Later Church History - The Great Schism and the Reformation

The medieval Church came under increasing pressure during the later medieval period and into the early modern period. Cultural, political, and theological differences beween the Eastern and Western Church led to the Great Schism. Following this, in the late Renaissance and early modern period, calls for reform of Church practice and eventually theology led to the theological and political revolution that was the Reformation. These two ruptures in the previously Catholic (the universal) Church created fault lines that still define Christianity.

UPDATES AND ADJUSTMENTS TO THIS LESSON MODULE WILL BE MADE PERIODICALLY DURING THIS TERM. YOU WILL BE INFORMED WHEN UPDATES HAVE OCCURRED.

CONTENT

In this module we will be examining the cultural, political, and theological developments within the European context that eventually led to the Great Schism and the Protestant Reformation. We will trace the evolution of the widening differences between the Eastern and Western Church which culminated in the Great Schism in 1054, leading to the formation of what is currently known as the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Following this, we will look at the causes and consequences of the Protestant Reformation, with a special focus on Luther and the Reformation in Northern Europe and Great Britain.

Additional details for each subsection of this module will be provided as we progress.

GOALS:

At the completion of this unit you should be familiar with the following:

     • The causes and consequences of the Great Schism

• The role that culture, including linguistic differences, played in the split between the Eastern and Western Church
• The effect of the coronation of the western "Holy Roman Emperor" had on relations between East and West
• The theological differences that caused continuing controversy in the interpretation of doctrine in East and West
• The views of Church governance, including the role of the Pope, that complicated relations within the Church hierarch

     • The causes and consequences of the Protestant Reformation

• The role that corruption in the Church played in laying the groundwork for the Reformation
• What indulgences were and how were they perceived by reformers during the late medieval and early modern Church and its critics
• Luther and his role in the Reformation
• The ideas that Luther used to challenge the role of the Pope and Catholic doctrine
• The 95 theses and other important tracts/texts during the Reformation period
• The fragmentation of Christian doctrine which led to the formation of the various branches of Protestantism
• The political situation in early modern Europe that contributed to the spread of the Reformation
• How the reformation can be viewed as both a political as well as a religious movement
• The major consequences of the Reformation

RESOURCES

We will be working with the following digital resources (for which you will be provided account information if necessary):

www.khanacademy.org

www.timemaps.com 

www.wikipedia.org

 We will be working with with the following textbook and associated resources which will be made avabilable in digital and/or print form:

CoreKnowledge - The Reformation

 The digital text will be made available to you in your OneNote ClassNote. 

ASSESSMENT

Exam at the conclusion of the lesson module

Uppgifter

Week 3 - Lectures and Reading

Here are the lectures and readings that are assigned for week 3:

Lectures:

1. Intro to the Reformation (1)

2. Intro to the Reformation (2)

3. Intro to the Reformation (3)

4. Intro to the Reformation (4)

5. Intro to the Reformation - Ryan Reeves

6. Intro to the Reformation (6)

7. Intro to the Reformation (7)

Readings:

1. An introduction to the Reformation - See OneNote (link below)

https://elevstockholm.sharepoint.com/sites/Section_543a5786-1c73-41ee-9acb-dc828f550c79/_layouts/OneNote.aspx?id=%2Fsites%2FSection_543a5786-1c73-41ee-9acb-dc828f550c79%2FSiteAssets%2F8en%20anteckningsbok&wd=target%28_Inneh%C3%A5llsbibliotek%2FSocial%20Studies%2FReligion%2FLater%20Church%20History%20-%20Schism%20and%20Reformation%2FThe%20Reformation.one%7CB32F2CA2-0A18-444E-A946-F91F949A3C0C%2FAn%20Introduction%20to%20the%20Protestant%20Reformation%7C2C9AF702-5776-4EE5-A7AB-E9A5CC71C4E0%2F%29

onenote:https://elevstockholm.sharepoint.com/sites/Section_543a5786-1c73-41ee-9acb-dc828f550c79/SiteAssets/8en%20anteckningsbok/_Innehållsbibliotek/Social%20Studies/Religion/Later%20Church%20History%20-%20Schism%20and%20Reformation/The%20Reformation.one#An%20Introduction%20to%20the%20Protestant%20Reformation&section-id={B32F2CA2-0A18-444E-A946-F91F949A3C0C}&page-id={2C9AF702-5776-4EE5-A7AB-E9A5CC71C4E0}&end

Week 2 - Lectures and Reading

Below is the information related to lectures and reading for this week.

Lectures:

1. The Great Schism (Part 1):

2. The Great Schism (Part 2)

3. The Great Schism (Ryan Reeves)

Later Church History - The Great Schism and the Reformation - Study Questions - Homework

Study Questions – The Great Schism and the Protestant Reformation

 

1. Identify and describe cultural, political and theological differences between the Eastern and Western Church that contributed to the Great Schism.

2. What were the views towards the Patriarchy in the East and West, that is the roles of Bishops, that caused friction between the Pope and the other Bishops in the Church?

3. Describe the idea of “filioque” and discuss how views of this idea in East and West led to friction between East and West regarding Christian theology.

4. What was the “Iconoclastic” movement? How did this movement cause friction between East and West?

5. Compare Caesaropapism and its political/religious expression in the Byzantine empire and the relationship between the Pope and secular rulers in Western Europe.

6. Who were the religious leaders in East and West at the time of the Great Schism? What specific events led up to the actual schism and when did it occur?

7. What was the “Donation of Constantine” and how did this document affect relations between political leaders and the Pope during the period leading up to the Reformation? Who is responsible for discovering that this document was a forgery? How did he determine that it was a forgery?

8. Explain how the “Babylonian Captivity” and the “Great Papal Schism” helped to weaken Papal authority prior to the period of the Reformation. In your explanation, identify when the crises occured.

9. Explain the Medieval view of salvation in the Catholic Church. How do views related to ”faith” and ”works” within the context of salvation relate to Luther’s development of his own views on salvation which led him to break with the Catholic Church. How did views related to faith and works help to shape the identity of those of adopted them, i.e. in what way did these views help to shape an individual’s life during this period.

10. How did the issue of moral corruption within the Church contribute to the Reformation? Make sure you address the issues of Simony, pluralism, absenteeism, the breakdown of celibacy, and canon vs. secular law with relation to crimes committed by the clergy. Further, explain the significance of indulgences within the context of views of corruption in the Church at the time of the Reformation.

11. What were the 95 theses? Explain the significance of the 95 theses to the Reformation and to the role Luther played within it.

12. Describe the political situation within Europe at the time of the Reformation, especially within the Holy Roman Empire. In what ways did political leaders take advantage of the Reformation to advance their own interests in relation to the Pope and the spiritual order of Western Christendom?

13. Describe the events which led to the Reformation in Great Britain/England. What was the single most important issue in Henry VIII’s break from Rome? Would you characterize this issue as one driven by personal or ideological goals? Explain your reasoning.

14. Discuss major consequences of the Reformation for the development of Christianity and the political order in Western Europe.

15. What role did technology and learning play in the period of the Reformation? Discuss the role of the printing press, the Latin and vernacular languages of Europe, as well as the spread of literacy in your answer.

Exam

This exam will cover the material from this lesson module: the Great Schism and the Protestant Reformation.