The Implications of The Protestant Reformation on Matters of Church and State in The Period 1500-1700

The Protestant Reformation was primarily instigated by Martin Luther in 1517 as a result of the publication of his ninety-five theses, which divulged unconventional ideologies regarding religion, catholicism, and the church and state of Europe during the 1500’s which was condemned as heresy by the State due to its opposing stance regarding Catholicism. As a result of these reformed ideologies and the general spread of differing religious beliefs that conflicted with the Catholic church, which ultimately resulted in the birth of numerous religions which we now generalise as Christianity, there were a plethora of implications that affected the Catholic church and ultimately the State itself such as those regarding social, political, economical, historical and geographical factors. The Protestant Reformation provides insight into the shift in morals and values held by the people of Europe as a result of the Protestant Reformation and therefore, the religious freedom that is prevalent in Europe’s modern society today.

The first implication affecting the church and state as a result of the Protestant Reformation, is that of the social factor. The essential impact in regards to the social effect on church and state is best highlighted in the primary source of Martin Luther’s Ninety-five theses, more specifically thesis number 46 which states “Christians are to be taught that, unless they have more than they need, they must reserve enough for their family needs and by no means squander it on indulgences” this further accentuates the shift in morals as a result of the reformation, and the means in which the state must now operate, most notably separate from the church, in order appease all citizens.

Furthermore, Luther’s efforts to negate the rising illiteracy rates in the 1500’s and to give males and females equal opportunity in respect to education, resulted in Protestants being seen as means of both social and religious reform as opposed to the enemy, which was becoming more and more associated with the Catholic church whom prioritised money as opposed to personal and spiritual growth. John Locke in his primary source ‘Two Treatises of Government’ highlights the importance of man’s freedom in order to bring about a functioning society. This is best highlighted in the passage “To understand political power right, and derive it from its original, we must consider what state all men are naturally in, and that is a state of perfect freedom” Locke presents us with the idea that man is free to choose and believe what he wishes without fear of persecution. Locke’s work was written in the late 17th Century and was heavily influenced by that of the Protestant Reformation, and thus provides insight into the social effects in which the Reformation essentially facilitated. With the commonality of citizens holding differing beliefs as the result of the Protestant Reformation, it was widely agreed that the catholic church and state should be separate as the church no longer represented the majority of people’s beliefs, and as such should no longer influence the political and judicial manner of the state, hence, the social factor is perhaps one of the most important implications in regards to its effect on the church and state.

One of the most predominant implications affecting the Church and State arising out of the Reformation was that of the political factor which ultimately resulted in a separation of the church and state, whereby a political system was formed free from religious, specifically catholic, influence. Numerous primary and secondary sources predating the aforementioned stratification of church and state disclosed the importance of such an event taking place. For instance, in his edited version of Locke’s political essays, Mark Goldie proclaims in secondary source ‘Religion, Literature, and Politics in Post-Reformation England’ that “Locke is emphatic that the civil magistrate has no business to enforce religious conformity” this is in line with Martin Luther’s ‘Two Kingdoms Doctrine’ which states that separation of church and state is necessary for both religious freedom and political order to be sustained throughout Europe. The Council of Trent was formed during the reformation to negate these reformed ideologies and maintain the church’s dominance in all aspects of Europe, however the works of influential figures such as that of Martin Luther, whose ideas were then further built upon by John Calvin, resulted in the perpetual development of such thought and thus, just as the catholic religion split into a plethora of sects, so did the Church and State. John Calvin's ideologies are most present in his literary work ‘Institutes of the Christian Religion’ in which he discusses the theology of Protestantism, and more specifically the relationship between protestantism and politics. This is best highlighted in the passage “All guilty of revolt from God, corrupting pure religion, either by following general custom, or the impious consent of antiquity”. This can be applied to politics prior to the Reformation, political and economic factors had become the primary concern of the Catholic church, as opposed to the growth of one within the religion, as the church and state split so to did the negative influences and pressures on catholicism. Whilst the Reformation was essentially instigated by Martin Luther with the publication of his Ninety-Five theses in Germany in 1517, the political implication affecting the church and state, and thus ultimately the separation of the two’s effect surpases that of the 1500-1700 time period, and is prevalent in today’s modern society whereby there is still a segregation of church and state, and continued reform and development in religion across the globe.

The geographical location of the Protestant Reformation is an essential factor in order to uncover the impact the Reformation had on the church and state. Martin Luther is typically described as the man whom instigated the reformation as through his literary works, he condemned the actions of the church and berated how catholicism, and thus state, was driven by money and no longer the will of god. This is most evident in the primary source of Martin Luther’s 32nd thesis which proclaims “Those who believe that they can be certain of their salvation because they have indulgence letters will be eternally damned, together with their teachers”, which highlights the aforementioned statement that money drives the Catholic church, as opposed to scripture and apostolic teachings. This idea is further highlighted in R.N Swanson’s secondary source ‘Indulgences in Late Medieval England’ more specifically in the excerpt “The power of the pardon rather than any other associations made these indulgences popular” this passage discloses that European church and state would rather sell out catholicism than teach the act of repentance and the true meaning of the Catholic church.

Due to the invention of the printing press in the 16th century, Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses were printed and shared originally throughout Wittenberg, where Luther taught at the University. However, due to the fundamental structure of Europe during the 16th century allowed easily for reformed ideas, or rather what the Catholic church condemned as heresy, to be communicated and discussed throughout Europe as Luther’s theses teachings spread. Without the geographical structure and impact, Luther’s influence would not have spread in such a quick and efficient manner, and restless citizens would simply put up with the Catholic church dominating Europe, out of fear from public backlash and the harsh, archaic judicial system that was effective throughout that region during the 1500-1700 time period. The geographical location of Europe also gives insight into the idea that reformed beliefs were already developing due to the vast acceptance of the Ninety-Five theses, and just needed a push from an influential figure, such as Luther, in order to develop such ideas into a movement thereby provoking change in both church, state and ultimately Europe itself.

Another implication that had an impact on the church and state as a result of the Reformation was the historical factor, more specifically how long the Catholic Church was unified with state and the impact this had on citizens during the Reformation. As Catholicism was the state's religion, those whom preached or followed any other religion were condemned as heretics often resulting in the archaic punishment of death. Things such as indulgences were typically purchased both for the devout catholic to repent for sins, and as the average person to pay their way into heaven out of fear of backlash from the states god which had reigned since the beginning of the middle ages in the 5th century. Martin Luther’s 37th thesis best describes the general reasoning which was based purely out of a historical fear of God, which was accentuated by the unification of church and state, the passage states “Any true Christian, whether living or dead, participates in all the blessings of Christ and the church; and this is granted him by God, even without indulgence letters”. Carter Lindberg also emphasises the importance of the historical implication and attempts to disclose devout catholics fear of both change and the wrath of God in his secondary source ‘The Dawn of a New Era’, this idea is best highlighted in the excerpt

Secular penal practice allowed the ‘redemption’ of a punishment in exchange for money. Applied to religious practice this meant that a fast could be replaced by the cost of the meal or a pilgrimage by the cost of the journey.

The sale of indulgences was a practice that had worked for many years it funded both church and state but it came at a cost, essentially the validity of both the catholic church and the state itself. Therefore, as a result of the Protestant Reformation, and thereby the historical factor, a new means of political system and religious freedom was brought about in order to create a new history, one that would pave the way for a more wholesome and equitable society which was not biased to any one religion.

The final factor that had an impact on the church and state as a result of the Protestant Reformation during 1500-1700 was that of the economical effect. A fair assumption to make is that the political implication ultimately resulted in the immense effect the economical factor had on both church and state, due to their coinciding cause and effect relationship. Martin Luther’s theses primarily criticised the sale of indulgences, which was essentially selling catholicism in order to raise funds for the then unified church and state prior to the Reformation. The criticism proclaimed by Luther and shared by citizens throughout Europe is best discussed in Luther’s 28th indulgence which states “It is certain that when money clinks in the money chest, greed and avarice can be increased; but when the church intercedes, the result is in the hands of God alone”. This criticism in regards to the sale of indulgences as an important part of the catholic church is also highlighted in Luther’s later comments in Volker Leppin and Timothy Wengert’s secondary source ‘Sources for and Against the Posting of the Ninety-Five Theses’ specifically in the passage

Hence, when in the year 1517 indulgences were sold (I mean to say promoted) in these regions for most shameful gain—I was then a preacher, a young (so to speak) doctor of theology—I began to dissuade the people, urging that they not listen to the clamors of the indulgence hawkers and that they had better things to do.

This provides further insight as more time has passed since the reformation he is able and thus still condemns the sale of indulgences and fully supports the reformation and thus the stratification of church and state in order for both religion and the political acts of state to be free from bias and influence.

Therefore, one can conclude that the Protestant Reformation and its resulting implications had an immense impact on the church and state during the 1500-1700 time period, the effects of which were predominantly centered around the aforementioned five key factors regarding the social, political, geographical, economical and historical aspects of European life. The changes and shift in morals in both European government and citizens alike due to the Reformation, ultimately resulted in the separation of church and state in an attempt to facilitate a government that was free from religious bias, and adept to all citizens irrespective of beliefs.