Episode 1
Protestant Beginnings. - Shorter listen.
Audio • Season 1 • Episode 1 • Protestant Beginnings. - Shorter listen.
The Artwork is a Painted portrait of Martin Luther, 1528
Artist: Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472–1553). Painting Location: The Coburg Fortress, a medieval fortress, situated above the town of Coburg, in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany.
Music is not present in the Shorter Listen.
The Music in the Full episode is: Kyrie, from the Gregorian Plainsong Mass, Missa Orbis Factor.
This episode examines the origins of a Protestant movement that significantly altered fundamental Christian beliefs.
The term "Protestant" originated from the Protestation at Speyer in 1529, where nobles opposed the decrees from the Diet of Worms that threatened the forfeiture of property for supporters of Lutheranism.
Martin Luther, a German priest, theologian, religious reformer, author, and Augustinian friar, was born on November 10, 1483, in Saxony. He was a key figure in the 16th-century Protestant Reformation and is often regarded as the pivotal leader of the movement whose followers became known as Lutherans.
Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam was one of the leading activists and thinkers of the European Renaissance. A
man of remarkable intellect, he played a significant role in defining the humanist movement in Northern Europe.
At this point, it is also important to understand the concept of predestination. The Puritans believed that at the time of the
world's creation, God had already predetermined who would be saved or condemned.
Lastly, it is essential to mention William Tyndale, who is widely regarded as the greatest English biblical scholar.
Transcript
Protestant Beginnings.
November:He played a pivotal role in the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, and is regarded as the central figure of a movement, whose followers became known as Lutherans.
After his ordination in:In 1516, the catholic church, sent Johann Tetzel, a Dominican friar, to Germany to promote indulgences and raise funds for the reconstruction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
During medieval times, the Catholic Church often took advantage of its congregants by selling these indulgences.
This practise, typically required individuals to pay a monetary fee, misleadingly promising that it could absolve their sins, and possibly grant relief from purgatory after death.
October:Martin Luther also sent a copy of his "Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences," known as the Ninety-five Theses, to the bishop.
He viewed it, as a scholarly objection to church practices, with a probing tone, rather than dogmatic.
However, his dissent was evident, particularly in Thesis 86, where he questioned why, the Pope, the wealthiest man in Rome, used the money off the poor, to build St. Peter's Basilica, instead of his own.
Luther believed, only God could grant forgiveness, criticising the notion, that indulgences could absolve sins and grant salvation.
s, were printed in Germany in:By January 1518, Luther's friends had translated the Ninety-Five Theses into German, resulting in widespread distribution across Germany within weeks.
By:
Students flocked to Wittenberg to hear Luther, and this early part of Luther's career, was one of his most creative and productive.
e virtutis indulgentiarum" of:Archbishop Albrecht did not reply to Luther's letter, which included the Ninety-five Theses.
ding them to Rome in December:Pope Leo X, was experienced in dealing with reformers and heretics, so he responded with great care, as was appropriate.
Over the next three years, he sent a series of papal theologians and envoys, to confront Luther, which only intensified, Luther's criticism of the papacy.
Dominican theologian Sylvester Mazzolini, accused Luther of heresy, prompting Pope Leo to summon him to Rome.
However, Frederick the Third, Elector of Saxony, persuaded the Pope to address Luther's case in Augsburg, during the forthcoming Imperial Diet.
The term Diet, derives from the Latin diaeta, meaning a legislative assembly.
In October:Luther declaring, "His Holiness abuses Scripture", insisting, that no one is above it.
This confrontation, would mark Luther, as an enemy of the Pope.
Though Cajetan had orders to arrest him, if he refused to retract his statements, he initially showed restraint.
Meanwhile, with the help of Carmelite monk Christoph Langenmantel, Luther evaded capture, escaping Augsburg under the cover of darkness.
In January:In turn, Luther agreed to some of his demands, committing to keep quiet, providing, his opponents did the same.
However, the Catholic theologian Johann Eck, was resolute, in his intent to challenge Luther's doctrine publicly.
Johann Maier von Eck, was a German Catholic theologian, scholastic, prelate, and a pioneer of the Counter-Reformation.
The Counter-Reformation, was a period of Catholic resurgence, in response to the Protestant Reformation.
It involved, both reform within the Catholic Church, and a vigorous campaign, to counter the spread of Protestantism.
In the June and July of:During this debate, Luther argued, that Matthew 16:18, does not give the Pope exclusive rights to interpret Scripture, and claimed, that neither the Pope nor church councils are infallible.
A furious Eck, labelled Luther a heretic, and would seek to discredit him.
June:Luther was warned of excommunication, unless he recanted 41 statements from his writings, within 60 days.
A Papal Bull, is a public decree issued by the Pope, named after the leaden seal, "Bulla," used to authenticate it.
December:Luther later defended his action, in a leaflet titled, "Why the Pope and His Recent Book Are Burned."
January:The Papal Bull addressed Martin Luther's teachings, which were in direct opposition to the Catholic Church.
It condemned, forty-one of Luther's propositions, warning that he would face excommunication, unless he recanted within sixty days of the Papal Bull's issue.
In:
As a result, the enforcement of the Papal Bull, concerning the Ninety-Five Theses, became the responsibility of the secular authorities.
ther’s excommunication from:On 18 April 1521, Martin Luther appeared before the Diet of Worms, a general assembly of the Holy Roman Empire, presided over by Emperor Charles V.
Prince Frederick the Third, provided safe con-duct, in order to allow, Luther to attend.
Johann Eck, representing the Archbishop of Trier, presented Luther with his writings, and asked if he stood by their contents.
Luther, acknowledged his authorship, but requested time to consider his reply.
The following day, he declared, "I cannot, and will not, recant anything, since it is neither safe, nor right, to go against my conscience."
Over the next five days, private discussions took place to determine his fate.
May:This edict, prohibited his writings, and ordered that he be captured and punished, for being a notorious heretic.
Despite Frederick's assurances of safe passage, Luther was intercepted, on his way home, by masked horsemen, posing as highway robbers, who took him to Wartburg Castle in Eisenach.
d at Wartburg Castle from May:During his stay, Luther translated the New Testament into German, and wrote many theological works.
In them, he argued that any virtuous act, aimed at earning God's approval, is sinful, emphasising that humans are inherently sinful, and can only be justified by God's grace.
st of August:
"In our earthly existence, we will inevitably sin, since, this life, is not where righteousness prevails".
In:Luther argued, that salvation is a gift of divine grace, rather than something earned through good deeds.
This perspective, only served to intensify the debate, over free will, and predestination during the Reformation.
In contrast to Luther, Erasmus believed in free will, maintaining that human choices, play a significant role in one's salvation.
Luther however, argued that original sin incapacitates humans, rendering their will, ineffective, in the face of sins, overwhelming influence.
The debate between Luther and Erasmus, represents one of the earliest discussions of the Reformation, centring on the critical issues, of free will and predestination.
Despite his criticisms of Roman Catholicism, Erasmus believed that the Reformation should arise from within the Church, and felt that Luther had gone too far.
He taught that free will, is inherent to all humans, arguing against predestination, claiming that repentance, baptism, and conversion, all depend on free will.
Luther's response was that original sin, incapacitates human beings from working out their salvation, and that, they are incapable of bringing themselves to God.
the Protestation at Speyer in:However, the theological foundations for the term likely trace back much further.
At this point, it is important to understand the concept of Predestination.
The Puritans believed, God had predetermined or chosen those who would be saved or condemned, at the very beginning, of the world's creation.
An individual's fate therefore, was beyond their control, as God had already decided who to save.
They presumed, that only the godly had been chosen for salvation, assuming God would not select sinners.
Luther, and many of his fellow reformers, prioritised God's control and power, while Erasmus, in contrast, prioritised God's justice and liberality toward humankind.
In the end, the arguments between Erasmus and Luther, came down to differences of opinion, regarding the doctrines of divine justice and omniscience.
Luther and others, held, that God was omniscient and omnipotent, that anything that happened, had to result from God's explicit will, and it was God's foreknowledge of events, that brought the events into being.
While Erasmus argued, that God's commandments and warnings, would be in vain, if humans did not possess free will.
He believed, that if sinful acts and their resulting calamities, were solely the result of God's predestination, then God would be a cruel tyrant, punishing his creations for their sins.
Instead, Erasmus insisted, that God had endowed humanity, with free will, and valued this trait, rewarding or punishing individuals, based on their choices between good and evil.
He supported his view, by citing biblical texts, asserting that it was only through divine grace, that humanity came to recognise God.
Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam, was a prominent thinker and activist, during the European Renaissance.
Known for his remarkable intellect, he played a significant role, in shaping the humanist movement in Northern Europe.
ning the Augustinian Order in:In: This role ended in:
While in Paris, he gained his first significant patron, William Blount, Lord Mountjoy, and accompanied him to England, as his tutor in 1499.
During this initial visit, Erasmus taught at the University of Oxford, and was influenced by John Colet's biblical teachings.
Although Erasmus supported Protestant ideals, he opposed the radicalism of some of its leaders.
July:He was laid to rest in Basel Minster, the city's cathedral.
Despite his loyalty to the Church of Rome, he did not receive the Last Rites, nor is there any evidence to suggest, that he sought out a priest.
This suggests, that he regarded a believer's personal connection with God, as the most crucial aspect of his faith.
His translation of the New Testament from Latin to Greek, sparked a theological revolution.
olly, was written in Latin in:The essay, still in print today, is considered one of the most notable works of the Renaissance, playing an essential role at the start of the Protestant Reformation.
Erasmus, later expanded, and edited his work, which had been initially written in a week, during his visit to Bucklersbury in the City of London, whilst staying with Sir Thomas More and his family.
A female jester named Folly, narrates the book, which is an intriguing combination of creativity and satire, celebrating the exuberance of youth, and the pursuit of pleasure, while highlighting the flaws and absurdities, inherent in human nature.
Erasmus, had recently returned, disheartened, from his trip to Rome, where he had declined opportunities for promotion within the Church hierarchy.
As a result, Folly, progressively adopted a more critical tone, his essay concluding, with a clear statement of the Christian ideal, that, “No man is wise at all times, or is without his blindside”.
William Tyndale, is regarded as one of the greatest English biblical scholars.
His groundbreaking translation of the Bible into English, served as the foundation for the King James Bible, or KJV, also known as the Authorised Version.
ed a Master of Arts degree in:He emerged from a strong Lollard tradition in Gloucestershire, a pre-Reformation Christian movement, that was active in England from the mid-14th century until the English Reformation in the 16th.
The term Lollard, originated as a derogatory label, from the Dutch word lollaert, meaning mumbler.
sed from Oxford University in:They challenged the Church's authority to appoint priests, and believed that priests were not capable of forgiving sins.
The Lollards also rejected the church's practices of baptism and confession, viewing them as unnecessary for salvation.
While Martin Luther influenced some of their views, William Tyndale deliberately distanced himself from the German reformer, on several key theological points.
Inspired by the works of scholars, such as John Colet and Erasmus, Tyndale decided to become a priest.
Quickly realising, that he was not aligned with the English Church, he began to publicly criticise the practice of praying to saints, and rejected the Church's belief, that only authorised clergy could interpret Scripture.
As a result, he made the breathtaking decision, to produce an English translation of the Bible.
Humphrey of Monmouth, an English merchant and supporter of the Reformation, assisted Tyndale by providing him with board and lodging, to enable him to focus on his work.
Tyndale teamed up with John Frith, a skilled Greek scholar, to work on the New Testament, however, their collaboration was cut short when they were discovered, forcing them to flee England.
In:Tyndale then went to Wittenberg, where he continued his translation efforts, this time with the help of Franciscan friar William Roy.
As he approached the end of his work, he found a printer in Cologne, Peter Quentell, who was willing to publish the English New Testament, despite the dangerous environment filled with spies.
w Testament began printing in:Tyndale, continued his translation work, from Greek to English at his new location, likely using Erasmus's third edition of the Greek New Testament, and Luther's German version, as references for his translations.
His book, was designed to be the size of a modern paperback, for easy portability, unlike the larger lectern Bibles in current use.
In:Eventually, the authorities obtained a copy of the publication, and as expected, declared it to be heretical and erroneous.
The Tyndale Bible, commonly referred to as TYN, represents William Tyndale's collection of biblical translations, into Early Modern English.
Tyndale's translations, are notable for being the first English Bible versions, to be created directly from Hebrew and Greek texts.
However, they still relied significantly on the Latin Vulgate.
The Latin Vulgate is a 4th-century translation of the Bible, completed by Jerome of Stridon.
Additionally, Tyndale's Bible was the first English biblical translation to be mass-produced, thanks to advancements in printing technology.
It’s important to note that the term "Tyndale Bible", is somewhat misleading, as Tyndale never published a complete English language Bible.
Around:In May 1528, Tyndale published, "The Parable of the Wicked Mammon”, the first work to bear his name.
The Aramaic word "mammon", is commonly used to describe wealth in biblical passages.
This book, examines Luther’s sermon on Luke 16, "The Parable of the Unjust Steward”, and follows with an exploration of New Testament passages - that appear to contradict Luther's doctrine, of Justification by Faith alone.
istian Man," was published in:This, was the first time, this ideology, had been proposed, in English literature.
clare the Act of Supremacy in:However, in his next book, "The Practice of Prelates," published in 1530, Tyndale attacked Cardinal Wolsey, and opposed the annulment of Henry VIII marriage to Katherine of Aragon, arguing, that it lacked scriptural support.
As a result, both the King and Wolsey, became hostile toward Tyndale.
