The Protestant Reformation – Grade 7

During the Renaissance, many educated Europeans were influenced by humanism. They began to criticize the wealth and power of the Catholic Church. Some church officials lived in luxury, collected heavy taxes, and gave important jobs to family members. In many villages, priests could barely read.

The Church also sold indulgences. An indulgence was a certificate that canceled punishment for sins that had already been forgiven. This made many people believe the Church was abusing its power.

Martin Luther was a German monk who became concerned that Church teachings had moved too far away from the Bible. In 1517, he became angry when the Church sold indulgences to raise money for rebuilding St. Peter’s Basilica.

Luther wrote a list of 95 arguments against indulgences, known as the 95 Theses. His ideas spread quickly. In 1521, Luther was excommunicated, meaning he was removed from the Church.

Luther’s ideas led to the first Protestant church. Lutheranism was based on three main beliefs: salvation comes through faith alone, the Bible is the final source of religious truth, and all believers are equal before God.

John Calvin was a French reformer who settled in Geneva, Switzerland. He believed that God controlled the final outcome of all events. This belief, called predestination, taught that God had already chosen who would be saved.

Many followers of Calvin believed they showed they were chosen by working hard, behaving morally, and obeying the law.

King Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church when the pope refused to annul his marriage. This led to the creation of the Anglican Church. Later, under Queen Elizabeth I, the Anglican Church was restored.

Some Protestants, called Puritans, wanted to further reform the church. Many were jailed, and others left England to practice their religion freely in North America.