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The popes of the Catholic Church were more concerned with Italian politics and worldly interests than the spiritual needs of their people.
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Erasmus wanted to educate people on the works of Christianity and worked to criticize the abuses in the Church. His intention was not to break away from the Church but his ideas prepared the way for the Reformation with Martin Luther. People of his day saidm "Erasmus laid the egg that Luther hatched." Erasmus movement was called the Christian Humanism.
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Who was Martin Luther? He was a monk in the Catholic Church and a Professor at the University of Wittenberg in Germany. Through his studies of the Bible Luther wanted to know the certainty of salvation.
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Humans are not saved through their good works but through their faith in God. In Luther's opinion humans were powerless to an almighty God, humans could never do enough good works to earn salvation. Luther was angered by the Churches practices which included selling indulgences and other abuses. He made his 95 Theses public on Oct. 31 1517. His goal was to make this corruption public and reform the Church. Thousand of copies were distributed thanks to the invention of the printing press.
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By 1520 Luther asked the German Princes to overthrow the Papacy in Germany and establish a reformed German Church.
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The pope excommunuciated Luther in January of 1521. He was summoned to appear before the imperial diet of the Holy Roman Empire. It was called into session in the city of Worms by the new emperor Charles V. The emperor believed he could change Luther's ideas. Luther refused.
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By the Edict of Worms, Martin Luther was made an outlaw of the empire . His works were to be burned and he was to be captured. Frederick III, Prince of Saxony protected him and sent him into hiding. Luther returned to Wittenburg at the beginning of 1512.
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Luther gained support of many German rulers. These rulers were motivated by politics and econonomics as much as any religious feeling. They took control of the Catholic Churches in their territories and formed state Churches that were supervised by the government. Luther set up new services to replace Catholic mass. Luther married a former nun, Katharina von Boren, which changed the Catholic model allowing for married life for protestant ministers. Luthers doctrine became known as Lutheranism.
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The Peasants' War was the greatest challenge for Luther. German peasants revolted and looked to Luther for support. But Luther felt the state and its rulers were called by God to maintain the peace necessary to spread the Gospel.
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Political rulers and specifically Charles V the Holy Roman Emporer felt that keeping the Empire Catholic would preserve it's unity. However wars errupted and he didn't have the support of the German provinces.
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On February 18, 1546, Luther died in his hometown of Eisleben at the age of 62. He didn't live to see the full impact of his movement.
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An end to religious warfare in Germany came 1555 witht he Peace of Augsburg. This agreement formally accepted the division of Christianity in Germany. German states were free to chose between Catholicism and Lutheranism. Lutheran states would have the same rights as Catholic states. Subjects did not choose their religion but their rulers determined that for them.
