Reformation III

II) Catholic reformers (Counter Reformation)
A) St. Loyola (Jesuits)
1) Used to be a Spanish soldier – and he was a good one
2) Read a book about saints and the bible
3) Saw that great fighters needs discipline – wanted to spread that to the church
4) Idea becomes attractive – people soon follow him
i) Jesuits have very strict discipline standards – they have strict ritual of prayer
ii) Study of scripture is everyday – they know the bible as well as anyone
5) Ideas that Protestants denounced Loyola declared essential, fasting, saints, images – idea of how god imparted his grace upon us.
i) Confession, mass, Eucharist, all very important instruments of God
ii) Many ideas that protestants denounced are essential
iii) Institutional structure of the church is important
6) Jesuits were so good the pope used them to put down Protestant reformations across Europe
i) Were not corrupt – able to take on the Protestants better than the Bishops
ii) Knew the scripture well- easier to take on the Protestants
B) Council of Trent
1) Extremely long council
2) Catholic Church had many issues to deal with
3) Helped church get back on track
i) No more drunken clergy – no more women for clergy
ii) Cleans up the churches image
4) Narrowed range of Catholic doctrine
i) Luther / Calvin can from catholic backgrounds
ii) Decided only one correct response to be catholic
1. Purgatory is a fact
2. Transfiguration is real flesh and blood
* Made reconciliation with Protestants possible
5) Catholics Vs. Calvinists
i) Calvinists says humans are no good – Catholics disagree
ii) Calvinists say that good works do no good for god – Catholics disagree
· Many Catholics beloved the Protestants were sending people to Hell and vice versa
· People killed to save the lives of innocents
· People are deadly convinced of this
C) Was all this reform nessacery – other possible ways
1) Yes – church was bad before this
2) Other ways to reform without conflicts
3) Sir Thomas More
i) Brethren of the Common Life member
1. Group of people that wanted to live their lived like Jesus as well as the possibly could
ii) Great scholar and writer – wrote Utopia
1. Ways in which society might better reform
2. Wrote about a Utopian society
· Everyone works = 6hr days = includes nobles and rich
· Spare time? People can do any thing including intellectual pursuits
· Religious disputes? Allow them but don’t force them to conform
· Doesn’t produce conflict because they were just good ideas
iii) Was a powerful politician
1. Tries to be like Jesus in his office
2. Did not agree to Henry 8th divorcing his wife
· More resigned to protest this action
· This really hurt Henry – Henry demands More say the King is right – More never does
iv) Dies a Martyrs death because of this
D) Erasmus
1) Teacher of Greek – made Greek new testament in a printed edition – widely available for people to get back to the original meanings of the church
2) Did see problems with the church – but didn’t think people should break away
3) Ways in which to change the church – write many books
i) Uses satire and humor to make his points
ii) Suggests the right way to reform – don’t start confrontation – pokes humor at people
1. Gets people to laugh at themselves
iii) He laughs with people not at them
1. Pokes fun at himself
4) Points out that people consider themselves religious because they can point out the faults of others