Katharina von Bora, which was a significant departure from Catholic clergy norms. It concludes with the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V's attempts to suppress the Protestant princes, the Peace of Augsburg, and the ongoing religious and political conflicts that shaped Europe.

Keywords

💡Reformation

The Reformation refers to a major movement within Christianity in 16th-century Europe that led to the creation of Protestant churches. Initiated by figures like Martin Luther, it was a reaction against the perceived corruption and doctrinal stances of the Catholic Church. In the video, the Reformation is central as it discusses Luther's Ninety-Five Theses and the subsequent religious and political upheavals.

💡Martin Luther

Martin Luther was a German professor of theology, composer, priest, and a seminal figure in the Protestant Reformation. His Ninety-Five Theses challenged the Catholic Church's sale of indulgences and other practices, sparking a religious revolution. In the video, Luther's life and ideas are integral to understanding the causes and outcomes of the Reformation.

💡Indulgences

Indulgences were a practice in the Catholic Church where people could reduce the punishment for their sins by making a financial contribution, often to the Church. The sale of indulgences by the Church was one of the key grievances that Martin Luther challenged, arguing that it was a form of corruption and manipulation. The video describes the indulgence controversy as a catalyst for the Reformation.

💡Sola Scriptura

Sola Scriptura is a principle of Protestantism that asserts the Bible as the only necessary and sufficient source of divinely revealed truth and the Christian faith. Martin Luther advocated for this principle, arguing against the Church's hierarchical structure and for a direct relationship with God through the Bible. The video highlights this concept as a cornerstone of the Reformation.

💡Purgatory

Purgatory is a concept in the Catholic faith that refers to a temporary place or state after physical death where the souls undergo purification to achieve the holiness necessary to enter Heaven. The video discusses the role of purgatory in the sale of indulgences, which was a point of contention for Luther and other reformers.

💡Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a multi-ethnic complex of territories in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806. In the video, the Holy Roman Empire, particularly under Charles V, is depicted as a significant political entity whose interactions with the Church and reformers influenced the course of the Reformation.

💡Printing Press

The printing press was an essential technology developed in the 15th century that allowed for the mass production of books, pamphlets, and other texts. It played a crucial role in the spread of Reformation ideas, as it enabled the rapid and widespread dissemination of works like Luther's Ninety-Five Theses. The video notes the significance of the printing press in propagating the Reformation across Europe.

💡Nationalism

Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification with one's country and the belief in self-determination and autonomy. The video suggests that Martin Luther's challenge to the Catholic Church's authority contributed to the rise of German nationalism, as it positioned him as a defender of German values against a perceived foreign (Roman) corruption.

💡Anabaptists

Anabaptists are a radical Christian movement that originated in the early 16th century, known for their belief in the voluntary nature of baptism and the separation of church and state. In the video, they are mentioned as a group that emerged from the broader Reformation, advocating for adult baptism and a more literal interpretation of Christian principles.

💡Peace of Augsburg

The Peace of Augsburg was a formal agreement between Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and the Schmalkaldic League, which was made up of Protestant princes. It established the principle of 'cuius regio, eius religio', meaning that the religion of the ruler determined the religion of the region. The video discusses this treaty as a significant political outcome of the Reformation period.

💡Transubstantiation

Transubstantiation is a doctrine in the Catholic Church that asserts that during the Eucharist, the bread and wine physically transform into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The video describes how this doctrine was challenged by reformers like Luther and Zwingli, leading to theological disputes that further divided Christians.

Highlights

The competition between Spain and England after 1550 was not only about money but also about religion.

The Catholic Church's powerful structure and teachings supported social and political inequality.

European Christianity split into multiple competing subgroups due to resistance against Catholic domination.

Martin Luther, a German man and lawyer, became a devout monk concerned with salvation and challenged Church teachings.

Luther questioned the Church's teachings on faith, good works, and the concept of Purgatory.

The sale of indulgences by the Church, which were meant to release souls from Purgatory, was seen as manipulative and offensive.

Luther believed in salvation by faith alone, not through the purchase of indulgences or good works.

Luther composed the 'Ninety-Five Theses' in 1517, challenging the Church and its practices.

The Reformation began as a result of Luther's rejection of the Church and his call for a return to the Bible as the sole authority.

The idea of 'sola scriptura' (only scripture) led to a rise in literacy and individual study of the Bible.

Luther was excommunicated by the Pope and declared an outlaw at the Diet of Worms, but was protected by German princes.

The Schmalkaldic League was formed to protect Lutherans and challenge the power of the Holy Roman Emperor.

Luther translated the New Testament into German, making it accessible to the local population and further spreading the Reformation.

The Reformation became a European-wide movement, facilitated by the printing press and the translation of religious texts.

Luther's stance on the Eucharist differed from both the Catholic doctrine and the beliefs of other reformers like Ulrich Zwingli.

The Anabaptists, influenced by Zwingli, believed in adult baptism and the importance of individual thought and free will in faith.

Luther's marriage to Katharina von Bora challenged the Catholic clergy's celibacy and introduced the concept of marital equity.

The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V attempted to suppress the Protestant princes but was ultimately unsuccessful.

The Peace of Augsburg in 1555 allowed rulers to determine the religion of their territory, leading to a division between Catholic and Protestant communities.

The Reformation was not without its theological disputes and political struggles, which led to further conflict and bloodshed.

Transcripts

Hi I’m John Green, this is Crash Course European History.

And today it’s time to find out what else besides money was behind the competition between

Spain and England as they fought it out on the seas and across the globe after 1550.

That’s right, today we get to talk about religion.

As you may know, the Internet is terrible at engaging in nuanced and thoughtful conversations

about religion.

But if you think like our contemporary religious discourse is bad, just wait until you get

a load of 16th century Europe.

INTRO Okay, so over the centuries the Catholic church

had developed a powerful structure under the papal monarchy.

Its courts, religious law, local priests, and a huge bureaucracy of religious officials

enforced its domination.

And Catholic ideas of the time backed up social and political inequality: for example, Church

teachings described monarchs and noble people as closer to God than ordinary people.

It also had ideas about how the universe worked and sought to repress those whose ideas were

different, as we’ll discuss further when we turn our attention to the Scientific Revolution.

But in general, Catholic domination of so many aspects of life produced so much resistance

beginning in the early 16th century that European Christianity eventually split into two, and

then split into like 17,000 competing subgroups.

It all starts with Martin Luther—a bright young German man whose father wanted him to

become a lawyer, as so many fathers do.

So Martin Luther went to law school.

But his real concern, even after getting his law degree, was salvation, so he became a

devout monk.

Still though, he was agitated, worried about salvation generally and specifically about

Church teachings that faith and good works were needed to achieve salvation.

For Luther, doing good works seemed a bit like bribery; like wasn’t full faith in

God the important thing?

This kind of thinking meant that Luther was on his way to heresy—that is, beliefs that

went against the principles of the Catholic faith.

And the heresy of-for instance-denying the pope’s authority could get you burned at

the stake, as John Hus was in 1415.

Now many of Luther’s objections to Church teachings were highly theological, concerning

beliefs about, say, whether the word repent in the Bible can be said to refer to the sacrament

of penance.

But one of Luther’s objections was not nearly that obscure, and was much more relevant to

ordinary people.

Let’s go to the Thought Bubble.

Okay so in Catholic doctrine there was a state after death

called Purgatory, a kind of holding place for souls that are not pure enough to ascend

to heaven but not bad enough to go to hell.

Souls in purgatory can be purified by prayers from the living, and also purified by tortuous

afterlife punishment.

And in 1517, the pope issued a special indulgence to raise money to continue building the splendid

St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Purchasing one of these indulgences was said to release a soul from purgatory--so if you

had a deceased friend or family member whose sins might not have been totally cleansed

through their faith and good works, you could buy an indulgence and get them a

ticket to heaven.

Now this may sound to you like a naked attempt to use people’s worry and grief as a cash

grab.

And Luther agreed.

Like, one monk who sold indulgences literally said, quote “Don’t you hear the voices

of your dead parents and other relatives crying out,

‘Have mercy on us, for we suffer great punishment and pain.

From this, you could release us with a few alms.

… Why do you treat us so cruelly and leave us to suffer in the flames, when it only takes

so little to save us?”

I’m not here to criticize any particular religion but that is a smidge manipulative

It wasn’t only Luther who took offense to this practice.

Merchants and artisans also noted that it seemed a lot like blackmail.

Many citydwellers objected to their hard-earned money going to support the aristocratic children

of the wealthy who held high positions in the clergy and lived in luxury without ever

having to, you know, earn money.

Thanks, Thought Bubble.

So for Luther, salvation wasn’t something you bought, either by good works or by purchasing

indulgences.

Instead he believed in salvation by faith alone and so one should seek to fortify one’s

faith.

In 1517, Luther, then in his early thirties, composed “Ninety-Five Theses” expressing

questions and differing opinions on these and many other theological issues, perhaps

posting them to the door of the chapel of Wittenberg.

But in whatever form, his ideas spread.

Soon, papal documents and books of canon law were being burned by students during protests

as earnest young Christian humanists vented their anger.

And Luther’s initial questioning of the Church rapidly became rejection: “For we

claim the papacy not to be the holy Church,” Luther stated, “nor any part of it, and

we are unable to cooperate with it.”

This rejection of the Church as it operated in the early sixteenth century came to be

called the Reformation.

Luther began to take on the entire Church establishment.

In European Catholicism at the time, priests were the authority; THEY read the Bible and

then told you what it said.

But Luther argued that priests like all people were themselves sinners, and that the only

true authority was the Bible; it was, he argued, the word of God that provided the relationship

with God, not the word of priests.

He believed that the hierarchy of priests, and bishops, and cardinals, and the Pope was

inherently corrupt, and that such corrupt individuals could hardly serve as intermediaries

with the divine.

Sola scriptura, only the Bible or scripture, was his motto alongside the keys to salvation:

sola gratia and sola fide, only grace and only faith.

The idea of sola scriptura led to a wide-ranging revolution, especially by boosting reading

and individual study.

Because suddenly, it was important not just for scholars to learn to read, but for everyone,

because the written word of God was the way to God.

Now at first, authorities didn’t see cause for alarm, although early in 1521 the Pope

did excommunicate Luther.

Several months later, Luther was summoned before representatives of the Holy Roman Empire

at the Diet of Worms, which is overwhelmingly the easiest history term to remember because

they literally called it the diet of worms.

Leading the assembly in the town of Worms, Germany was Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.

Oh!

Did the globe open?

Weird.

I don’t get it?

I don’t get it, it’s just a can of mixed nuts what does this have to do with the diet

of worms?

Oh!

Stan.

Gah.

Very frightening.

I have a diet...of worms.

That’s good stuff, Stan.

Right but back to Charles V.

At the time, Charles was nineteen and ruler of Spain, the Low Countries and Duchy of Burgundy.

Also, the entire Habsburg Empire, Italy, and all the Spanish possessions in the Western

Hemisphere and Southeast Asia, which--if you’ve ever met or been a 19-year-old, you’ll know

is a lot of responsibility for someone who can’t legally drink wine in America.

Although on the otherhand he does look like he is 50 in this stained glass window of the

Diet of Worms.

Charles’ rulership of the Holy Roman Empire was gained- through the votes of electors,

who had selected him from other royal or noble contenders.

Among them was the elector of Saxony, Frederick the Wise, whom Charles had bribed for his

vote.

Frederick was religious, but not a fan of the papacy.

And many aristocrats saw Charles as threatening world domination because, you know, he was

dominating a lot of the world.

So when called to account by such a massively powerful ruler, everyone expected that an

insignificant monk like Martin Luther would completely fold and admit his errors.

But he did not: “I can do no other” he supposedly said of maintaining his new beliefs.

The Holy Roman Emperor declared him an outlaw to be captured.

But German princes took his side, and Frederick the Wise hid and protected Luther.

Why?

Well that remains one of the unanswered questions of history--maybe it was because Frederick

was concerned about papal abuses, maybe because Frederick felt Luther couldn’t get a fair

trial, and maybe because he felt that Luther and the reform movements he was leading would

limit Charles’s power.

Regardless, after Frederick’s death, his brother and successor continued to protect

Luther and his followers, helping in 1530 to organize the Schmalkaldic League of Protestant

Princes to protect the Lutherans, which, I mean, as names go is no Diet of Worms.

On the other hand, if Marvel is looking for a new superhero franchise how bout the Schmalkaldic

League of Protestant Princes?

Early in the 1520s, Luther wrote tracts outlining his beliefs in greater detail.

He also translated the New Testament of the Bible into German--that is, the local language

or vernacular instead of elite Latin.

And thanks to the printing press, two hundred thousand copies were printed in the 1520s

and early 1530s and many more of his other writings went into print.

The Reformation went from being local to being German to being a European-wide movement in

large part thanks to the printing press.

Meanwhile, many German princes took up the “Lutheran” challenge to the Holy Roman

Emperor.

If Charles was against reform, many princes would be for it as a way of restraining the

Holy Roman Emperor’s power.

Luther summoned them to defend German values against the corruption found in Rome.

And because of that, Luther is sometimes called the source or father of German nationalism.

And then, in 1525, peasants and other village folk across southern Germany began protesting--eventually

including an estimated 100,000 rioters who sacked castles as well as religious centers.

The princes and nobility crushed them--they could get behind religious reform, but not

mass soci al change.

And Luther agreed, slamming the rioters in Against the Rioting Peasants, soon reprinted

with the new sensationalist title-- Against the Murderous, Thieving Hordes of Peasants.

So, you know, Luther favored some reform, but not, like, equal rights for peasants reform.

All the while, the reform movement spread—and as it did, it developed offspring.

Already in 1519, Ulrich Zwingli, a Swiss priest, began preaching reform in Zurich.

He supported Luther’s main criticisms of the papacy, but he disagreed on the Eucharist,

or communion, a ritual in which worshipers eat bread and drink wine.

Or don’t.

Depending on your perspective.

Catholic doctrine held that through the miracle of transubstantiation, the bread and wine

literally became the body and blood of Jesus Christ; Luther argued for something called

consubstantiation, in which the bread and wine are still bread and wine, yet also the

body and blood of Christ.

And Zwingli believed Communion only to be a symbolic ritual, in which the bread and

wine were just bread and wine.

I know this will seem to many of you like an extremely obscure theological argument

that can’t possibly have been important, but it was--these theological questions were

not just a matter of life and death; they were a matter of eternal life and death.

Zwingli’s preachings eventually turned some of his followers to a more radical interpretation

of Christianity.

These people were called Anabaptists, they held that faith was a matter of individual

thought and free will.

So only a thinking adult could knowingly participate in Christian faith enough to accept Jesus

as lord and savior.

Sp they argued that baptism, a cleansing ritual that had long been performed on infants, should

only be available to adults who’ve chosen to accept Jesus as savior.

[[TV: Luther Married]] And as reformers increased in number and variety, Luther did something

else that was really shocking: in 1525, he got married, even though Catholic clergy were

supposed to be celibate.

Luther preached that God made two sexes to procreate and that the clergy’s celibacy

was against the divine plan.

So he married Katharina von Bora, a literate young woman who had been in a convent since

the age of five, and this was controversial even among his supporters.

One of Luther’s best friends and admirers lamented that by marrying, Luther “revels

and compromises his good reputation precisely at a time when Germany stands in need of his

spirit and authority.”

But Luther wrote a lot about marriage, and sermonized about it too for the princes, nobility,

and his growing number of followers.

One of these “lectures” refers to the story of Adam and Eve as written about in

the book of Genesis in the Bible: “Moreover this designation [woman] carries with it a

wonderful and pleasing description of marriage, in which, as the jurist says, the wife shines

by reason of her husband’s rays.”

“Whatever the husband has, this the wife has and possesses in its entirety.

. . .the result is that the husband differs from the wife in no respect than in sex...”

This certainly wasn’t equality as we now understand it, what with the wife shining

by reason of her husband’s rays, but the notion of equity of marital property was heresy

piled on top of the heresy of clergy marrying.

[[TV: An Appropriate Battle]] All of this led to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V deciding

to put down the pesky Protestant princes of the Schmalkaldic League once and for all in

1546 and 1547 and he almost did so.

He had vast resources at his disposal, including tough soldiers from the Spanish armies, who

defeated the League and captured some leading Protestant princes.

And Catholicism appeared to be making a comeback.

But then in 1552, the League suddenly took to the field again, roundly defeating the

imperial forces.

[[TV: Peace of Augsburg]] In 1555, the Peace of Augsburg decreed that whoever ruled would

determine the religion of his territory.

[[TV Window]] And so communities became Catholic or Protestant based on the religion of their

prince.

Phew.

We really dodged a religious war bullet--nope no.

The Reformation story was not over.

Luther had called Church corruption a “horrid abomination” and its defenders “excrements

and vermin”; and those who now entered this titanic religious struggle in other parts

of Europe were just as vehement, even though following different plots.

The finer points of theology continued to divide people, as did the politics of religion

and overseas empire.

In short, more bloodshed to follow.

We’ll take that up next time.

Thanks for watching.