Title: The Reformation's Impact on Germany: The Peasant Wars - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com
Headings: The Reformation's Impact on Germany: The Peasant Wars
The Reformation's Impact on Germany: The Peasant Wars
Lesson Transcript
The Protestant Reformation
Luther Ignites a Revolt
The Peasant Wars
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The Reformation's Impact on Germany: The Peasant Wars
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The Reformation's Impact on Germany: The Peasant Wars
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Content: He thought the Church was selling pardons for sins (called indulgences) without concern of whether the person was legitimately repentant. Luther believed the Pope should not have ultimate authority. He believed the Bible should hold authority and that each person had as much authority over their own religion as the church officials. Luther nailed 95 theses against indulgences (pardoning of a sin) to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg to display his distaste with the Church. He also said nuns and monks shouldn't be held to their vows as he felt this gave the church more authority. The Reformation spread throughout Europe. Scholars encouraged many to learn to read Hebrew and Greek so they could study the Bible in its original language. Many people saw this as an opportunity to gain more control over their lives and a break from authority, leading to mass popularity of freethinking ideas. The Peasant Wars
The life of a peasant at this time was not easy. Because of high taxes and the ownership of all land belonging to royalty, peasants were basically slaves who worked the land without receiving any benefit from it.