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Early Church Reforms
Introduction
Martin Luther was instrumental in leading early church reforms, which brought about the protestant movement. He had dedicated his life to serving God, and this enabled him to learn many things about the church. He received instruction when training as a priest, and he was able to use his position to learn as much as he could about the Bible. This made him realize the many ills of the church and he began speaking out against them. He faced tremendous opposition but his courage and bravery paid off. Many people got the chance to learn more about faith and God. The Catholic Church was forced to reexamine its ways, and it implemented some reforms. Because of Luther’s work, many people realized religious freedom and the church lost the stronghold it had on the people and the state.
Discussion
Luther was driven to change the church reforms because of the weaknesses and ills he saw. The church leadership failed in passing the right teachings to the people. Luther was concerned about certain theological issues regarding the matters of faith, scripture, and salvation. The church taught that people received salvation through good works and it failed to teach them about faith. People believed that they could pay for their salvation. The rich were able to do this readily and this encouraged them to sin. Luther challenged the authority of the pope and the Catholic Church. He believed in biblical scripture as the only authority for Christians. He did not believe that the people needed the church leaders to interpret the bible for them. He worked on translating the bible into a language that people could know and understand God’s word. Luther differed with the church because he believed that people could have a personal relationship with God. Accessing the Bible in their own language would enable people to know more about God. He disagreed with the idea that people needed the intercession of the saints, the Virgin Mary, priests, and the pope.
The religious beliefs and practices of the Protestants differed from those of the Roman Catholics. Luther and his followers also disagreed with the church tradition and practice of celibacy, which was required of all priests. They believed in the importance of marriage and families. The Protestants and the Roman Catholics differed in their approach to wealth and money. While the church encouraged the people to purchase indulgence so that the money could assist those who were sick and poor, it failed to practice its teachings. Instead, the church promoted a life of extravagance. This was evident in its efforts to rebuild St. Peter’s Basilica and in its purchase of expensive religious art. The Protestants and the Roman Catholics differed in their use of religious idols. The Protestants believed that the use of religious images in the church was a form of idolatry.
The church had maintained a stronghold on the state and the leaders. It supported the leaders in many ways while at the same time trying to maintain its stronghold. The protestant movement divided the people. Some of the people were not sure, if they wanted to remain in the Roman Catholic faith or if they wanted to become Protestants. In many cases, the state determined the religion that the people would adopt. Those who dared differ with the church were prosecuted. The reformation changed the religious as well as the political and economic systems of European countries. Luther advocated for the concept of separation of church and state. Although he recognized the authority of the state, he did not believe that it had the power and ability to dictate spiritual matters. However, many state and church leaders were not willing to dismiss their age-old traditions. This led to decades of war in many countries, as the leaders tried to influence their people on matters of religion.
The church reformation and Luther’s efforts to bring the Bible to the people coincided with the Gutenberg era. The evolution of printing led to changes information accessibility. Many people got the chance to access different types of books. This increased their awareness and knowledge. They became open to greater ideas, which were facilitated by different authors. People could print information on different subjects that concerned them and not just religious issues. The church leaders and the monarchies could no longer dictate what the people knew. Because of increased awareness, people began challenging the way their country’s affairs were run and this led to protests and revolutions.
Conclusion
Martin Luther encouraged the singing of hymns in the church. He believed that music was a powerful form of praise and he composed different tunes. Although music was present in the early Catholic Church, it did not have the same influence that it does today. Luther encouraged the people to sing and to compose songs. Many talented musicians became instrumental in expanding music in the churches. They composed professional tunes, which expanded beyond the church boundaries. Music became an important part of culture in the society because of this. Art was still an important aspect of the society. Despite the revolution, some people maintained images, most of which were religious in nature. Luther was not as keen on destroying religious images, as were some of the Protestants. In the early church, many leaders used images as they helped those who were not educated to worship. Although they were mostly the idea of Roman Catholics, many people in the society were willing to acquire art pieces if they could afford them. Art was a luxury item and a preserve for the rich, and it largely influenced the European culture.
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