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Protestant Reformation Dbq

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Caused by the 95 theses written by Martin Luther in 1517, the Protestant Reformation made significant changes on Western civilization. It altered the way people worshipped God and allowed for people to establish their own belief system. The Protestant Reformation allowed for a new definition of what it means to be civilized in Europe. People discovered, and took advantage of their freedom of religion. The Reformation did in fact contribute to a more civilized society because of its development of religious diversity, and its gradual separation between church and state.
One of Martin Luther’s teachings states “On the matter of religious practice, is it better to follow one’s conscience?” (Notes Packet - The Reformation Begins; Mr. Johnson) Obviously, …show more content…
For instance, it led to religious diversity. Due to the fact that everybody was moving away from the teachings of the Church, and instead following their own conscience, more religions evolved. Groups such as the Lutherans, Calvinists, Anabaptists, Presbyterians, Huguenots, Anglicans, and Roman Catholics formed. Each group had their own interpretations of the Bible, and had their own religious view. Because of this, they were allowed to teach others about their individual mindset, and learn from others about theirs. This, in other words, could be a form of cultural diffusion; spread of religion and …show more content…
This is because along with religious diversity, it also brought religious intolerance, which sparked a lot of violence within Europe. As mentioned before, the Protestant Reformation produced many new religions such as the Calvinists, Anabaptists, Presbyterians, and the Huguenots (etc). Each group had their own beliefs. For instance, Calvinists made their own interpretations on the bible, and they believed that everyone had a “predetermined fate”. (Notes Packet - The Reformation Spreads; Mr. Johnson) However, Anabaptists believed in “only baptizing those who were old enough to decide to be christian”, and they supported the separation of church and state. (Notes Packet - The Reformation Spreads; Mr. Johnson) Huguenots, on the other hand, were French Protestants, and they were treated very poorly. In fact, St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre represents the “massacre of French Huguenots (Protestants) in Paris on August 24/25, 1572, plotted by Catherine de Médicis and carried out by Roman Catholic nobles and other citizens.” (Britannica - Massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Day; The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica) In this specific example, the Roman Catholics had no tolerance for the Huguenots, and decided to act upon their differences in beliefs, and destroy the Protestant religion.
To conclude, the Protestant Reformation led to a more civilized world due to its promotion of religious

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