Reformation: Religious, Political and Social Consequences for Western Society

Abstract

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Reformation was a theological movement in 16th century Europe to reform the Catholic Christianity. Luther, Calvin and Zwingli questioned the authority of dogma and supremacy of the pope in Rome. This led to the formation of hundreds of sects in Western Christianity. Salvation was sought outside the church. Consequently, church was excluded from the cultural life of Western societies. Reformation also gradually established the
role of political authority in religious matters. Reformation‘ emerged as a theological movement during 16th century in Europe which attempted to change and improve the Catholic Church, and resulted in the establishment of the Protestant Church. This movement was a revolt against the authority of medieval Catholic Church aimed at reforming the church of Christendom and removing its tribulations.202 The Reformation was not a sudden upsurge or a reaction to any particular incident. It was the outcome of the Church‘s excesses spread over decades and numerous factors played important roles in this respect. The Reformation emerged as a historical consequence from the interaction of many complex cultural forces of Western history. Renaissance was an important factor in creating a fertile soil for Reformation. The spirit of the time even when intending to
be hostile, proved friendly. The Renaissance that had raised the ancient classical world from its grave, was not itself opposed to the Catholic Church, but the reason it educated and the temperament it formed, the literature it produced and the languages it loved, the imagination it cultivated and the new sense of beauty it created, there were forces of subtle hostility to the system that had been built upon the ruins of classical antiquity. 203 The renaissance leaders rejected many of the attitudes and ideas of the Middle Ages. They emphasized people‘s responsibilities and duties to the society in which they lived, rejecting the older beliefs of praying to God. Renaissance thinkers paid more attention to the study of humanity than to theology. 204