Reformation. Who started the reformation and why? (169)

The Reformation was a major movement within Western Christianity in the 16th century that posed a religious and political challenge to the Roman Catholic Church and papal authority. It began as a reaction to what was perceived as the corruption and abuses of the Catholic Church, particularly the sale of indulgences, which were pardons for sins that supposedly reduced the punishment in purgatory.The Reformation was started by Martin Luther, a German monk and theologian, in 1517. Luther's 95 Theses, which criticized the Church's practices and called for reform, were nailed to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. This act is often considered the starting point of the Reformation.Luther's main objections to the Catholic Church were:1. The sale of indulgences, which he saw as a way for the Church to make money by exploiting people's fears of punishment in the afterlife.2. The lack of biblical basis for many Church practices and teachings.3. The authority of the Pope and the hierarchy of the Church, which he believed should be subordinate to the Bible.Luther's ideas spread rapidly through the printing press, and he was soon joined by other reformers, such as John Calvin and Huldrych Zwingli, who helped shape the course of the Reformation. The movement led to the establishment of Protestant denominations and significant changes in the religious landscape of Europe.