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Mar 27, 1378
The Great Papal Schism Begins
The Great Papal Schism, also known as the Western Schism, was a split within the Catholic Church. It started when the cardinals of the Church decided to elect three popes, whom were located in Avignon, Rome, and Pisa, causing disorder and turbulence in the Church. With the help of the Roman Emperor, however, the council forced all three popes to resign. This ended the Great Schism, but left the papacy greatly weakened with leftover spiritual anxiety. -
Jan 1, 1456
Gutenberg Produces the First Printed Bible
Johannes Gutenberg produces the first printed bible, using movable type. Although it was an uneconomic process, the Gutenberg Bible was the first complete printed book in the West. This aided in the spread of Christianity because it made the bible more readily available to all people, making it easier and cheaper to obtain. Thus, Christianity became more widespread. -
Oct 31, 1517
Martin Luther Posts the 95 Theses
IIn response to the Roman Catholic Church selling indulgences, Martin Luther compiled a list of 95 theses. These theses questioned the Catholic Church and criticized their policies. Martin Luther nailed the theses to the door of the Wittenberg church for everyone to see. As the theses were spread throughout the country, more and more people began to question the views of the Catholic Church. This was the birth of the Reformation, as well as Lutheranism and Protestantism. -
Apr 16, 1521
The Diet of Worms
The Diet of Worms was an assembly held in Worms, Germany. At the time, Pope Leo X had condemned 41 propositions of Martin Luther, but he also had given Luther time to recant. Because Luther refused to do so, he was called to Worms, where he was then excommunicated from the Church. Due to royal protection, however, Luther managed to prolong his punishment and continue to influence religious freedom and start the Protestant Reformation, therefore altering the course of Western thought. -
Jan 1, 1525
The Anabaptist Movement Begins
The Anabaptist movement was a radical movement of the Protestant Reformation. The name Anabaptist comes from their practices of adult baptism and second baptisms, which were considered crimes punishable by death at the time. The Anabaptists wanted to separate the church from the state and opposed war. They wanted to restore the institutions of the primitive Catholic Church, not unlike many other Protestant Reformers. -
Jan 1, 1534
The Act of Supremacy
The Act of Supremacy was an act formed by the English Parliament. It allowed Henry VIII to be recognized as the Supreme Head of the Church of England. This act was later repealed under the rule of Mary I in 1555. The Act of Supremacy was created so that Henry VIII could remarry, and required an oath of loyalty from the English subjects to carry out the marriage. -
Aug 31, 1536
John Calvin Publishes the Institutes of the Christian Religion
John Calvin, a French follower of Luther, was the author of the Institutes of the Christian Religion. This book expressed ideas about God, salvation, and human nature. Calvin wrote that men and women are sinful by nature. Influenced by Luther, Calvin went on to say that God chooses a very few people to save. This book would later lead on to a separate religion named Calvinism, and become highly influential in the Western world. -
Dec 13, 1545
The Council of Trent Begins
The Council of Trent was a meeting of Roman Catholic leaders, called by Pope Paul III to rule on doctrines criticized by the Protestant reformers. During the meeting, the cardinals agreed on several doctrines, some of which still affect Catholic life today:
- Any Christian who provided their own interpretations of the Bible was a heretic.
- Christians needed faith/good works for salvation.
- Indulgences were valid expressions of faith.
- The Bible and Church trad -
Pilgrims move to America for religious freedom
The Pilgrims were a group that set out for religious freedom in America. They were a part of the English Separatist Church, a group that illegally broke from the Church of England. The pilgrims wanted independence from the Catholic Church. They settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts where they joined with many puritans to form the Congregationalists. -
The Great Awakening Begins
The Great Awakening was a period of great revivalism that spread throughout the colonies in the 1730s and 1740s. During the time, people started to question the role of the individual in religion and society more and more. The Great Awakening helped emphasize the importance of church doctrine and instead put a greater importance on the individual and their spiritual experience.
