How were reformation, religion, and politics entertwined throughout the whole process?
Reformation = Protestantism, an alternative form of Christianity first introduced in Europe in 1517. Before 1517, most of Europe was Catholic. In that year, a Catholic priest, Martin Luther, nailed some criticisms of the Catholic Church onto the door of his church. He PROTESTed the excesses of the Catholic Church. He wanted REFORM under new ideas that, among other things, cut out the multiple layers of officials in the Catholic hierarchy and stopped Catholic priests from collecting indulgences — money offered in exchange for forgiveness from sin — from the poor. Within two weeks, his ideas — the new form of Christianity called Protestantism — had spread throughout Germany. Within two months they’d spread throughout Europe. We call this period of time the Reformation. In Germany, the new Protestants were called Lutherans; in Scotland, they were Presbyterians; later in England, they were Anglicans. Many other Protestant forms of Christianity flourished thereafter. There was no such t
