Introduction to the Protestant Reformation: Setting the stage

There are 4 videos in this series:

What was Western Europe like before the Protestant Reformation? Learn about the influence of the Catholic church and the issues that led a monk named Martin Luther to demand reform. Created by Beth Harris and Steven Zucker.

[sweetparriz]

I got this video assigned by my history teacher and he actually left us timestamps for certain parts of the video. Um...Idk if any of you have to use the timestamps to answer specific questions but just in case here, they are:

1:27 - What does the term “Catholic” mean?
1:43 - 3:40: According to the video, how did the Catholic Church hold so much power over Christian society?
4:28 - 7:05: What was Pope Leo X’s strategy to construct St. Peter’s Basilica and how did this contribute to the dissatisfaction of the people, leading to the Protestant Reformation?

This probably isn't going to help anyone, but I just thought why not just put timestamps lol.

[Sasha]

Another unexpected treat from Smarthistory. I absolutely loved this video.
It's amazing what you just accept and assume, but for all the times I've heard "catholic, " I never knew what it meant until now. The beginnings of the Reformation were bittersweet but very interesting to hear about. I'm looking forward to completing the series, now that I have moments to spare. 🙂

[sarahgraves]

we're using this for school work, thanks so much! Making so many Cornell notes!

[RyanMichael]

Good video! The church is still unbroken as Jesus promised in Matthew 16:18-19. I believe the last 500 years (reformation) is part of the great falling away and persecution of the Church. God Bless.

[notjohnnywen]

i didnt understand the textbook until i watched this. thank you so much for this video.

[iKayorei]

I learned more in this video than I did reading the text, lol.

[noahhutchison]

Watching this for school, but interesting.

[dwhalen]

Thanx for this video series- nice break down and getting directly to the point

[clementjb]

The video isn't endorsing Roman Catholicism, it's simply stating that prior to the Reformation, the only Christian religious institution in Western Europe was the Roman Catholic Church. Getting into the history of early Christianity and the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and the origins of Christianity is not within the scope of this video. They're just trying to set the stage for how this relates to art history.

[gailtimpe]

The Catholic Church does not teach that you can earn grace. On the contrary it teaches that grace is a free/undeserved gift.

[veltix]

this was a very nice video I enjoyed this video and learned alot

[Erlo]

I’m pretty “fussy” about church history—alert to any errors and quick to pounce when historians are inaccurate. But this series of videos are solid (I’ll point out a few tiny mistakes or omissions later)

But I’m very fond of these videos on the Protestant Reformation not only because they’re accurate but also because they’re CONCISE (they use time efficiently) and use VISUALS very well

The only downside: my students say these videos are more informative and interesting than I am!

[pushpasen]

good and simple teaching videos hels in learning more about history THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR VIDEOS

[aiken]

who else got this video from their teacher

[cehopper]

This is great! Well done. Perfect for my Humanities II class. Thank you!

[lcsweetartz]

Can't forget about the great schism from the the Roman Catholic Church breaking away from the Greek (Eastern) Orthodox Church, it was originally just the Church until they split in 1054.

[boleyn]

A very well done video.  Bravo.  Have always enjoyed your videos they really are first-class.

[raymondmulholland]

All in all, I think they are doing a fair job explaining the situation. As Catholics, we are taught that this was a dark time in our history and abuses were quite rampant then. But, there are some clarifications I would like to make here. Jesus told Peter that Peter would be the rock upon which His church would be built. This is a singular use of the word, so Jesus Himself clearly desired a single Church. The official name of His Church is the Catholic Church. The word "Roman" is not officially part of our name, it is used for clarity since several Protestant Churches have taken it upon themselves to add the word "Catholic" to their names. The emphasis on the Pope's power was a bit misleading if technically correct. Bishops are charged with the education of the laity, and the Pope is the first among Bishops (as in first among peers). As such, they are instrumental in the faith of the Church. But in the end, one is ultimately responsible for one's own soul. Indulgences were never part of the official teachings of the Catholic Church (called the Catechism): it was an abuse of the priestly power of forgiveness from the start. This is not to say that it was not widely practiced, or even encouraged by the Pope. As I said, that was a dark time for the Catholic Church: so dark even the Pope was corrupted. It is the Pope's duty to educate the Catechism, not change it. To attempt to change it would make him an apostate. As Catholics, we believe Jesus is the head of the Church, and those guilty of abusing their power, whether secular or religious, will have to account for it during the judgement.

[andreaoliverio]

thanks I'm an italian tour guide all of italy in at home in Lockdown cause of the covid 19. your channel is very helpful. Ciao !

[chrisk]

Penance/Confession came to be called Reconciliation