The Causes and Consequences of the Protestant Reformation free essay sample

An analysis of the conflict that divided Western European Christians into two sects: Protestants and Catholics. This paper examines the political, economical, and religious differences that led to this great divide in the Roman Catholic Church. Problems including dishonest and negligent management of the church, struggles for power and wealth, the Renaissance, the rise of humanism, and the discovery of the New World are among those addressed. The process and consequences of the Reformation are outlined. One of the most important religious revolutions in history was the sixteenth century religious revolt known as the Protestant Reformation. This conflict divided the Christians of Western Europe into two religious sects: the Protestants and Catholics. The reasons behind the Reformation movement included political, economical, and religious differences. The results were so extensive that the Reformation has been called a major historical turning point for religion, as well as for the world in general. In the beginning of the sixteenth century, Western Europe had one major religion, that of Roman Catholicism. We will write a custom essay sample on The Causes and Consequences of the Protestant Reformation or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Catholic Church was wealthy, powerful, and had maintained a tight reign on Europes traditional society. Gradually, however, there developed political and social problems within the Church. These new problems favored the dishonest clergy, who seized the opportunity to further their own lives and pocketbooks. Despite the General Councils calls to impose reforms, disputes and negligent practices had become rampant within the church. The common people criticized the management of the church and began to doubt some of its teachings (Knight, 1999).