The Reformation was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious, political, and cultural upheaval. Here are key aspects of the Reformation:
The Reformation began as an attempt to reform the practices of the Roman Catholic Church, which was seen by many as corrupt and in need of change. The movement was influenced by earlier calls for reform by figures like John Wycliffe and Jan Hus, who criticized various church practices.
The event most commonly associated with the start of the Reformation is Martin Luther's posting of the Ninety-Five Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church on October 31, 1517. These theses were a critique of the sale of indulgences, which Luther saw as a misuse of power by the Church for financial gain.
Luther's ideas quickly spread due to the recent invention of the printing press, which allowed for the mass dissemination of his writings. Other reformers like Huldrych Zwingli, John Calvin, and later John Knox also contributed significantly to the spread of Protestantism:
The Reformation had profound political consequences:
The Reformation:
The Roman Catholic Church responded to the Reformation with the Counter-Reformation, or Catholic Reformation, which included:
The Reformation's legacy includes:
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