Figures of Reformation

Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)

1181

He was a man who preached to the poor, that wealth is unimportant and opposed the church members being among the upper classes. He established the Franciscan Order, which was approved by the Pope, and continued teaching as a Franciscan monk. He was a reformer who was accepted and later canonized.

John Wycliffe (1328-1384)

1328

He was an English theologian who taughed that the supreme religious authority was not the Church but the Bible. He strongly believed in predestination, disapproved of celibacy and the selling of indulgenes. He translated the Bible into English so that even those who cannot read Latin can understand it. He was burned at the stake for heresy.

Jan Hus (1372-1415)

1372

He was a Czech theologian who opposed several aspects of the Catholis Church, such as ecclessiology, and criticized the practice of simony. He also declared that priests should have a higher level of morality and vehemently opposed the selling of indulgenes. He condemned the crusades, since he believed that Christians should not advocate violence. He was declared an heretic only after his death.

Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466-1536)

1466

He was a Dutch Christian Humanist who criticized the Church, but remained a member throughout his whole life. Although he supported the Protestant Reformation in the beginning, he realized that it was too radical in his eyes, so he distanced himself from it. However he still opposed the leaders of the Church abusing their power, and corruption within the Church, but he believed that it does not need to be completely abandoned. His goal was to reform the Church from the inside.

Martin Luther (1483-1546)

1483

He was a German priest and theologian. He took stand against the selling of indulgenes, and advocated that salvation cannot be purchased, and that salvation can only be achieved by faith. He believed that the Bible is the ultimate source of faith, so there is no need for priests to interpret the word of God, and that every believer can have a direct relationship with God themselves. Pope Leo X. excommunicated him, which eventually led to the Age of Wars of Religion.

Thomas Müntzer (1489-1525)

1489

He was a German preacher and theologian, who was an Anabaptist. He believed that infants should not be baptized at such an early age, only later. He was against Catholic traditions but also opposed teachings of Martin Luther. He believed in the supremacy of the inner light and declared that teachings came from the Holy Spirit and Scriptures were not the authority. He also preached that those who lacked property were elected by God, hence his teachings were popular amongst lower classes.

Jean Calvin (1509-1564)

1509

He was a French theologian who settled and taught in Geneva. He believed in predestination, and that it is already elected who gets to go to Heaven and who is destined to go to Hell. He also supported the idea of revolt against ungodly rulers. He preached that people must work hard in order to appear appealing to God, and that being wealthy is not considered a sin. He was one of the founders of Calvinisim, and his followers had to live according to very strict rules.

Michael Servetus (1511-1553)

1511

He was a Spamish theologian who was an antitrinitarian. He denied the existence of the Holy Trinity, and believed that it is only a construct, made up by Greek philosophers, and that it falsifies Christiasnity. He was declared an heretic not only Roman Catholics, but Protestants as well. He was burned at the stake for his crimes.