Class Four

The Politics of German Lutheranism

The Reformation was initially most popular in the cities, and we will discuss this in more detail in a later class.

The Reformation was very suited to small compact units that were used to comparative self-government.

Many church officials in the cities were already under the authority of the City Councils

Preaching was already popular in the cities.

The people’s history of the Church indicates that Protestant church discipline was partly important to small cities and

Towns that had to struggle with the dangers that came from the various sins encouraged by “close” living, such as sexual

and other sins against the family

Protestant protest against prostitution was very well received. Venereal Disease was destroying the cities.

Although the Bishops and Abbots retained considerable power in the countryside, where they were the great landowners,

they had less power in the cities where the economic and political power was based on trade and commerce.

The cities were the center of the nuclear family that was favored by the reformers.

The more extended families were characteristic of the countryside.

Generalizations about literacy are risky, but:

More urban and small town residents appear to have been able to read

The protestant advocacy of schooling was initially popular in the cities; later, the Catholics would emphasize the same

Approach but with more of an emphasis on the elite.

The medieval church was controlled by the nobility who had less influence in the cities and were often in debt to them

Some great cities, Paris, for example, always resisted reformation.

The Reign of Charles V (1500 –1558)

Ruled Germany as Emperor, Spain as King, and Burgundy as regent

His reign was a reign of wars:

Against Francis

1521

1525 Captures Francis of France and defeats the Pope

1529: The Peace of Cambrai confirms his dominant place in Italy

Against Turkey

Halted the Turks at Vienna in 1529

1535 Victory at Tunis

1536 The Turks Ally with France in War on the Empire

1543 Allied with Henry VIII, he secures peace with the Turks and with France.

Struggle with the pirates continues

Only at this point was he free to deal with Protestantism militarily

1544 The Council of Trent

1545 Defeats the Schmalkaldic and imprisons Philip of Hesse

1548 The Augsburg Interim

Protestants could marry and teach justification but had to outwardly conform to Catholic practices, especially, the mass and confession

War resumed shortly thereafter with France joining the

Protestants.

1555: Peace of Augsburg acknowledge the principal as the ruler, so the people in religion. However, it only recognized Lutherans and Catholics. Calvinists were excluded from this limited toleration.

The Various Reformation Diets or Parliaments.

The Diet of Worms 1521 Officially Outlawed Luther and his teachings

The First and Second Diet of Nuremberg, 1522 and 1524 tried to find

Way to Enforce the Diet of Worms

The Diet of Speyers 1529 Some Lutherans leave because insufficient

Concessions are offered. Since they protested the decision of the

Diet, they were called Protestants, a name still used/

The Diet of Augsburg, 1530. Melanchthon presents the Augsburg Confession and the Lutherans are given a year to repent. But Charles cannot enforce this.

1531 The Schmalkaldic League formed under Philip of Hesse

1532: The Third Diet of Nuremberg gives some concessions to the Schmalkaldic league in order to secure peace

The Princes Adopt the Reformation:

The German idea of a Land.

Much slower than the cities

East Prussia 1523-25

Bradenburg-Ansbach 1524-8

Hesse 1526

Brauschweig-Lueburg 1526-7

Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1526

Anhalt-Koethen 1526

Mansfeld 1525

Liegnitz 1527

Anhalt-Dessau 1532-4

Pomerania 1534-5

Wuerttemberg 1534

Brandenburg-Neumark 1536-8

Brauschweig-Grubenhagen 1538

Electoral Brandenburg 1539-40

Albertine Saxony 1539

Brauchschweig-Wolfenbuettel 1542

Neuburg 1543

Henneberg 1545

Electoral Palatinate 1546

Political Settlements:

The princes assume the legal position of the heirs of the Bishops

All Church property becomes princely

Each state and city adopts its own ecclesiastical ordinances and confession

Universities in Protestant lands become Protestant

Clergy are paid as civil servants

Discipline is usually maintained by a superintendent appointed by the

Prince

The title of Pastor or Pfarrer becomes the most common term for the new

Ministry

Heavy emphasis in Protestant lands on schools.

Scandinavia:

Like the Germany principalities, Scandinavia moved very slowly toward

Reformation.

Denmark

1522 Christian II seized church property and prohibits appeals to

Rome

Protestant idea began to be preached

Christian III ( reigned from 1534 to 1559) abolished the episcopacy and invited Lutherans To teach in his universities

Charles V had his own candidates for the Danish throne

1537 Violent removal of Catholics from Parliament and seizure of church lands.

1539 a Lutheran Church Ordinance was adopted

1556: the Danish Prayer Book accepted

1558: Augsburg Confession adopted

Sweden:

Gustav Erikson or Vasa became King in 1523 after a revolution

Against Christian II

Most bishoprics were vacant due to Civil War but the Pope refused

New consecrations except for Peter Manson of Ippsala

1527 The King seized church property and required preaching in

services

1529 Swedish Church Council established

1530 Old Mass ended

1536 Clergy required to marry their mistresses

New Handbook adopted

1544 Reformation confirmed by Parliament

1598 Augsburg Confession accepted.

Bishops, as in the Church of England, still have apostolic

succession.