History:
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Introduction
The reformation is described as the protest that resulted in the change of the policies in the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church was the most authoritative religious body in that it controlled a majority of the countries in the western world. The church used its authority to benefit the individual needs of the members of the clergy. This placed the society at their mercy due to the fact that they had to pay for the services of the members of the church. One of the reasons for the corrupt nature of the church was the ignorance of the society. Martin Luther was dissatisfied with the conduct of the church making him react to this situation. Most of the complaints he had made were ruled out as lack of respect for the church. Luther reacted to the hostility of the church by compiling the 95 theses that condemned the actions of the church towards society. This in turn sparked the beginning of the reformation making it one of the most significant events in the 16th century. The reformation of the Catholic Church changed the dynamics of the church’s relationship with society. It further resulted in the creation of different Christian denominations present today. The reformation continues to affect the activities of the different denominations. The events are essential in the lives of all Christians who place emphasis on following the church for guidance. Despite the number hardships that people during this era experienced due to the revolution. The present society stood to gain from the events during this period (Whitford, 2008).
The focus of this paper is to provide an analysis of a historical occurrence in the western world from 1500 C.E. The paper focuses on the reformation which is responsible for shaping the present events in the religious society. The investigation is significant due to the effects of the reformation of the Catholic Church on the rest of the world as a whole.
The catholic reformation is one of the monumental events of the 16th century. Most of the occurrences took place from 1500-1600 changing the dynamics in the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church was the largest denomination during this period. The church had a lot of authority in concerning the governments in the western civilizations. The church was centered in the Rome Italy which was the head of all things catholic. The leaders of the church were well respected due to their position and respective authority. The church began to receive a number of complaints due to the conduct of some of its members. One of the concerns that the people had was the loss of direction of the church in regard to the religion. The church was not respectful of their authority in that they used to obtain material gains. All these actions triggered a number of oppositions from members of the clergy causing a division in the church. The protests became evident when Martin Luther wrote the 95 theses and pinned it on the wall of the church. This led to the official split of the church into the Catholic Church and the Protestant Church (Thomsett, 2010).
A number of reasons have been linked to the cause of the reformation of the church. The members of the clergy were considered divine by the rest of the society. They could do no wrong due to their status. This gave them jurisdiction to act in their best interest and avoid punishment from higher authority. During this period, the society was deeply religious in that most of their cultural aspects were reflective of the religion. In order to achieve a certain level of prosperity, the community had to seek approval from the church. The church took advantage of the vulnerable state of the society by charging them for all the services provided. This put a strain on the community who in turn had to show their appreciation with material goods (Patrick, 2007).
The main cause of the reformation is however credited to the actions of Martin Luther’s writing of the 95 theses. Martin Luther was an active member of the community in terms of religion. He dedicated the most part of his life studying the contents of the Bible causing him to create an analysis alternative to that of the church. This gave him the authority to make a judgment on the actions of some of the church members. He voiced a number of complaints that fell on deaf ears. The reaction of the church frustrated Martin Luther making him write the 95 theses in protest. The theses contained a number of actions the church had performed. These auctions contradicted the teachings of the Bible further tarnishing the reputation of the church. His writings disputed a number of actions giving reference to the interpretation of the Bible. This in turn educated the rest of the members about the social ills of the catholic causing the community to question the activities of the church (Whitford, 2008).
The reformation resulted in a number of factors that changed the dynamics of the Catholic Church influence in society. One of the immediate effects of the reformation was the persecution of followers of martin Luther. Luther’s activates were a threat to the growth and reputation of the Catholic Church. His actions created awareness amongst the society changing their opinions of the church. The church thus ousted him from the community so as to reduce the impact of the revolution. Martin Luther used this time to interpret the Bible into different dialects so as to exposes the atrocities of the church. The church also conducted a number of persecutions on people who swore allegiance to Luther. This further exposed their inhuman activities making the community form a different perception of the church as a whole (Saji, 2005).
The reformation led to the split of the church into different denominations. Martin Luther formed his own church leading to the creation of the Protestant Church. The Protestant Church acted as a form of protest against the autocracy of the Catholic Church. Followers were encouraged to have direct contact with God as opposed to the Catholic Church. The church was intended to restore the dignity that the church was accustomed. This improved the reputation of the church in regard to its authority in society. The reformation led to further changes both inside and outside the church. One of the significant changes was seen in the counter formation of the Catholic Church. The church lost a number of followers due to the creation of the Protestant Churches. They thus had to review a majority of their policies so as to eradicate the corruption associated with the church. The church rid itself of some of the influential members of the church involved questionable activities (Norton, 2004).
The events that took place during this time played a significant role in the position of the Catholic Church. The reformation was marked by the split of the church into different denominations. This caused a lot of controversy in Rome and other influential cities that had embraced the Catholic Church. The church is essential for maintaining the moral standards of the community. The fact that the church took advantage of the ignorance of its members to pursue individual needs exposed the church in a negative light. The reformation of the church led to the enlightenment of the society in all aspects of life. The church reduced its political influence in the government making members concentrate on religious factors. The reformation also created provision for the rise of alternative denominations. This created more competition between different churches. The reformation is meant to purify the church and principals it stands for. This however acted as an avenue for different countries and leaders to manipulate the church for their personal gain. One of the examples was displayed by King Henry the eighth who used his authority to change the laws in his kingdom. His actions led to the creation of the Anglican Church that separated the United Kingdom from the authority of the Catholic Church in Rome (McGrath, 2012).
The occurrence of the reformation is a pivotal part of the history of religion. Religion plays an essential role in the present society. The events that took place in the 16th century continue to affect current society. The Catholic Church is one of the most influential churches in the western world. The church determined most of the leaders in the political world. This is one of the reasons for the separation of the church and the state in the United States. The reformation is thus responsible for shaping the present arrangement of the church. It also gets credit for the determination of the policies in a majority of the countries References (Linder, 2008).
Conclusion
History is a significant aspect in the life of any individual. The events that occurred more than a century continue to affect the modern society. The reformation is one of the direct results of the renaissance period in Western Europe. Most of the history studied overlooks the events that took place before 1500C.E. The reformation is one of the events that represent historical aspects during this time. The paper covers the reformation by providing an analysis of the activities that resulted in the occurrence. The reformation is responsible for shaping the dynamics of the Christian faith as a whole. The revolts against the church created alternative churches reflective of the societies present at the time. The study of the reformation is thus ideal in that explores the lifestyle in the 16th century and the key players during this period. Martin Luther is thus recognized for his role in the reformation and matters of religion. The reformation brought about effects that continue to affect the church both positively and negatively. The paper gives an analysis that makes a reader form their own opinion of historical aspects during this time. The reformation continues to influence the present society that we live in today. This in turn displays the significance of history and its role in the present and future events to occur.
References
Linder, R. D. (2008). The Reformation Era. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press.
McGrath, A. E. (2012). Reformation thought: An introduction. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
Norton, Anne. (2004).95 Theses on Politics, Culture, and Method. New Haven [u.a.: Yale University Press.
Patrick, J. (2007). Renaissance and reformation. Tarrytown (N. Y.: Marshall Cavendish.
Saji, T. (2005). Christian social reformers. New Delhi: Mittal Publications.
Thomsett, M. C. (2010). The Inquisition: A history. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland & Co.
Whitford, D. M. (2008). Reformation and early modern Europe: A guide to research. Kirksville, Mo: Truman State University Press.
