Globalizing Religions (cont’d) 11-09-19 10:14 AM
Themes: Multiple senses of Globalizing religions
Was religious transformation in the early modern world unique?
Reformation
Luther’s 95 theses
• Watershed effect that began it all
• Criticized the church from within
• Leaders have no spiritual powers, all should have a direct
relationship with God
• Criticized church’s money making schemes (indulgences)
o Ability to have sins forgiven
• Was successful in breaking away from church because of confluence
of social and economic processes
• Allowed his criticisms to be taken up by already critical people of
the papacy
• Europeans were already open to the possibility to challenging the
church
o New colonies
Sack of Rome
• 1527: military forces of Charles V pillaged Rome,
• Caused by dissatisfaction with the papacy
• Protestant army, not catholic
o Didn’t mind pillaging Rome
• Helped people become more aware of criticism of the church
• A lot of fermentation in reformed churches
• Forced the catholic church to define itself
• Creation of the council of the church – top officials of church
hierarchy – The council of Trent
o Lasted 2 decades & tried to put into legislation every aspect
of how people should behave in everyday life
o Did not argue with Luther’s Theses, but tries to change their
ways
• Many religious groups developed similar ideas about purifying the
soul and acting in a certain moral way all at the same time
o Global transformation without and originator