Changing the Political Game
By Alyssa Akamine
Martin Luther and Henry VII were able to draw societies away from the ways of the medieval times. Their influences helped mold bigger and better societies to come. They changed the views of politics in the government, shaped the new governments to come, and were able to draw people away from the grasp of the church.
King Henry VII was another key element in the change in politics. He was in dire need of a male heir to inherit the throne. However, his wife could not produce one. He then looked to a woman named Anne Boleyn. The Pope would not permit his divorce due to the mess the Church was going through during that time. Henry then used the vulnerability of Rome to his advantage and took away the English church from authority. He founded the Anglican Church with the Parliamentary Act, which gave him ultimate authority. He had both religious and monarch power. He took advantage of the influence he had and twisted the situation to suit his needs.
During the early Renaissance period, the Church was having a very tough time getting back the following it had once had. They had feuded with the Roman Empire and had to deal with the Great Schism. Clergy were under qualified, going against principals, and church officials were hiring clergy to official tasks. All of these things were signs of the Church’s weakness. Martin Luther had his own issue with religion. Although he was extremely dedicated and ordained, he couldn’t help but feel like he was a sinner. Began to research and read the works of the biblical age, which later lead the writing of 95 Theses. In his 95 Theses he challenged the Church and addressed what he saw as flaws in the structure of religion. One of these flaws was indulgences, which allowed men to purchase their way into heaven. He had said “All who call on God in true faith, earnestly from
the heart, will certainly be heard and will receive what they have asked and desired.” Luther believed that salvation could be obtained with faith alone, and that the bible should have been the basis of Christian theology. He touched the minds of many on the day that he nailed his thoughts onto the door of the church. The papal authorities were angry, but Luther didn’t back down. Eventually the Protestant Movement spread all through out Europe. The movement encouraged individualism and led to religious freedom for the people. It led to people developing their own judgment. It also helped with the advancement of education. Protestant leaders had always been in support of education and many institutes had sprung up after the movement.