Sixteenth Century Religious Reformers: From Calvin to Luther

During the Sixteenth Century, the Catholic Church was very different from the early church that the Apostles had founded. Pardoners were imposing eternal damnation on all who did not pay money to have their sins forgiven. The church was becoming rich, and keeping profits to better themselves, not the people they were supposed to be serving. This led to a great rift within the church causing a division among some of its most loyal servants. During this time the strengths and loyalties of key reformers and supporters of the church would be tested, resulting in their roles to either repair a broken church or start a new religion of their own: Protestantism.

One such reformer was Martin Luther. Luther was a monk in the Catholic Church who was dissatisfied with the ways that the church was conducting itself. He posted his Ninety-five Theses Against Indulgences on the door at a church in Wittenberg. This drew to light the selling of Letters of Indulgences; which were basically monetary payments from people who thought they were going to heaven when they died. Martin Luther eventually broke from the church altogether and started Lutheranism.
Another reformer in the church was John Calvin. It was by chance that Calvin ended up in Geneva. Calvin was en route to Strasbourg, when war caused him to divert to Geneva. There, he started a Protestant following own his own which emphasized discipline and morality. Calvin wrote the Institutes of the Christian Religion, was a guideline for Genevans and other Calvinists regarding personal and social moral codes.

In contrast to the above reformers, Henry VIII wanted the church to change for his personal benefit, not that of the good of all people. Henry did not have a male heir to his throne, and he wanted to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragon. Henry wanted to marry Anne Boleyn, but first needed an annulment. The church was in a political and moral position as to not grant this request. Henry, along with his advisors, Thomas Cromwell and Thomas Cranmer devised a plan: Henry was the ruler of England's political affairs, and he was to be the ruler of England's spiritual affairs. The Church of England or Anglican Church was the result of this reformation. In the end, Henry would marry a total of six times during his reign.

Between the Catholic and Protestant divide was a peacemaker: Charles V. Charles wanted to hold a meeting of Catholic and Protestant representatives in order to try to settle differences among the two. He was key in conducting the Diet of Augsburg in 1530. However, Charles' efforts were in vain. The Catholics wanted the Lutherans to revert back to Catholism, but the Lutheran movement only grew stronger.

With the loss of many followers, the Catholic Church knew it needed to change. The Society of Jesus, a Jesuit order was founded in an attempt to restore people's trust in the church. This order was founded by Saint Ignatius Loyola, (as the church later canonized him), in 1530's and later recognized by the church in the 1540's. Loyola stressed the disciple and self-control were the key elements to practice obedience. He established eighteen rules to help give personal, moral, and spiritual guidance to followers. Loyola's honesty, faith, and loyalty to the church proved to be invaluable; as he helped to counter-reform the Catholic faith, while at the same time winning back the former Catholics which had strayed to the Protestant faith.

The reformation, whether interpreted as positive or negative for the church, implemented changes that still are present today. Luther, Calvin, Henry VIII, Charles V, and Ignatius Loyola all played key roles in transforming the corrupt Sixteenth Century Catholic Church into what it is today, and adding with it Protestantism and its various sects (Lutherans, Calvinists, Anglicans).