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The First Step Of The Protestant Reformation

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The first step of the Protestant Reformation was carried out by a monk called Martin Luther to adjust the unfairness of the Catholic Church. He believed that the Christian faith had once been a simple religion, misrepresented on account of inadequate papal authority. Like the Roman Empire the Church had broadened its territorial domain and bureaucratic function. The moral authority of the church was corrupted because of its tainted clerical practices. In his Ninety-Five Theses, Martin mainly targeted the doctrine of indulgences. Also, Luther argued that the relationship between man and God is nurtured by individual faith and subject to no greater authority than the Bible and the person should actively participate in his/her faith. Thus …show more content…

The main reason which triggered Martin Luther into action was the indulgences. He contested that indulgences were being forced on people to build up the Pope 's treasury. He claimed that anyone could interpret the scripture other than the Pope. He outlined one simple guideline to follow for salvation: faith alone. The social activities of the era were also catalysts for reform in the church. The Northern Christian humanists claimed that society needs to be educated and a return to true Christianity. They were in favor of direct and personal approach to religion. While this was not a huge movement, it laid the foundation for the Protestant belief of direct contact with God through prayer. The Catholic Church 's position of the church being superior to the state was replaced.
The underlying causes of the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century were social, political, and economic in nature. Financial burdens, humanist ideas, and corrupt popes set the stage for a change which was welcomed by Europe. These changes gave power to the people. Both negative and positive consequences followed the reformation. One action was the Counter Reformation in the Catholic Church. Negatively, however, persecutions of Protestant persisted for many years causing thousands of people to flee their homelands in search of religious freedom. Overall, the Protestant Reformation opened new avenues of thought in Europe. Women in the Reformation from the past At the

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