Martin Luther, Council of Trent, Baroque Art, and Missions
Martin Luther
Martin Luther (1483-1546) was a German theologian, Augustinian monk, and the father of Lutheranism. As a young man, he pursued university studies in Erfurt and joined the Augustinian Order in 1505. He received his doctorate in Theology in 1511 in Wittenberg. In 1517, he published his 95 Theses, challenging indulgences. Besides translating the New Testament of the Bible from Latin into German, Martin Luther reorganized the Mass, published two catechisms, married Catherine Bora, and had six children. He died in 1546 in Eisleben, leaving behind a new way of living the Christian life that spread throughout the German Empire, leading to the Protestant Reformation. In 1555, the Peace of Augsburg was signed under the maxim *cuius regio, eius religio* (whose realm, his religion), meaning each territory would have the religion chosen by its ruler.
Council of Trent
Pope Paul III inaugurated the Council of Trent, a meeting of all bishops, in 1545 in the city of Trento. It was summoned as a reaction to the Protestant Reformation to update much of the Christian doctrine of Rome. The importance of this council was such that its ideas reached Vatican II. The Council clarified various issues raised by Protestant reformers: the relationship between faith and works, the number of sacraments, Church organization, the importance of tradition, and the number of books in the Bible. It restored the figure of the bishop in his diocese and fixed the bases for the formation of priests through seminaries. The changes proposed by Trent were conducted by Popes Pius V, Gregory XIII, and Sixtus V. A single liturgy was imposed for celebrations, and a catechism was published to assist pastors. Central government was strengthened, and bishops were required to make periodic visits to Rome.
Baroque Art
Religious congregations eagerly resumed their evangelizing, and popular piety was expressed externally in processions. Baroque art served as an explicit manifestation of change. Baroque art expresses life in all its rawness, without hiding anything, no matter how far it may be from classical standards of beauty. Vivaldi and Bach in music, Quevedo and Gongora in literature, Bernini in sculpture and architecture, and Velazquez, Murillo, and Rubens in painting were some renowned examples of Baroque artists (along with Jose de Ribera and Francisco de Zurbaran). The conclusions of the Council of Trent were expressed in art, aiming to reach the great mass of the faithful in a clear and forceful way. Rome instructed its artists to create clear, easy-to-understand art, seeking to thrill with colorful compositions and contrasts of light and shadow to inspire devotion.
Missions
Patronage was the organizational method by which kings controlled and were patrons of their lands. The kings were required to send missionaries and support them, build churches, and maintain worship. In 1622, the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith was created to centralize everything related to missions in Rome. From there, a training center was founded in Paris to teach those who wanted to be missionaries. It’s important to note that the men who went to these mission sites departed with a European mindset and almost total ignorance of the realities they would encounter. There were two approaches to evangelization: one attempted to reject everything that was found and impose a model of Western Christianity, while the other tried to understand the traditions and cultures of the evangelized peoples and tailor the message of Jesus to their context.