The Impact of the Protestant Reformation in Europe

Question: Discuss about theImpact of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. Answer: Introduction: The Impact of the Protestant Reformation in Europe TheProtestant Reformationwas a significant movement in the 16th century Europe that was aimed initially at reforming the practices and beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church. The Protestant Reformation changed Europe through three ways, namely education, disintegration from the papacy, and religious pluralism. Protestant Reformation and Education At the time when Reformation was taking place in Europe, the Protestant educators institutionalized the places of learning such as universities and schools for their population (Androne, 2014). In addition, they also enforced the humanistic learning methods to the wider public as opposed to the previous scenario where such schools were accessible only to the wealthy merchants and the nobility class. According to Luther, all the children were eligible to free education offered by the state. The main reason why the Protestants fostered free education to the wider public is that it was necessary to have a literate populace who would be in a position of reading the Bible independently rather than relying on the clergy. The Swiss Protestant Reformers such as John Calvin and Huldrych Zwingli held the same position concerning the need to empower their believers in Geneva to read the Bible more independently. Some of the acquired pedagogical skills include the knowledge of the Swiss constitution and history, oral and written mathematics, essay writing, and reading (Kadi, 2014). The result is that the Protestant population did not only excel in their reading abilities but also in other cognitive skills. The progress of education in among the European nations at the time of Reformation could not be compared to the Catholic decades where the congregations were not allowed to read the Bible on their own. Moreover, the subjects did not have any properly developed cognitive skills such as adequate understanding of the constitution due to lack of access to education. The reason for such a concern is that education and cognitive development was only meant for the children of the wealthy and noble class in the society. Protestant Reformation and Religious Pluralism Other than education, the inception and spread of Protestantism in Europe also led to the introduction of Religious Pluralism. The idea of religious unity was destroyed in Western Europe by the introduction of the concept of independence and individualism among those professing the Christian faith (Johnston, 2014). In the mid 16th century, Europe was divided into the Catholic and Protestant territories. Later on, the Protestant territories were again split up into Calvinism, Anglicanism, and Lutheranism. More Reformation was experienced during this period in regions such as Eastern Europe, Germany, England, and France. To counter the achievements and progress of the work of Reformation by the Protestants, the Catholic community initiated a campaign dubbed Counter Reformation or Catholic Reformation. The result is that Protestant Reformation destroyed the elements of Catholicism monopoly long established in Europe before the advent of Reformation of the church by Martin Luther and John Calvin among other key personalities of the Reformation era (Kranz, 2014). With the emergence of Reformation in Eastern and Western Europe, the believers broke up from the universal ideology of religion that undertook to emphasize the plurality of profession of faith among Christians. During this period, Luther put forward theses propositions that were divergent from the belief held by the Catholics about the indulgences (GonzaÃÅ' lez, 2010). The Catholics believed in selling of the indulgences for raising money. A Swiss Reformer called as Huldreich Zwingli further echoed the same sentiments denouncing the significance of the indulgences. As a result, the congregations became more independent and autonomous in matters of faith. In addition, the Protestant believers laid emphasized on salvation being acquired by grace alone through faith alone (not works as the Catholic community confessed). Protestant Reformation and Disintegration from Papacy influence. The papal influence in the English affairs led to frustrations among the political leaders and the population. With the advent of Protestant Reformation in Europe, the people of England under the monarch of the Tudor era, Henry VIII, dissociated from the influence imposed upon them by the Pope and the Church of Rome (Berman, 2006). There are several events that led to the pullout of England from the papal monopoly and incumbency. The major event, however, that resulted in this freedom was the need for Henry VIII to sire an heir to the Tudor dynasty. Henry VIII sought a divorce from the Pope to replace his wife, Catherine, with Anne. However, the pope declined to grant this permission allowing him to annul his first marriage. Determined to get an heir, Henry VIII sought an official separation from the pope and the Church of Rome that prohibited divorce. Consequently, Henry VIII pronounced himself the leader of the English church and later on married Anne upon repealing his marriage wi th Catherine. The separation from the papal influence not only brought religious and political liberty but also led to economic and social freedom. The events resulted in the ventilation of more independence among the English Protestant believers. For instance, the Protestant believers denounced unbiblical ordinances and liturgies that constituted the fulcrum of Catholicism. In Geneva, John Calvin introduced the ecclesiastical ordinances that helped in instilling moral discipline among the believers (GonzaÃÅ' lez, 2010). In addition, the Reformed masses were characterized by the emergence of a liturgy that consisted of sermons, prayer, and scripture readings. Furthermore, the era was marked by the abolition of music that was viewed by the Reformed Protestants as a distraction to the word of the Lord. In conclusion, the impact of the Protestant Reformation in Europe was significant, especially during the 16th century. The need to gain independence and autonomy in Bible reading led to the introduction of education among the ordinary citizen. It also resulted in religious pluralism and the disintegration of papacy influence in Europe, specifically in England. References Androne, M. (2014). The Influence of the Protestant Reformation on Education.Procedia - Social And Behavioral Sciences,137, 80-87. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.05.256 Berman, H. (2006).Law and revolution, II. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. GonzaÃÅ' lez, J. (2010).A history of Christian thought(2nd ed.). Abingdon Press. Johnston, A. (2014).The Protestant Reformation in Europe(2nd ed.). London: Routledge. Kadi, F. (2014). The European Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation and Its Influence on the Birth of Albanian Literature.Journal Of Educational And Social Research. https://dx.doi.org/10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n4p388 Kranz, N. (2014). Martin Luther Stands in History as a Leader of the Protestant Reformation.Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato,5(1), 13.