Note: The Reformation was not a pretty time in history, with much fighting, many religious disagreements and hypocrisies, and martyrdom. All people are sinners and fall short of the glory of God. Be it the Church, the Reformers, the Kings and Queens, or the peasantry, one and all made mistakes. I did my best, using numerous resources old and new, to make an honest and just representation of the people and the times. Caution is recommended presenting the material to sensitive children.

This unit can be completed over a period of a few weeks or a few months. It is designed to be a Lap-n-Note™, including both lapbook components and notebooking pages. Individual Reformer lessons and lapbooks can stand alone if you want to use them separately. Or, you can opt to do the unit in its entirety.

Optional Resources –

Portraits of Faithful Saints by Herman Hanko (online book with biographies of Reformers)

Free MP3 Audio Downloads (in depth online class about church history for upper grades to adults)

Vocabulary

You may come upon unfamiliar words in your study of the Reformation. Each of the Reformer Lapbooks includes a Vocabulary Flap Book. Here are the definitions of some of the words you may come across:

Theologian – somebody well versed in the study of religion

Reformist – a person who wanted to make things better by removing abuses and restoring to a better condition.

Dissident – someone who disagrees with the doctrines of an established church or idea; the opposite of conformist.

Protestant – a person protesting, or objecting, to the doctrines and/or activities of the Roman Catholic Church.

Vernacular – the native language of a certain locality

Penance – a sacramental rite, confessing your sins to a priest, the acceptance of penalties, and the absolution of those sins.

Indulgences– pieces of parchment, sold by the Church, with promises of forgiveness of sin without repentance.

Bull – a decree or law issued by the Pope

Theses – formal, thought out propositions, defended by arguments

Heresy – a belief or opinion contrary to the established doctrines of a church

Heretic – a person who holds a belief or opinion contrary to the established doctrines of a church

Martyr – a person who dies, suffers, or sacrifices everything for a principle or cause

Exiled – made to leave and stay away from his native land by decree or banishment

When and Where

The Reformation began in the hearts and minds of people after 1/3 of the population was wiped out by the Plague in the mid to late 1300’s, and people started to take their spiritual lives apart from the state Church seriously. Then, the inventions of the printing press in the 1450’s helped immensely to further spread the ideas of a few Protestants and get Bibles into the hands of the general public. It is hard to put a date on the beginning of the movement, but the Reformation is generally acknowledged as beginning in 1517 with Martin Luther’s posting of his Ninety-five theses, and ending in 1648 when the Westminster Confession of Faith was adopted by England and Scotland.

Throughout Europe, the Roman Catholic Church held much power, including doctrinal, political, economic, and cultural control of the people. Even the Kings and Emperors answered to the Pope. With power often comes greed and immorality, and the land-poor peasantry was ready for a change. And the Kings, who were tired of seeing all their gold go to the Church in the form of tithes, and wanted more independence in their own lands, were also ready for a change. So when Reformers challenged the Church about its un-Biblical practices such as sale of indulgences, worship of saints, and the moral and intellectual standards of the priests, the people generally supported them.

A “reformation” is a change for the good. What began as a movement to simply reform the Catholic Church ended with the establishment of Protestantism. It completely changed the medieval way of life, taking spiritual power away from the Catholic Church.

Reformation in Europe Map

Who Was Ready For A Change? Triple Matchbook and Timeline Accordion

Why

Complete Why Flapbook as you read these lessons.

Church Finances –

The wealth of the church was enormous, estimated at one-third of the total real estate of Western Europe. In addition to revenues from her own land the Church collected tithes and taxes from England, Scandinavia and Poland. The clergy paid dues to the papal government, including bishops and others in office having to turn over their entire first years wages to the Pope. The priests would then recoup this money by charging high fees for their services. At a time when Christians believed church leaders should live in "apostolic poverty" the riches of the clergy were often felt as a scandal to the pious.

Simony -

The selling of civil office positions was a normal occurrence, but in the church it was considered an abuse and was labeled simony. Leo X made no less than $500,000 dollars annually from the sale of more than 2000 offices, plus an additional 10% of the purchase prices annually.

There were also outrageous charges to be allowed to marry someone of the “prohibited degree”, such as people outside of your class or distant family members. You could also buy exemption from fasting or from following laws at a price.

Indulgences –

Another issue the early Reformers had with the Church was the sale of Indulgences. An Indulgence meant that by paying a sum of money a person could buy forgiveness of any sin he had committed. The selling of them was no new thing. It was closely connected with the practice of doing penance, many people preferring to pay money than do penance in other ways. But in early days no Indulgence had been given except upon the promise of repentance. By the end of the fifteenth century the sale of them had become a scandal. The most vile and wicked, who had neither the desire nor the intention of repentance, could buy them freely.

When an Indulgence seller started his rounds he did so in splendor, with an extravagant train of followers. Coming to a city he entered it with pomp. The Bull declaring the Indulgence was carried on a cushion of cloth of gold or of crimson velvet. Priests would swing censers and carry lighted candles and banners, and the procession would sing chants and songs and ring bells, as they passed along the streets to the church. Here, before the altar, the vendor spread forth his wares, and declaring that the gates of heaven were open, invited the people to come and buy. When Leo X became Pope in 1513 he found his treasury almost empty. He desperately needed money for his many projects; among them the building of St. Peter's at Rome. To get the money he fell back upon the fruitful endeavor of selling Indulgences.

Immorality of Clergy -

Reformers were very saddened by the large proportion of the clergy who were both woefully ignorant and morally unworthy. The priests were having ungodly relationships with women, and drank heavily with some even keeping taverns, gaming rooms and worse places. They were superstitious and uneducated, some not even able to read or understand Latin, or even recite the Lord’s Prayer.

The Vulgate -

One of the biggest problems the Reformists had with the Church was that it discouraged people from reading the Bible on their own. The Catholic Bible, called the Vulgate, was available to a limited number of people at the time, and was only understood by those who knew Latin. The people had to have the Bible read and interpreted to them by the clergy. The Reformers believed that all people should be able to have complete access to the Word of God in their own language.

The Five Pillars of Reformation Truth

While the Reformers did not all agree on all doctrinal principles, they did agree on five basic ideas, called The Five Pillars of Reformation Truth. Complete Five Pillar Flap Book.

Sola Scriptura - By Scripture Alone -

The Reformers believed that the Old and New Testaments were inspired by God and were the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. The Scriptures, not the Church, were the sole measure of truth, and anything that did not line up with the word of God is to be rejected.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 testifies to this truth -- "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

Sola Gratia - By Grace Alone -

Grace is receiving something we don’t deserve at the expense of another. Specifically, grace is the unmerited gift of eternal salvation of God, which comes freely to the believing sinner through the atonement of Jesus Christ. Salvation cannot be earned through works, as the Church taught. It cannot be bought with indulgences. It is the free gift from God offered to sinners deserving of nothing but punishment, through faith in Christ's blood. This is the Gospel of the grace of Christ.

2 Timothy 1:9 says: “[God] hath saved us...not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace.”

Paul says in Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Solo Christo - By Christ Alone –

Unlike the Church, that believed access to God could be gained through priests, departed saints, holy angels or the Virgin Mary, the Reformers believed that Christ alone was the mediator between man and God.

1 Timothy 2:5 says, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;"

John 14:6 says, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Sola Fide - By Faith Alone –

The Reformers believed that man is justified, or made righteous, by faith alone. Justification is God's declaration that those who trust Jesus Christ are perfectly righteous before Him, and exempt from punishment. It is our faith in what Christ did for us on Calvary, not any works that we perform, that justifies us.

Romans 3:28 says: “A man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”

Galatians 2:16 says: “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified”

Soli Deo Gloria - Glory To God Alone –

Salvation is of the Lord, and He alone is responsible for it. The Reformers rejected the Church’s doctrine exalting the Pope and the priests, and directed that all glory go to God, through Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 1:9 says: "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,"

Ephesians 3.21 says: "To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”

Who

As you learn about the people involved in the Reformation, add them to the correct church in Church Shutterfold.

The Reformers -

God began to change the hearts of men such as Wycliffe, Huss, Luther, Tyndale, Calvin, and Knox, and a radical reform moved across Europe and eventually to the colonies here in North America. As you learn about each reformer, you can write facts in Reformers Mini Books Border Page, and/or you can complete lapbook components included below.

Optional Resources:

The Beggars Bible by Louise Vernon (about Wycliffe)

Hymns for a Kid’s Heart vol. 1 by Tada, pg. 21-25; “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”

Thunderstorm in Church by Louise Vernon (about Luther)

Martin Luther by Mike Fearon

The Hawk that Dare Not Hunt by Day by Scott O’Dell (about Tyndale)

The Bible Smuggler by Louise Vernon (about Tyndale)

The Queen’s Smuggler by Dave and Neta Jackson (about Tyndale)

The Spreading Flame (a video series about the various Reformers and the Reformation in general)

Wycliffe Mini Unit and Lapbook

John Huss Mini-Unit and Lapbook

Martin Luther Mini-Unit and Lapbook

Luther’s 95 Theses and Pocket

William Tyndale Mini-Unit and Lapbook

John Calvin Mini Unit and Lapbook

John Knox Mini Unit and Lapbook

The Emperors, Kings and Queens, Oh My –

It may be helpful to have some background information about the rulers during the time of the Reformation. Some were devout Catholics, some favored Protestantism, and others would follow whatever religion they thought would gain them the most favor. There are notebook pages included for each ruler, to use as desired. Rulers can also be added to timeline accordion and to Churches Shutterfold.

Mary, Queen of Scots for more in-depth unit and lapbook look here.

Results

The immediate results were lots of fighting and bloodshed, between Catholics and Protestants, Protestants and Protestants, and Catholics and Catholics, each denomination/leader believing they had the “right” religion.

As the result of the Reformation, people sought out a personal relationship with God through His inspired Word.

Church attendants began to sing hymns, of which Luther wrote over 125.

Westminster Confession of Faith was adopted by England and Scotland in 1648.

The road was paved for the idea of religious freedom, with people deciding for themselves who and how they should worship.

Many, if not most, of the church denominations in existence today are a result of the doctrines of the Reformers.

Bibliography

Smith, Preserved. The Age of the Reformation. Henry Holt and Company, 1920

McHugh, Michael. Story of the Middle Ages. Christian Liberty Press, 2002

Hillyer, Virgil. A Child’s History of the World. Calvert School, 1997

Morse, Joseph Laffan. Funk & Wagnalls Standard Reference Encyclopedia. Wilfred Funk, Inc, 1963

Hanko, Herman. Portraits of Faithful Saints

Marshall, H.E. The Story of Europe. Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1923.

Synge, M.B. The Awakening of Europe. William Blackwood and Sons, 1909

Reformation Unit and Lap-n-Note™ created by Wende