Protestant Reformation and Spiritism (Part 1)

The process of religious reforms began in the sixteenth century as a result of abuses committed by the Catholic Church and a change in the world view, a result of the Renaissance thinking that emerged at the time. The commercial bourgeoisie was in full expansion and the Church condemned the profits of the growing Capitalism. On the other hand, the European Kings were unhappy with the Pope, who increasingly interfered in the political decisions of the countries of the old world. The Church was losing its identity and ended up giving place to a reformation that would change the course of history.

In the sixteenth century a great ecclesiastical revolution occurred in Western Europe, leading to considerable changes in the religious sphere which, throughout the medieval period, had been under the control of the Catholic Church. This revolution in mentalities had both political and religious causes. Many monarchs were dissatisfied with the Pope's enormous power in the world, while many theologians criticized the doctrine and practices of the Church, its attitude toward faith, and its organizational character. Different ideas and reasons gave rise to several new ecclesial communities. (HELLEN, V., NOTAKER, H. AND GAARDER, J. The Book of Religions Item: The Protestant Reformation.)

500 years ago, new religious doctrines emerged bringing other perspectives to Christianity, which until then were a monopoly of the Catholic Church.

These doctrines have crossed the centuries and remain alive to this day, with new challenges and ever expanding.

Pre-reformation

Pre-reformation was the period prior to the Protestant Reformation. It began at the end of the thirteenth century and extended to the mid-sixteenth century. Its ideological bases served as reference for the Reformation of Martin Luther. We can mention names like Pedro Valdo, who converted to Christianity and lived helping the poor, based only on biblical teachings. His followers became known as Waldensians and gathered secretly to avoid persecution of the Church.

Oxford University theologian and Professor John Wycliffe claimed the return of the early Church by limiting the clergy to religious matters only, leaving politics to the State. Wycliffe defended the poverty of priests and organized them into groups to spread the teachings of Christ.

Another great pre-reformer was the priest and intellectual of the University of Prague Jan Huss (last reincarnation of Hippolyte Leon Denizard Rivail, before returning as Allan Kardec). He fought for Christian truth and against corruption in the Church. He argued that papal power could only be obeyed if it was in accordance with Divine Laws and that faith should be based only on the New Testament Scriptures. His followers became known as Hussites; among them, we emphasize Jerome of Prague. Huss was excommunicated, condemned and burned at the stake in the city of Constance. He died singing the song of David [Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me].

At the height of prejudice and intolerance, Jan Huss was considered the first Martyr of religious freedom, sixteen years before the French Joan of Arc (1412-1431) was burned alive for the same reason, and more than a hundred years before the German theologian Martin Luther presented his 95 theses in 1517.

Reformation

On 31 October 1517, the priest Martin Luther had preached 95 theses against Catholicism, in front of the castle church in the German city of Wittenberg. These theses were challenges to the laws and dogmas of the Church that Luther considered abusive. The monk proposed a scholastic dispute over the sale of indulgences and advocated the end of celibacy, the worship of images and the masses prayed in Latin.

With the advent of the printing press at the time, Lutheran ideas were quickly reproduced and diffused in Europe, which of course bothered the Church, and it soon turned against Luther. Initially the priest was condemned for heresy and in August 1518 the case was changed to notorious heresy. Finally in January 1521, Luther was excommunicated. The monk went into exile in the church of Wittenberg for a year and during that period he devoted himself to translating the Bible into German.

Demonstrations of support for Matinho Luther were immediate. Priests from various places renounced the vow of chastity, ended up with Masses and adorations of images, among other actions. The Church began to suffer stronger blows because some ambitious princes took advantage of the mass movement to confiscate precious goods from the religious institution. Numerous peasants who were enthusiastic about the rights of free thought began a great campaign against the Church demanding agrarian and social reforms in the name of the Gospel. This ideological rebellion provoked the armed conflict that became known as the Peasants' War (1524-1525). In 1525 Luther married Catherine of Bora, an apostate Cistercian nun, and had her children.

Some years later, Ulrich Zuinglio initiated the Reformation in Switzerland, later John Calvin tried to consolidate it, originating from there the Calvinism. In England the Reformation was delivered by the monarch Henry VIII, who wished to satisfy his political needs. Henry was married to Catherine of Aragon, who had not given him a man child. The emperor then asked Pope Clement VII to annul his marriage. Faced with the refusal of the Papacy, Henry made himself proclaim, in 1531, protector of the English Church. The Act of Supremacy, voted in Parliament in November 1534, placed Henry and his successors in the leadership of the Church, thus giving birth to Anglicanism.

Later the Reformation reached the Netherlands, extending throughout the European continent. At that time Protestantism was born with its fundamental principles: Sola scriptura(Only Scripture), Sola gratia (Only Grace or Salvation), Sola fide(Salvation Only by Faith), Solus Christus (Only Christ), Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God only).

The Counter-Reformation

The Counter-Reformation was the movement initiated by the Catholic Church from 1545 in response to the Protestant Reformation. It is also called the Catholic Reformation. There was a theological, political and military effort to contain the expansion of Protestantism. Its objectives were to spread the Catholic faith in non-Christianized areas, to contain the advance of Protestants, and to modernize the Church.

It was a period marked by conflicts that involved half of Europe, such as the 30 Years War (1618-1648), which demarcated the territories and political and religious boundaries of the two strands of Christianity (Catholicism and Protestantism).

The Counter-Reformation was marked by the convening of the Council of Trent, which ordered the resumption of the Tribunal of the Holy Office (Inquisition Courts), as well as the creation of the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, a list that related to books prohibited by the Church (books on science, sorcery and, of course, Protestant literature). The Council reaffirmed the Papal authority, the maintenance of celibacy, and the confirmation of the Biblia Vulgata (in Latin) as the official version of the Church. It also determined the encouragement of catechesis and the creation of new religious orders, among them the Jesuits, founded by Ignatius of Loyola.

In this period of Counter-Reformation, Europe went through dark times provided by the Catholic Church, which was the expansion of the Inquisition, and existed since the thirteenth century in France, with the aim of fighting heresies. With the arrival of the Courts of the Holy Office in Spain and Portugal, thousands of Protestants were persecuted, tortured, condemned and killed by the Church. (This article will be ended the next issue.)

References:

XAVIER, Francisco Candido. On the way to Light: History of Civilization in the Light of Spiritism, by the Spirit Emmanuel, from August 17 to September 21, 1938. 33^rd ed. Rio de Janeiro: FEB, 2006.

KARDEC, Allan. The Genesis: miracles and predictions according to Spiritism. Translated by Guillon Ribeiro from the 5th French ed. 48^th ed. Rio de Janeiro: FEB, 2005.

SHEFFNER, Fernando. From Reformation to counter-reformation. General History Collection in documents. Sao Paulo: Current.

MARTINA, Giacomo: History of the Church: from Luther to our days. V. 1: The Age of Reformation. Sao Paulo: Loyola, 1997.

XAVIER, Francisco Candido. O Consolador (The Comforter) by the Spirit Emmanuel. 26th ed.Rio de Janeiro: FEB, 2006.

JOSTEIN, Gaarder. The Book of Religions. Jostein, Gaarde; Hellern, Victor; Notaker, Henry. Translation: Isa Mara Lando; Technical Review and Appendix: Flavio Antonio Pierucci. Sao Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 2000.

CHAUNU, Pierre. The age of the reforms (1250-1550): The Protestant Reformation. Place in History, v. 49-50, Editions 70, 1993.

KARDEC, Allan. Spiritist Magazine: journal of psychological studies. Year 12, no. 9, pages 372-374, September 1869. Translation by Evandro Noleto Bezerra. 3rd ed. Rio de Janeiro: FEB, 2009. Precursors of Spiritism - Jan Huss.

XAVIER, Francisco C. Remembering Allan Kardec. By the Spirit Humberto de Campos. Reformer, year 96, no. 1,794, pages 25 (293) -26 (294), September, 1978.

 
Translation:

Eleni Frangatos - eleni.moreira@uol.com.br