History 332:  German History

History 332 – German History – September 8, 2004 

LUTHER & THE REFORMATION 

I.                  THE REFORMATION (1500s) PROFOUNDLY AND PERMANENTLY SHAPED GERMAN-SPEAKING CENTRAL EUROPE

A.      Why Reformation?

B.      Why Central Europe?

C.       Why Luther?  

II.               WHY REFORMATION?

A.      Disintegration of Medieval Christianity  

1305-1378	“Babylonian Captivity” of the Church Powerful French Kings force Pope to abandon Rome and live under French “protection” at Avignon Pope clearly is “political prisoner” and not free leader of Christendom St. Catherine of Siena & return to Rome
1378-1418	Pope returns to Rome – but – French Bishops refuse to accept Pope’s authority! Soon: two, three different Popes!   1414-18: Council of Constance re-unifies Church – but – huge damage done to credibility of Church leadership
1418-1500s	Popes determined to keep independence – by turning Papacy into powerful & independent political force.   Understandable – but – Renaissance Popes loose sight of the SPIRITUAL Mission.
1400s	On-going clergy crisis – church positions bring wealth, status and power;  they attract people interested in wealth, status, & power Increasing discontent with “non-spiritual” clergy

 B.      Desperate hunger for new forms of Spirituality  

1300s	DISASTERS: ·          Black Plague ·          100 Years War (France/Britain) ·          Babylonian Captivity/ Great Schism in Church Desperate need for renewed Christianity
1400s	Waves of reformers & reform groups: ·          John Wyclif (1330 – 1384) ·          Jan Hus (1369-1415) & Hussites ·          Lollards (England; followers of Wyclif) ·          Anabaptists (break with Church; insist on being “baptized again” ·          Brothers of the Common Life (1380s; Rhinelands; spiritual communes)

 C.       Renaissance and New Learning – Demands for renewal, reform of increasingly political church

III.           WHY CENTRAL EUROPE?

A.      Demands for Church reform coincide with first stirrings of “German” nationhood

B.      Example: 1454 – REGENSBURG – the “Turkish Diet”

·    Emperor calls for HRE to wage “crusade” against Turks

·    But: various princes insist that focus be on HRE issues, not far-away Turks!

C.       Example: Renaissance “Humanism” focuses on human issues – like politics, economic, history

·          Central Europeans begin focusing on local & regional needs, NOT needs of “All of Christendom”

·          Rediscovery of Tacitus’ Germania

D.      Example: 1512, first use of phrase “Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation”

·          NATION = TINY GROUP OF ARISTOCRATIC PRINCES WHO ELECTED THE EMPEROR

·          STILL – SENSE OF “WE-NESS” AMONG CENTRAL EUROPEAN ELITE

E.      Example: growing frustration with far away Roman Church

F.       “NATIONHOOD” AS CONCEPT USED BY PEOPLE – ESPECIALLY ARISTOCRATS,

·          WHO BOTH DISLIKED THE WHOLE NOTION OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE

·          AND WHO DISLIKED ROME’S RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP  

IV.              MARTIN LUTHER  

1483	Born in difficult family;  extreme tension with father Very bright child;  father hopes son will become merchant, lawyer
1501-1505	Attends University Masters Latin, Greek, Hebrew Attracted to philosophy, theology
1505	FIRST PSYCHOLOGICAL CRISIS: ·          Thunderstorms ·          Promise to God to become a monk ·          Enters Order of Augustinians
1505-1517	Monastery Earnest; diligent; extremely bright; very nervous (guilt, fear, anger)
1517	95 THESES ·          ANNOUNCES 95 THEOLOGICAL POSTIONS he’s willing to debate ·          Extremely critical of Church fund-raising – especially INDULGENCES ·          But critical of whole host of other issues – authority of Pope?  Nature of the worship service? Role of the Saints in human life? Miracles?
1520	Luther BURNS Papal Letter (“Bull”) criticizing him
1521	Pope EXCOMMUNICATES Luther   DIET OF WORMS – before Emperor, Luther says: “Here I stand, I can do no other, God help me”
1520s & 1530s	Series of Aristocrats support Luther Vast production of books, pamphlets, songs, translations Across Northern Germany, groups declare themselves to be “Lutherns”
1525	Luther marries Katarina von Bora, a former nun
1546	Death

 B.       Zerrissenheit & Einigkeit

·          Violent rupture of Christianity

·          Yet: Luther’s ideal of United Christianity & continued longing for unity   

C.       Freiheit & Obrigkeit – Rebellion & Submission

·          Freedom based on Conscience –

·          YET: Luther’s terror of chaos: (1) supported by Aristocrats; (2) endorses idea of State-Established Church; (c) violent denounces rebellious peasants during PEASANT REBELLION; (d) fiercly attacks Jews, non-Christians, Catholics  

D.      Innerlichkeit:

·         The ONLY issue that matter is: State of your Soul

·         Acute attention to mood, feeling, fears, hopes

·         Reality of God & human depravity & guilt

·         Reality of God’s love & hope for redemption

·         Above all: Earnestness & Intensity

 

V. From Schulze:

1. Wyclif & Hus

2. Sola Fide; sola scriptura

3. Diet of Worms (1521)

4. Diet of Speyer (1526)

5. Peace of Augsburg (1555)

6. Luther, Open Letter to the Christian Nobility

7. Patria.

8. Luther's Bible (1534).

9. Peace of Westphalia (1648)

10. "soft center of the European nation-state system."