Section 2: Attempts to silence Luther Flashcards
(42 cards)
1
Q
What did Leo X do in attempt to silence Luther?
A
- put his theologians to work preparing a case against Luther
- meanwhile asked the prior general of the Augustian order to silence the troublesome monk (Feb 1518)
2
Q
Why was Leo X preoccupied at the time?
A
- he was bankrupt as ever
- he had recently been at war with Italy
- he had thwarted a plot by cardinals to assassinate him
- he was trying to pull Christian Europe together to mount a crusade against an increasingly aggressive Ottoman Empire.
3
Q
How did Leo’s plan backfire?
A
- the task was delegated to the prior general: Johann Von Staupitz, a man who knew Luther well as a mentor and friend.
- Instead of stopping him, Staupitz invited him to speak at a meeting with the order at Heidelberg
4
Q
The meeting with the Augustinian order at Heidelberg
A
- April 1518
- Luther was asked to keep away from controversial issues and instead explain his views on sin, freewill and grace.
- the meeting was a positive one for Luther, he grew strength from the public support and was given an opportunity to develop this ideas and also made convert
5
Q
What did Leo do after the meeting at Heidelberg
A
Frustrated, he issued orders for Luther to be bought to Rome on chargers of Heresy (May 1518)
6
Q
How did Frederick the Wise intervene?
A
He requested that Luther instead be interviewed by Cardinal Cajetan.
7
Q
Why did Frederick the Wise intervene?
A
- He was very proud of the uni of Wittenberg, which Luther was making famous
- Tetzel’s sale of indulgences had undermined Fred’s
- Tetzel was employed by Albert of Mainz, whose family rivalled Frederick for political influence in the empire
8
Q
Why did Leo agree to Frederick’s request?
A
For political reasons: Frederick was the senior elector, his vote would be crucial in the next imperial election
9
Q
Prior to: The meeting with Cajetan at Ausburg
A
- October 1518
- Cajetan was under strict orders from Leo to demand that Luther recant in full, and to arrange for his arrest if he refused.
- Cajetan was not to enter into any sort of debate with Luther
10
Q
During: the meeting with Cajetan
A
Things did not go as planned:
- On arrival in Augsburg, Luther’s friends requested an imperial gaurentee of his safety, preventing any plans of arrest
- Cajetan also engaged in brief debated, questioning both Theses 58 and 7 on accounts of Heresy, yet Luther denied this, refused to recant and Cajetan dissmised him.
11
Q
Outcome of the meeting with Cajetan
A
- Cajetan wrote to Frederick informing him that Luther was a heretic and would be surrendered immediately
- Luther’s belief in ‘justification by faith alone’ was well developed
12
Q
Negotiations between Miltitz and Frederick
A
December 1518- January 1519
- Leo sent his chamberlain, Karl Von Miltitz and a gift of a papal golden rose (of enormous status) in an attempt to get Frederick to hand over Luther
- Whether or not this would have worked however, is unknown, as before negotiations could develop, emperor Maximmilian died.
13
Q
What did Leo do when Maximilian died
A
- suspended all action against Luther for a whole year pending the imperial election
- he wished Frederick to stand as candidate, and was more interested in politics/ did not want anything to cloud their relationship.
- it is not known why Leo did not do anything for a while after the election
14
Q
The Leipzig debates: pretext
A
- For 18 months, the Dominican order had been waging a pamphlet war against Luther, led first by Tetzel and then Dr John Eck
- Eck decided to attack Luther from the angle that Luther was challenging papal supremacy
- Duke George of Saxony agreed to host a debate between the two sides in Leipzig, yet refused to issue a safe conduct for Luther to debate, so the Wittenberg delegation was led by Dr Andrew Karlstadt
15
Q
The Leipzig debates: during 1
A
June- July 1519
- Luther went along as an observer, Karlstadt did not have his abilities
- For a week they debated on free will and its relationship with salvation. Finally, frustrated Eck intervened and persuaded George, meaning he could debate with Luther
16
Q
The Leipzig debates: during 2
A
- Eck tricked Luther into a corner, accusing Luther of holding some of the same views as Bohemian Jan Hus, who had been bored for heresy ini 1415
- When pressed Luther said: there was no evidence for the papacy in the scriptures, they therefore had no authority, and the highest authority lay in the general council of the church
- after 3 weeks, it was over, no winner declared
17
Q
Outcome of the Leipzig debates
A
- Luther was forced to expres his ideas well beyond anything he might have contemplated in 1517, in saying his beliefs on sola scriptura
- he achieved considerable publicity
- Eck reported to Rome that Luther was unquestionably a heretic
18
Q
other factors which may be to blame:
A
- fred gave luther protection
- pope didn’t; see it as a threat, others had said things before
- printing press
- luther soon had much support: appealed to underlying anti-papalist, nationalism
19
Q
Bad things Luther did in the Leipzig debates
A
1) Luther had openly stated that he agreed with some of the views of Jan Hus
2) He publicly stated that the papacy had no scriptural basis and therefore the pope had no authority
3) he publicly stated that the scriptures alone held the truth
20
Q
How did Rome respond to Luther’s actions at the Leipzig debates?
A
- January 1520: threatened Luther with excommunication
- Eck drew up the papers and in June Rome issued the papal bull Exsurge Domine
- 41 of Luther’s views were condemned as heretical, his books and pamphlets were to be publicly burned
- Luther was given 60 days to recant his views, and in the mean time he was forbidden to preach or write. If he failed, he would be excommunicated.
21
Q
What was excommunication?
A
the action of officially excluding someone from participation in the sacraments and services in the christian church
22
Q
Papal bull Exsurge Domine
A
- Eck and cardinal Aleander were despatched north to publicise it
- It stated that the church must protect itself from ‘the wild boar’ that had invaded it
- In strong areas of Lutheran support, it was angrily torn down from doors
23
Q
The three pamphlets of 1520
A
- in 1520, he wrote and published over 20 pamphlets
- condemning the errors of the church, listing its abuses, suggesting reforms and elaborating ideas of sola scriptura and sola fide.
24
Q
Names of the three pamphlets (The reformation Treatises)
A
- To the christian nobility of the German Nation, Aug
- On the Babylonish Captivity of the church, Sept
- Concerning Christian Liberty, Nov
25
Purpose of: To the christian nobility of the German Nation
Written in: German
Purpose: partly political, tried to gain support
- Adressed everyone in authority in Germany
- Asked these 'temporal authorities' to start the reform since spiritual authorities failed to do so.
26
What did Luther say in: To the christian nobility of the German Nation (3 walls)
Said Rome had drawn up 3 walls to protect against reform:
- the fact that spiritual power was above temporal
- only the pope could interpret the scriptures
- the church said only the pope could call a council
none of these walls had any scriptural basis and those who defended them were agents of the Anticrhist
because of this it was acceptable for temporal authorities to take reform into their own hands
27
what else did it say in: To the christian nobility of the German Nation
- 3 walls
- listed all the reforms needed
- luther's attack on the first wall was important, as he used scriptures as evidence to claim that everyone was equal spirtiually and the clergy should not be superior above others
28
Purpose of: On the Babylonish Captivity of the church
Written in: Latin
Purpose: adressed to clergy and humanists
more than a call for reform of abuses- attacked Rome's teachings on the sacraments and therefore the whole basis of catholicism
29
What did Luther say in: On the Babylonish Captivity of the church
- claimed Rome used the teaching of the sacraments to enslave people and make them reliant on priests, comparing the papacy to the Kingdom of Babylon
- Claimed only 3 sacraments (baptism, penance and the Eucharist) could be proved from scriptures, and the rest were made up and invalid
- also claimed the 3 scriptures had been interpreted incorrectly: i.e the E, transubstantiation did not acc occur, there was also no basis for saying only the priest could take the wine.
30
Recation to: On the Babylonish Captivity of the church
caused division:
moderate humanists and reformists: (e.g. Erasmus and Thomas More) thought he had gone too far as all they wanted was a rid of abuses
whereas some hardliners: felt Luther had not gone hard enough, there was no scriptural basis for penance either , also said he was being too cautious in his attacks on Eucharist and baptism
31
Purpose of: Concerning christian liberty
Written in: German
Gentlest of the 3, even with the pope, saying he had just been misguided by councillors
32
what did Luther say in: Concerning christian liberty
- shared his ideas of 'justification by faith alone' or sola fide. People didn't need to live in fear of death
- faith was the key to salvation, not silly works like fasting
33
reaction to: Concerning christian liberty
Luther did not convince all his followers and the pamphlet sparked a dispute on issues of liberty and license and the point of morality
34
How did Luther's attack on the church start out?
- in oct 1517, Luther may have simply wanted to spark a debate on indulgences and the way they were marketed by tetzel
- he expressed loyalty to the church and papacy and convinced that the church did not know of tetzels ways
- he wrote in latin- clearly seeking academic debate
35
Which 3 factors may explain the escalation of luther's attack on the church?
1) the reaction of the church
2) the support he recieved
3) His character and ideals
36
Why did Luther's ideas change so dramatically between 1517-1520? (the reaction of the church)
used wrong tactics to silence him:
- leo underestimated the affair
- Albert of Mainz failed to move quickly enough or in the right direction- should have immediately dismissed Tetzel rather than waiting until late 1518
- the church therefore gave him time which allowed him to expand on his ideas
- Cajetan and the Leipzig debates applied pressure so he expanded his ideas
37
Why did Luther's ideas change so dramatically between 1517-1520? (the support he received)
- Luther gained support from ordinary people, who were motivated by pre-exisiting anti- clerical, papal and italian feelings and the belief that Rome was milking Germany for money
- saw him as a German hero - fulfilment of a prophecy, the holy man come to save them
- Also gained support from young scholars e.g. Melanchthon, Ulrich Von Hutten, Martin Bucer.
- He had powerful protectors: Fred, Staupitx, Augustinina order.
He drew courage from this support
38
Why did Luther's ideas change so dramatically between 1517-1520? ( His character and ideas)
- courage and determination. Shown right fromm the start in his letter to Albert of Mainz in October 1517.
- It is argued that his beliefs on sola scripture and sola fide were held privately well before 1517, as it is implicit in the 95 theses
- Though they were developed, they had been there from the start
39
Luther's tower experience
In 1532Luther said this is when his theological breakthrough came, in 'this tower and heated chamber' (In mid 1519)
- Described it in detail in 1545 - he had been mediating constantly concerning the true meaning of St Pauls words when he began to understand
- This led his to the doctrine of 'sola fide
40
other interpretations of Luther's tower experience
Peter Elmer - Long process of enlightenment begins as early as 1509
Mark Greengrass- He had a brief period of emerging clarity, occurring in 1515
Diarmaid MaCulloch - Occurred after meeting cajetan in Aug 1518
41
Burning of the Papal Bull
- On december 10th 1520, surrounded by his enthustiatic students, he made a bonfire
- The students threw books of canon law defining the legal powers of the church, and all the anti-lather material they could find
- In a dramatic gesture, Luther threw the papal bull Exsurge Domine on the fire
42
What happened after the burning of the Papal Bull
- A month later, Leo issued the excommunication, the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem
- Luther and all his supporters were now cast out from the church
