Lesson 1: The Protestant Reformation (The Reformation)
⛪ The Catholic Church Faces Challengers
In the early 1500s, most people in Europe were Roman Catholic. The Catholic Church was very powerful and very rich. It owned land, had grand buildings, and collected money from people. 💰
But not everyone was happy.
Why were people upset?
Some priests did not live holy lives. They acted more like kings than church leaders.
The Church asked people for money to forgive sins. These were called indulgences. Many people thought this was unfair and wrong.
Poor people saw that the Church was rich, while they were hungry and tired.
People began to say: “The Church needs to change!” This call for change is called reform.
✊ Martin Luther Urges Reform
In 1517, a German monk named Martin Luther became very angry. He saw a priest selling indulgences and said, “This is not what the Bible teaches!”
Luther wrote 95 Theses (95 ideas or complaints) and nailed them to a church door in Wittenberg, Germany. 📜💥 This was a bold move!
His ideas spread fast. Luther named his new branch of Christianity Lutheranism. Thanks to the printing press, many people could read his words. He said:
The Bible is the only true guide for Christians.
People don’t need priests to talk to God.
We are saved by faith, not by money or good works.
The Pope told Luther to stop. Luther said no. He was excommunicated (kicked out of the Church), but he kept teaching. Many people agreed with him.
One famous story: At a big meeting called the Diet of Worms (1521), Luther stood before the emperor and church leaders. They said, “Take back your words!” He answered,
“Here I stand. I can do no other.”
This moment became a symbol of standing up for your beliefs.
📖 Other Reformers
Luther wasn’t the only one.
In Switzerland, Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin also wanted reform. Calvin taught about God’s power and started churches with simple styles—no gold, no statues, just Bible teaching. ✝️
In Scotland, a man named John Knox followed Calvin and started the Presbyterian Church.
William Tyndale broke away from the Catholic Church because he believed everyone should read the Bible in their own language. At that time, only priests read the Bible in Latin.
Tyndale wanted people to think for themselves. He said the Bible, not the Church, should guide people. He translated the Bible into English, which made the Church angry. He was later killed for his work, but his ideas changed history. 📖
These new churches were called Protestant because they protested against the Catholic Church.
Now, there were many different kinds of Christian churches in Europe.
👑 Henry VIII: A King with a Problem
In England, the Reformation had a twist! It didn’t start with a priest—it started with a king!
King Henry VIII (ruled 1509–1547) was Catholic. But he wanted a divorce from his wife, Catherine, because she couldn’t give him a son. The Pope said no. ❌
Henry was furious. So he said, “I will make my own church!”
In 1534, he made the Church of England (also called the Anglican Church). He made himself the head of the church. He got his divorce, married another woman, and later had six wives in total!
Henry’s church kept many Catholic traditions, but he was now in charge—not the Pope.
🗺️ Time to Think!
The Protestant Reformation changed the world. Now there were many kinds of Christianity. It also led to wars, changes in government, and more people reading the Bible for themselves.