Order 512422 The Reformation History
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Nov 24, 2024
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Running head: THE REFORMATION
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The Reformation
Student’s Name
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THE REFORMATION
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The Reformation
How reformation was informed by changing attitudes towards the bible
An average contemporary catholic do not or rarely read the Bible. Most of them only
interact with the holy book during Mass. Most of these Catholics also believe that their recitations,
such as Hail Mary and Our Father are scriptural and can easily serve the same purpose as that of the
bible. To them, the scriptural readings are not from the Bible but the worship in the pew. Notably,
Scriptures have played critical roles in the prayers conducted in the church as well as in spiritual
growth among the members of the church. For most Catholics, especially in the earlier centuries,
reading scriptures or going through one was rather passive. The only heard it read loudly but didn’t
access them themselves. One notable reason behind this development was the fact that an average
individual would either not access the book or could not afford it.
However, this trend did not continue after the Second Vatican Council was convened. The
Mass was conducted in vernacular with the scriptures being read in English. The Convention also
brought the idea of scripture studies and community of scripture studies formed. The Bible then
became interpreted as protestant, a move that greatly affected the bible studies (Spitz, 1971). This
was premised on the fact that the Protestants were active in embracing the scripture studies while
rejecting the Pope’s authority. While they took this up, the Catholics were discouraged from
scripture studies, hence the sparked reformation agenda.
How humanism contributed to this new emphasis on the text of scriptures
By the 15th century, interpretation of the bible, as well as the practice and doctrines of
theology, appeared to have sat uncomfortably with each other. The increased complexity of the
scholastic approaches after the 20th century led to a theological approach whereby exegesis played
a role of declining significance. In this regard, the biblical humanists pinpointed the dichotomy as a
deeply entrenched problem for the sacred studies, decrying this happening with the academic
theologians (Spitz, 1971). Some of the remarkable figures to have driven such humanistic
campaigns included Desiderius Erasmus and Lorenzo Valla. They spotted the mishaps with the
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readings and their complex nature and asked for alternatives and newer and grammatically sound
texts as well as new approaches to theology and the holy texts.
How reformation figures differed among themselves over the proper relationship between
scriptures and doctrines/ practices
The reformation of the church was sparked by priests and Christian scholars who had
perceived the church to have taken a wrong route contrary to the teachings of Christ. It began as an
attempt by the priests and the perceived well-meaning members of the church who opposed the
Roman Catholic Church’s ways of running the church affairs. They sought to water down the
perceived false practices and doctrines as well as the ecclesiastic malpractices of the Roman
Catholic Church. After the breakdown of the monastic establishments and scholasticism in Europe,
heightened by the Papal Schism, Avignon Papacy, and the Conciliar Movement’s failure, the era
saw great debate on culture about the religious reformations and the fundamental values of religion.
Some remarkable examples of those opposed to the then Papal rule and doctrines included Jan Hus
and John Wycliffe, who not only opposed the Pope’s authority but also challenged his doctrines and
practices (Spitz, 1971). It is their open rebellion and protest that sparked a revolution among the
denigrated Catholics.
Even though the notable figures such as Peter Waldo, Thomas Kempis, and Geert Groote
had done significant damage to the image of the Catholic Church and the papacy, none is seen to
match the actions of Martin Luther. This was a very seminal figure in the protestant movement. He
openly disputed indulgence by authoring 95 theses upon which he outlined his reasons for
protesting the Papal doctrines as well as the practices of the Catholic Church. The protests had done
some considerable damage to the Catholic Church with the church responding to the fall-back by
responding through a counter-reformation agenda that spearheaded the new order of the Jesuits,
Jesus, particularly organized to help clean the dirt that had smeared the church’s image. They sought
to play safe by neutralizing the Protestant movement that had already taken shape (Spitz, 1971).
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THE REFORMATION
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The position taken by the Protestants incorporated doctrinal changes and practices such as
the incorporation of the sola scriptura and sola fide. The primary motivation behind these unrests
was mainly theological, even though some aspects of the revolt played a role, including Western
Schism, and nationalism that eroded the people’s faith in the Papacy. There was also grand
corruption among the Roman Curia; there was the impact of humanism as well as the new learning
in the Renaissance that seemed to have queried the prevailing traditional thought (Spitz, 1971).
In the wave of these reformation quests, Cotton, together with other religious leaders believed that
the church, together with the state, ought not to be confounded, so the magistrates were prohibited
from running the church, while the church officials were precluded from bearing civil offices.
Concurrently, Cotton and his counterparts affirmed in the equal resolution that the members of the
church were the only individuals who might partake voting in the civil elections. They also declared
that the church and the clergymen would be granted open and public support via taxes as well as
other donations. It was also the view of other Protestants like Cotton and ilk that the Christian
beliefs, doctrines, and practices be extensively regulated by policies and laws that cover blasphemy,
profanity, irreverence, idolatry as well as schismatic practices (Spitz, 1971).
Even though such a position as held by Cotton and associates was highly welcome among
other Protestants, the Puritans had a different opinion and belief. They shared in the official
Massachusetts Bay policy on Christianity that touched on full liberty of the religious doctrines,
practices, and beliefs. Roger Williams, who was a controversial religious leader who had himself
evicted from the colony of the believers due to his controversial stance on religion, and who was
orthodox at the time, strongly opposed the Massachusetts policy.
His strong objection to the policy
in Rhode Island pitted the controversial man of God against the self-proclaimed righteous man in
the name of Cotton, leading to a serious confrontation between the two (Spitz, 1971).
It is also worth noting that the conflict between Williams and Cotton brought about a
personified confronted between two well-known Calvinists. Both of them were steadfast
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constitutionalists and favored limited governments, even though their differences emanated from
the limits of these protections and governance.
Did the Catholic Church incorporate any of these new approaches as a result of the counter-
reformations?
The counter-reformation had a significant effect on the church after its reactivation, and yes,
the Catholic Church incorporated new approaches to its crusade and ministry. The main aim of this
activation was to reclaim the lost souls from the Protestants. The move could be said to have been
successful in how one looks at it. With its introduction, the move created a greater clarity in terms
of the doctrine transformation. The move also made it possible to realize the control of the
Medieval Church’s spiralling superstitions. The church also established a new order that enabled the
communities to be attended to; the sick souls were helped while the poor attended to. The church
also ensured that it exhibited spiritual commitments that were demonstrated through responsibility
and the setting of good examples to the masses (Spitz, 1971). The church also incorporated the Holy
Communion as an emphasis of faith, a move that even spread the gospel and cultivated spirituality
among the people. The Pope also became more open and constructive to changes, recognizing the
wanton corruption that had invaded the church and becoming more open to the church as they built
more churches. Lastly, the counter-reformation appealed to and showcased to the world that it had
massively failed as a church and that it was recognized its mistakes. As a result, the church sold its
image as one that was ready to leave everything behind and go anew (Spitz, 1971). Even though
these past mishaps had not entirely been eradicated, the Catholic Church had assumed a better
image by 1600, appealing to most, if not all, non-Catholics and the lost followers.
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References
Spitz, L. W. (1971).
The Renaissance and Reformation Movements
(Vol. 2). Concordia Publishing
House.
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