The Strange Era of the Protestant Reformation—The Defenders of Catholicism

Desiderius Erasmus and Thomas More

Read “The Strange Era of the Protestant Reformation-Catholic Low Point,” here.

The State of the 16^th Century Church

During the 14^th-16^th centuries, the Papal States struggled with corruption and questionable activities. As a result, on Halloween day, in 1517, Martin Luther publicly questioned the actions of the church in his hometown of Wittenburg, leading to the Protestant Reformation. His Ninety-five Theses or Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences initiated a European dialogue which brought into question the legitimacy of Papal authority and the long accepted customs of the Roman Catholic Church. Luther’s theses grasped the attention of European citizens and monarchs alike. Pope Leo X and papal supporters denounced Luther, and criticized his interpretation of scriptures. Thomas More and Desiderius Erasmus were in the ranks of Luther’s critics.  (Read more information about events leading to the Protestant Reformation in the first part of this series, The Catholic Low-Point).

Martin Luther’s Theology

Martin Luther was a devout monk who became a Sworn Doctor of the Holy Scripture. He found assurance in his belief that God’s righteousness and grace was something freely given by God. He was forever tormented, however, because he never knew if he was behaving perfectly enough to find salvation.

He refused to separate the aspects of the flesh and the spirit. Luther believed the flesh and the spirit were one and represented man’s relationship to God. To him, man who accepts God’s grace would contain equal flesh and spirit, but would rely on the spirit.

In response to Protestant skepticism and questioning, the supporters of the Catholic Church launched what is known today as the Counter Revolution. The Catholic theologians and clergy gathered to revitalize and repair their church—the most notable meeting was the Council of Trent, which met three times from 1545 to 1563, solving or defending through scripture many of the problems the Protestants condemned.

(17th century painting of the Council of Trent in Santa Maria Maggiore church, Museo Diocesano Tridentino, Trento (Italy), [Public Domain] via Creative Commons)

Desiderius Erasmus

Desiderius Erasmus was born in Rotterdam in 1466. He lived during the reigns of several corrupt popes (Popes Alexander VI and Julius II) and experienced the reformations of Martin Luther. Erasmus was the leading humanist of his day and, like other humanists, he had a great respect for the classical writings of ancient Greece and Rome. He suggested to those who would listen that ancient texts could bring insight into Christian life. Although he admired the works of pagans, Erasmus received a thorough Christian education at the hands of the religious Brethren of the Common Life. When he turned twenty-one, Erasmus joined the monastic Augustinian Canons of Steyn; however, he grew tired of the monastic life and relocated to Paris, where he studied theology. As with the monastery life, Erasmus found himself restless in Paris. He then traveled abroad, meeting other humanists such as Thomas More, John Colet, and Aldus Manitius, as well as befriending other scholars and noblemen around Europe. When the Protestant Reformation began to emmerge, Erasmus worked to defend Catholicism, publicly disagreeing with Martin Luther on theological issues such as God’s divine grace concerning man.

(Erasmus by Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/1498–1543) [Public domain], via Creative Commons)

Erasmus had a similar upbringing to Martin Luther, who was also taught by the Brethren of the Common Life and was an Augustinian monk. Differences arose in the dedication put forth by the two men to their monastic and scholarly lives. Erasmus’ beliefs were similar to Luther’s in many respects, but he criticized Luther’s presumption that God’s grace is given to humanity by God, and not that humanity earns God’s grace through the process of acting like God. Erasmus wrote, ”God is a spirit and is appeased by spiritual sacrifices” (source 2). He was also drawn to an Aristotelian approach to God. To be close to God, one would have to behave like God. Erasmus suggested Christians must full-heartedly strive for perfection, based on divine law. He also differed from Luther in his view of the flesh and the soul. Erasmus saw humanity as a third world (flesh and soul being worlds one and two) drawing from a divine world of the invisible on one end, and from the material world of the visible on the other. Luther also saw man as a third world of sorts, but he drew it out further than Erasmus. Luther insisted that there are not two separate worlds of the flesh and spirit, but that man has both flesh and spirit within him, as a whole.

Erasmus’ strongest position, however, correlated with Luther. He said, “to place the whole of religion in external ceremonies is sublime stupidity” (source 5). Erasmus and Luther both criticized the corruptions of the church. They both suggested that Christians internalize religious services and seek out the truth in scripture. Erasmus criticized the mindless rituals of the church, while Luther criticized the abuses of the church. Luther decided to reform the church, but Erasmus remained Catholic and just wanted people to internalize what the rituals attempted to teach, instead of just following the motions. Erasmus died in Basel, Switzerland on July 12, 1536.

           

Thomas More

Thomas More was another humanist who lived in the time of the Protestant Reformations. More was born in 1477 and received a humanistic education at Oxford University in London. As a humanist, Thomas More drew inspiration from the classical works, including the writings of Plato. The Republic, written by Plato, particularly influenced More in his own work entitled Utopia. In that piece, More attacked capital punishment based on God’s condemnation of suicide. He found it unthinkable that man may execute another man when it is against God’s commandments to kill one’s self. Furthermore, More criticized the landholders directly for creating the criminals they persecuted. He suggested that the landowners, in consolidating their lands for sheep pastures, forced homeless farmers into thievery. He accused the elite, saying, “you create thieves, and then punish them for stealing” (souce 8).

 More had a wide array of occupations including law, politics, and serving in the court of Henry VIII of England. He served as Lord Chancellor for King Henry from 1529 to 1532.  During this time period Henry VIII used the Protestant Reformation to begin consolidating more monarchal power under the Anglican Church. More’s resignation of his office in 1532, and his refusal to swear an oath to the monarchy, contributed to his execution in 1535. More criticized the ruling elite, including church members, but he refused to abandon Catholicism, and his persistence cost him his life.

(Thomas More painted by Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/1498–1543) [Public domain], via Creative Commons)

More and Luther were both reformers, but More focused mainly on the purely social aspects of life. Luther called for religious debate, and his criticisms were directed at religious topics. Luther openly criticized the papacy and was excommunicated from the Catholic Church. Thomas More, on the other hand, resisted Henry VIII’s coup d’état on religion in England. More defended Catholicism, and was executed as a Catholic.

(Read Part Three—The Reformer, HERE)

Written by C. Keith Hansley

thehistorianhut.com

Sources

1. Carter Lindberg. The European Reformations (Second Edition). Massachusetts: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. Pg 68.
2. The Western World: Age of the Protestant Reformation (Primary Readings). Edited by Mark Kishlansky. Boston: Pearson and Penguin Publishing, 2010. Pg. 21.
3. The Western World: Age of the Protestant Reformation (Primary Readings). Edited by Mark Kishlansky. Boston: Pearson and Penguin Publishing, 2010. Pg. 21.
4. The Western World: Age of the Protestant Reformation (Primary Readings). Edited by Mark Kishlansky. Boston: Pearson and Penguin Publishing, 2010. Pg. 14.
5. The Western World: Age of the Protestant Reformation (Primary Readings). Edited by Mark Kishlansky. Boston: Pearson and Penguin Publishing, 2010. Pg. 19.
6. The Western World: Age of the Protestant Reformation (Primary Readings). Edited by Mark Kishlansky. Boston: Pearson and Penguin Publishing, 2010. Pg. 12-13.
7. The Western World: Age of the Protestant Reformation (Primary Readings). Edited by Mark Kishlansky. Boston: Pearson and Penguin Publishing, 2010. Pg. 8.
8. The Western World: Age of the Protestant Reformation (Primary Readings). Edited by Mark Kishlansky. Boston: Pearson and Penguin Publishing, 2010. Pg. 7.
9. The Western World: Age of the Protestant Reformation (Primary Readings). Edited by Mark Kishlansky. Boston: Pearson and Penguin Publishing, 2010. Pg. 1.