Roman Catholics believed in indulgences, an act that was used, among other things, to finance the magnificent St. Peter?s Basilica in Rome. This spurred the monk, Martin Luther to protest and argue that salvation came not by ?doing certain things? but from religious faith. His dispute against the Pope, led him to condemnation. He continued his debate further from within the church without much progress. Taking the matter into his own hands, he rejected the Pope?s authority and in 1519 began the movement known has the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther had paved the way to question the church. This spread throughout the world inspiring others, spurring the Catholic (counter) reformation, and thus later led to religious, social and political changes in Western Europe. His views on Christianity appealed to nobles and commoners, yet it was a threat to the Roman Catholic Church.

Luther believed that Christian belief must be based on the word of God and tradit

Martin Luther?s interpretation of Christianity was appealing to both nobles and commoners in Western Europe. Protestant Reformation made it easier for monarchs to increase their control of the church. Politically, it was usually the Pope who created the kings but under Protestantism, it was done away with. Under the Roman Catholic church, divorces were not allowed, but when King Henry VIII found that his wife could not provide an heir to the throne, he disbanded from the Roman Catholic church and headed a church of his own (known as the Church of England) where he could get an annulment. The king had used the church revenues to enhance his royal power. Commoners would usually have to pay a tithe to the church, but under Protestantism, this doesn?t exist, causing commoners to convert readily and giving lesser power to the Catholic Church. The donation of land by the nobles and the taxations to the people caused the Catholic Church to be wealthier than the King. King Henry used his new authority to take over some of the Catholic C

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