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I. Family
- a. Catholicism praised family and sanctified its existence by making marriage a sacrament
- i. Abstinence made celibate state of clergy preferable to marriage
- ii. Marriage best way to control intercourse
- 1. This attitude remained among some Protestant reformers, like Luther, who said sex in marriage allowed one to make use of sex to avoid sin
- a. He said if a man can’t control his lust, then get married
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a. Change of family
- i. Catholic and Protestant= advocated more positive side to family relationships
- 1. Protestants greatly contributed to new view of family due to elimination of any idea of special holiness for celibacy and abolishing both monasticism and celibate clergy
- a. Family now center of life and stress on love between man and wife
- i. Opposite views
- 1. Reality: role of husband as ruler
- 2. Radical religious: partners
- a. Luteher said woman shouldn’t go beyond personal duties
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Women
- 1. Obedience and bear children= part of divine plan
- 2. Although view of Eve causing punishment through childbirth, Lutehr viewed it as blessing and holy vocation
- 3. Family life only destiny
- 4. By emphasizing father as “ruler” and center of household religion, Protestantism removed woman from traditional role as controller of religion at home
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Bible
- 1. Call on men and women to read bible and participate in religious services together
- a. Stimulus for education of girls so they could read Bible, etc.
- i. City council of Zwickau established girls’ school in 1525
- 1. Designed to encourage proper moral values rather than intellectual development; little improvement of position in society
- 2. When women attempted to be active in religious life, reformers mortified
- a. Equality of Gospel didn’t mean overthrowing inequality of social classes or sexes
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Overall
i. Overall: Protestant reformation didn’t transform women’s inferiority in society
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