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Reforms in the Catholic Church

By zitaa
  • Period: 950 to 1130

    Cluniac monks

    Accepted reformers. They adapted stricter rules.
  • 1209

    Saint Francis of Assisi

    Saint Francis of Assisi
    Accepted reformer. He was a wealthy man who gave up his possessions and established a new order the franciscan order.
  • 1415

    John Wyclif

    John Wyclif
    Early reformer in the middle ages. He was a heretic, went against the Church.
  • 1415

    Jan Hus

    Jan Hus
    Early reformer in the middle ages. He was a heretic, went against the Church. He was burned at the stake.
  • Oct 31, 1517

    Martin Luther

    Martin Luther
    Monk from the Augustine order. He wanted to reform the Church and not to establish a new one. He openly criticized selling letters of indulgence. Salvation by faith alone. Highest authority is the Church is not the pope but the Bible. Faith in God is the only way to salvation. The printing press enhanced the spread of reform ideas. He translated the Bible from Latin to German
  • 1519

    Jean Calvin

    Jean Calvin
    Calvinism was established by Ulrich Zwingli and Jean Calvin. Most important idea was predestination, everyone is predestined to go to heaven or hell before they are born. Other ideas: Revolt, everybody, even rulers got the power from God. Work as a virtue, all kinds of work are appealing to God, being wealthy is not a sin. Democratic Consistory, not only pastors but prebyters can participate in the control of the Church. Theocracy, the state should be controlled by Church leaders.
  • 1524

    Anabaptism

    Anabaptism
    A protestant denomination started by Thomas Münzer. He rejected infant baptism because it should be an active choice to join the Christian religion. It became popular amongst lower classes. Even Luther rejected this group. This resulted in a German Peasant’s War (1524-1525)
  • 1540

    The Jesuit Order

    The Jesuit Order
    1540 - Society of Jesus
    Founder was Ignatius Loyola. They organised schools, outsanding theological education, popular schools. Jesuit missionaries were sent to the colonies to convert the natives to christianity. Jesuits often served as diplomatic representatives of the Catholic Church. Their main aim was to prevent the further spread of Protestantism.
  • 1553

    Antitrinitarians

    Antitrinitarians
    They rejected the Holy Trinity. There is only one God, Jesus was only a human. Transylvania became the refuge of the Unitarians. Michael Servetus was burnt at the stake in Geneva. Unitarians often regard Servetus as the first Unitarian martyr.