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Similarities Between Luther And John Calvin

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The first Reformation of the 16th century, began with Martin Luther with the publication of his great, influential work, The Ninety-Five Theses. Luther’s mission to reform the Church and dispose of the corruption of priests and the sale of indulgences, inspired others such as lawyer-turned-reform advocate and preacher, John Calvin to act in the name of what he believed to be righteous. The ideals of the Reformations presented first by Luther, and then modified through the separate branch of Calvinism began a chain-reaction, motivating King Henry VIII to make use of the changing religious ideals to extend his political power. In this essay, the similarities and differences between the Calvinist Reformation of Geneva and Henry VIII’s Reformation …show more content…

Calvin was extremely vocal about his contempt for the sale of indulgences, the sacrament of penance and most of all, the overwhelming pressure to perform enough “good deeds” to be accepted into Heaven, induced by the Roman Catholic Church. King Henry VIII was also against the authority of the papacy, as seen through the fact he decided to reform the Church of England in an attempt to overpower the influence of the pope. Though he had originally done so so he would be able to divorce his wife, it is clear that his decision to reform the Church was also a power move as after the Reformation, control of England laid solely with the king. While Calvin and King Henry VIII’s willingness to speak out against the pope qualifies as a similarity between the two Reformations, it is important to realize again, the motivations behind the two. While Calvin’s willingness to speak out specifically about the corruption of the pope and the Roman Catholic Church illustrates his religious motivations, King Henry VIII’s decision to break from the Roman Catholic Church was more so a power play then a crusade for a reformed and righteous

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