Forerunners of Reformation

 

Conciliarism

 

§         Effort to reform church by returning authority to councils

§         1409 Council of Pisa: result=3 Popes

§         1414-18 Council of Constance

§         1431-39 Council of Basel

§         1438-45 Council of Ferrara/Florence

 

John Wycliffe (d. 1384)

 

§         Early English reformer

§         Emphasized importance of Scripture: first English translation of the Bible

§         The Invisible Church

§         The Lollards

 

Jan Huss (1373-1415)

 

§         Early Czech reformer (Bohemia)

§         Influenced by Wycliffe, but more moderate

§         1402 becomes a priest

§         1412 excommunicated

§         Objected to indulgences

§         1415 burned at the stake at the Council of Constance

§         Followers continued in Bohemia: Moravians

 

Early Leaders and Movements of the Protestant Reformations

 

Luther (1483-1546; Germany)

 

§         1505 enters Augustinian Monastery

§         1512 received Dr. Theol.: began to teach at University of Wittenberg

§         31 October 1517: 95 Theses

§         Indulgences: John Tetzel

§         Opponents of Luther: Cardinal Cajetan & John Eck

§         1520 Pope condemns Luther

§         1521 Diet of Worms—Luther condemned

§         Hides in Wartburg Castle: begins translating Bible into German

§         1522 comes out of exile

§         1524 Peasant revolt

§         1526 Diet of Spire—Condemnation lifted; German nobles could chose between Luther or Rome

§         1529 Condemnation of Luther reinstated: pro-Luther nobles protest (“Protestants”)

§         1532 Peace of Nuremberg

§         Transubstantiation vs. Consubstantiation

 

Zwingli (1484-1531; Switzerland)

 

§         1506 becomes a village priest

§         1516 becomes priest at a pilgrimage shrine

§         1518 priest in Zurich

§         1522 reforms begin: “The Affair of the Sausages”; Clerical marriage

§         1523 city council organizes debate between Zwingli and a representative of the bishop

§         1531 Zwingli dies defending Zurich from a Catholic army

§         1532 Peace of Kappel: each region could determine its religion

§         Relation to Lutheranism

§         1529 Colloquy of Marburg: sought to unite, but failed

§         Main differences from Luther: more biblical; sacramentality

 

The “Radical Reformation”: The Anabaptists

 

§         “Anabaptist”=rebaptizer

§         1522 begins in a bible study group in Zurich

§         Conrad Grebel (1497-1526)

§         1524 debate between Zwingli and Anabaptists: public opinion favors Zwingli

§         1534 Anabaptists take over city of Munster (Germany)

§         1535 falls to bishop’s army after 1.5 yrs. of siege

§         1536 Menno Simons became an Anabaptist: main leader after Munster—Mennonites

§         Socinus—late 16th cent. in Poland—anti-Trinitarian

 

John Calvin (1509-64; France; Switzerland)

 

§         1534 (?) decides to become a Protestant

§         1535 goes to Switzerland

§         Institutes of the Christian Religion

§         1536 William Farel persuades him to stay in Geneva

§         1538 Genevans force Calvin into exile

§         1538-1541 writing in Strasbourg

§         1541 recalled to Geneva: sets up Ecclesiastical Ordinances

§         Civic leaders= 1) Doctors 2) Pastors 3) Deacons 4) Elders

§         Consistory: composed of Doctors and Pastors—regulated moral life in Geneva

§         Michael Servetus (1511-53)—denied Trinity—Calvin burned him at the stake