Pros and Cons of the Reformation

Pros and Cons of the Re skeletal frameationPros and cons of the reformationThe middle of the cxl0s was period of dramatic change, marked with peculiarity of the age of chivalry as new forms of weapon were produced and a utilization of gunpowder transformed the traditional concept of knights in shining armor. Consequentially, the hierarchy of the grandness became unstable, their supremacy no longer marked by their ability to bear arms and defend their homeland. Within the same period, the supremacy of the upper-class took another quench when the printing press was invented, allowing to a greater extent of the population to acquire the written word, now attainable and affordable. However, with these new developments into the proceeding centuries, the availability of copies of the Holy Bible and an increase in perform building sandal led to an age of extreme superstition. In order to confront these issues and cope with the changing world, figures Martin Luther and John Calvin took noteworthy action within what is now know as the Protestant Reformation.Peaking in the 1500s, an overzealous church building showed prominent internal problems. First, with the new translations of tidings available, heap began to take the Bible seriously again. However, bad translations or versions, such as in the case of Joshua slaughtering the Canaanites, made well-nigh readers believe that that would be allowable in their time as well (Joshua 1040). collectable to this ____, the church began to think that the text was too dangerous and full of mis accord, necessitating a control of information given to the jackpotes. Along those lines, the papacy decided that, as successors to Peter, no one would have the authority to question their authority since they have been divinely appointed. Since their office staff presumably comes from a special connection to theology, authorities within the church used their positions to abuse that power.The most noticeable abuses of power wer e in not keeping with the code of the religious position, such as forgoing chastity in order to have ___ sexual relations, or placing relatives into positions of power. The most infamous corruption of this time was the church building stealing patrons money through indulgences, a remission of punishments for sins and lenience of its guilt through payment.Tetzels Sermon pg19Church had religious, cultural, political, and economic powerThe pope can do all things deity can do.Nicolaus de Tudeschis1386-1445, famous Benedictine canonist and abbot,in Commentaria (lvi, 34)Therefore, in this time, religious faithful had a conception that God can be bribed for redemption. For fear of eternal damnation, people paid money to the Church in exchange for absolution of their sins, or those of their relatives, allowing entry into Heaven. Based on an idea similar to Jesus offering Himself to appease His uncivilized father, the Church interchange in on the surplus of sins in their communities (Rana singhe). However, with that thought, Martin Luther emerged with a counter argument, proposing that the death of Jesus is worth infinitely more than any homosexual sin, so, with His supreme offering, the Church should not need any of the congregations money involved.In 1517, Luther wrote a letter to Archbishop Albert of Brandenburg, which included a copy of his 95 Theses, protests against clerical abuses of power such as the practice of indulgences. In the letter, Luther suggests that this sale of reconciliation and buying ones way out of all punishment and guilt must have occurred without Alberts knowledge and consent, hoping that reform may come from within the Church (26 27). Perhaps starting the Protestant Reformation with his Theses, Luthers small attempts at reforming the church quickly exploded into a revolution out of his control.In addition to challenging the churchs practice of selling indulgences, Luther proposed that Biblical Scripture should become its own sole authori ty, not determined by a church official such as the pope. Therefore, faith became more important than honourable works, advising that humans cannot become good people or pleasing in the eyes of the Lord by performing virtuous actions. Rather, Luther created a new ken of God entirely, rather than the old churchs blasphemous conception of one that can be bribed. According to Luther, humans ar subordinate to an angry God, due to Original Sin. Only able to be saved by Gods grace, the core of human evil comes from the natural seeking of happiness, a sure sign of human depravity. Since trying to construct our own happiness and not turning to God, the besides way to become a virtuous soulfulness is to realize that you are not capable of lawfulness and in that respectby dependent on God alone.Living on earth, children of God must observe human laws but know that they can never be just or worthy in His eyes. Crying out from the depths of human depravity, humans cannot know themselves as anything other than sinners ruled by their passions and vices. Both in the Bible and in the writings of Augustine, Luther agrees Christ would have died in vain if man were capable of virtue (Galatians 221). In order to remind ourselves of our sinfulness, the purpose of human laws and rulers is to make it impossible to maintain a clear conscience. Making humans feel blamable and aware of their own wickedness, Luther wanted to keep the faithful away from the dangerous illusion that they can live apart from God and remind them of how unworthy they are, so in no way capable of buying their way into Heaven.While Luther was a reformer, his ideas quickly had a life of their own, exploding and creating a revolutionary situation. People had uncontrollably angry reactions against the excesses of the Church, breaking the stained glass and destroying anything that spoke merely of the beauty of God. Thus, John Calvin constructed a new system out of the explosion, similarly whitewashing wall s of the churchs and putting some pieces back together, transforming protestant Christianity into a reformed church based upon ideas of Luther.Calvins teachings were slightly different from Luthers but maintained the same Protestant thought. He taught that human existence depends on God, predisposing an existence of a Creator and implying that the world is not of our own making. Therefore, under an omnipotent God, Calvin believed in predestination, a doctrine that God had pre-established and divinely ordered everything and that nothing, except perhaps God, can change it. Consequently, if a man is considered a good person, it is because he has been selected, out of everyone, by God to be good. Similarly, if he had been chosen to go to Hell, he is able to occupy how to get there, but he cannot turn around and choose God, since God must choose him, a ___ called irresistible grace. Unable to deny or resist Gods Will, chosen or not, Gods foreknowledge also implies a state of limited ato nement, where not all were created on equal terms and that Jesus died for the select few, not the many (219 220).Pg 213-254Good works are an demo of faith and chosen-ness, works + faith = chosen (opp. Luther)We are unable to know the will of God human curiosity, questioning is wickedlet us discontinue from the search of knowledge , to which it is foolish as well as perilous and even fatal to aspire (217)Church decides what is in the Bible, so turn to the Church for answersLuther doesnt believe you need church, you can read Scripture for yourselfCalvin Scripture has authority, exists prior to the church (in the beginning was the wordand the word was with god)Church doesnt form scripture, scripture forms the church, continually educates itScript. Is timeless, story progresses, conception of God gets increasingly sophisticated as people grow in faith, over lifetimeContinually gauzy over course of historyScripture is an illustration, not a divine workit contains divine Word, but the object itself isnt divine. Words point beyond itself, reminder of something more important but not sacred itself (meaning words)Pros of their actionsFree thought, authority of word called into questionThink for themselves now, interpret (Bible loses sacredness)Luther believed that Bible has meaning that should be available to/ silent by any intelligible personCalvin scripture = interaction between human and mind of God through written text, interpretation allowed since word isnt divine/only represents divineSet stage for future ages of reason, challenging authorityLessened power of the corrupt within the churchShut down monastaries, suspicious of stealing money, friars getting into mischief at nunneries (brothels) Luther allowed priests/nuns to marryWorld changing view nothing special about priests, mass (can be meaningful but not literal and blasphemous)Stopped the stealing of money, exposed the scandal of indulgencesPatience for change dont cause a scandal with brash actions, restrain/reformation is explodingCalvin human improvement is possible through divinely established institutions (scripture)Connects state, human community live according to deeper understanding of word of GodConsCaused many wars, deaths (30 years war)Multitude of Protestant denominations that dont agree on interpretationsLuther picking and choosing what he wanted them to readAnti-semitism, pg 137-142Pg. 140 sharp mercy like a physicianJews are source of lies, stubborn in scorn/contemptPg. 66, September Bible/Luthers tellOpposed to James Epistlehe chooses whats good/isntMaking sure they read it through his eyesMore interested in OT, religious doctrine of John in NTLeave out stories of works, preachingsJust wants Jesus, commitment to Word of God, not to His works/miracles (faith works)Pro Jesus also didnt want people just following Him for his miraclesLuther, not interested in humanity of Jesus. Humanity is inherently evil, selfishWere all sinners in the hands of an angry GodPeop le think that parole in infallibleProblem of the bible middle-aged church was afraid people would understand/misinterpret parts of the bible (Solomons 700 wives)Luther insists that it is the exact word of God, not interpretations/metaphorsProper christian attitude toward authorityWere meant to suffer state should contain our appetites, desires, manage our human sinfulnessWe cant know ourselves, since were too sinful to knowRulers can know, mold us because theyre ordainedPunishment, suffering makes us more virtuous, obedient more humbleBreak you to reshape you, they know whats good for usTrapped by form of reasoning, trying to control eldritch things by making them objects we can controlSymptomatic of fallen-ness of humansChristians are innocuous in one sense but slaves in anothermouths are gagged, soul is freeTension with the problem of slavery page 117Its okay because its in the Bible (Abraham) carnal problem, soul is still free/Christian libertyWhy we need to be ruled = mak e us unhappy, kill the illusion that we can be happy without God = only through suffering do we become virtuousA good ruler is a wicked rulerShow us how fallen, depraved, sinful our genius of humanity isNo definite conclusion, a lot of good but a lot of monstrous evil as wellHappiness understood in terms of unhappinessUnhappier we are, happier we can beParadox still seeking happiness by being unhappyViscous cycle, divided against ourselves I am a sinner, I dont expect to be saved so I will be savedUnderstandings of GodOld church angry god that can be bribed with indulgences, not good works or faithLuther angry god, focus on condemnation (like in the OT), God is merciless, cant change destiny of our human sinfulnessErasmus loving, forgiveness, humor, humility human foolishnessWe hold upon this earth the place of God manufacturing business Pope Leo XIII Encyclical Letter of June 20, 1894Wherefore, thou seest that after the book hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abom inable church, that there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God, (1 Nephi 1328).The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, he is Jesus Christ himself, hidden under the veil of flesh. Catholic National July 1895.(Ranasinghe 1/28/14)http//www.trueorthodoxy.org/heretics_roman_catholics_pope_as_christ.shtml