A key to any revolution, in any time period, is to disseminate the key points within the ideology of the revolution efficiently and effectively. The Protestant Reformation, which is attributed primarily to the efforts of the German monk Martin Luther, involved a very large group of people who broke away from the Catholic Church, an institution present 1,500 years before the Reformation. A task as large as this division requires a method to quickly spread ideals, and the need to capture the emotions of the message's intended recipients was also present. Below we will examine the ideals Protestant leaders used to attract converts, the use of innovative printing to enable the mass distribution of pamphlets, and the effects the Reformation had on everyone. From the early Middle Ages to the 16th century, the Catholic Church evolved to dominate all areas of European life as the church grew, as did the power of the hierarchy within the institution. With this surge in power, many church leaders drifted away from Jesus' teachings of humility, charity, and faithfulness and slowly began to give way to an unbridled lust for money. One method the church used to appropriate funds was the payment of indulgences. Indulgences were pieces of paper issued by the church, which people purchased in exchange for forgiveness. Many in European society felt alienated by this practice. Especially the poor and mercantile class. These classes saw a church raise large sums of money, while inflation and other economic factors hurt their own cause.1 When Martin Luther undertook his effort to reform the church, the seeds planted in these classes were enough to facilitate a change important. In addition to indulgences, there were many theological points that the leaders of the Reformation sought to reiterate in the Church. In a sermon given by Luther in 1521, he states that the Church has overstepped its biblical authority by claiming the right to atone for sins, Luther indicates that Jesus, and only Jesus has such authority, states "God has chosen a man, the Lord Jesus Christ, to crush death, destroy sin and shatter hell... But the papal rule treats us completely differently establishes rules on fasting, prayer and eating butter, so that whoever keeps the pope's commandments will be saved " (290), Luther. he goes on to add that Christians should rely on faith in Christ, not on a Church that does not do what the Bible prescribes. Luther also criticized priests within the Church, believing that the priest had succumbed to the teachings of pagan philosophers and aligned himself with a corrupt, money-hungry papacy. Luther sought to return the focus of the Church to the teachings of faith, charity, and humility as Jesus had originally taught his disciples. The ideals indicated by Luther were aimed at a wide spectrum of people. The abolition of the financial burden contained in indulgences appealed to the poor, the return to original biblical doctrine stimulated the interests of the educated and wealthy. But the question remained of how to spread these ideas. Reform leaders took two distinct approaches. First the ideals of the Reformation were recorded in the simplest written forms, so that everyone could understand them. Second, a series of woodcuts depicted the doomed church and showed the sanctity of the originally biblical intent for the church. Both of these approaches, combined with the ability to reproduce them in large quantities, thanks to the innovative printing press, allowed Reformation leaders to spread thetheir message in an efficient way that had never been possible before. The simplified ideals of the church were often expressed in poetic verse and then applied to music, so that the ideals that leaders wanted to convey were present in hymn form. This approach allowed the ignorant, who could not read the printed versions of Luther's sermons, an opportunity to impress upon their minds the themes of the Reformation. As we see in the first lines of Luther's hymn, Lord, hold us fast in thy word, Luther did not go lightly in his approach, he wrote: "Lord, hold us fast in thy word, and restrain the vile sword of the Turks, who seek to overthrow from the Throne, Jesus Christ, your only son." In one verse, Luther launches a blatant attack on the Church, when this is set music, this verse sticks in an individual's mind and keeps that person motivated to continue fighting for the cause. (296) Other hymns, while not as powerful as their predecessors, incorporated the ideals of the reform in similar ways. The aforementioned pamphlets describing the evil deeds of the Church, the Devil-like qualities of the Pope, and Jesus allowing faithful servants to remain in heaven took the simplification of ideals and their presentation even broader. The first print observed shows the cardinal and the pope, depicted as devils, taking part in the issuing of indulgences. These church leaders are consumed by hellfire, while heavenly figures participate in baptism and communion. Another woodcut uses contrast to show the errors within the church. One image shows the disciples bowing at the feet of Jesus. Directly next to this image is the pope, with the cardinals bowing similarly. The lower half depicts Jesus expelling the rest from the temple, while the pope accepts indulgences. Both of these cuts show Luther's perceived wrongs against the church. The contrast in particular showed the pope trying to emulate Jesus, a sin itself, and the church bowing to money, while Jesus freed the temple from those who exploit the poor for the sake of money.(299-300) These images were widely dispersed. They were very effective in showing the exact message of the reform, in a simple way. This campaign by the Protestants created two distinct reactions. In the lower classes, a series of rebellions by the poor against the ruling class occurred, against the wishes of Martin Luther. The upper classes assimilated these ideas into their lives and eventually founded a separate branch of Christianity. The Protestant Reformation is perhaps one of the best propaganda campaigns ever. The leaders of this effort used simple ideas, catchy jingles, and visual appeal to transform the entire religious landscape of the European continent. A Propaganda Campaign of Divine Proportions A key to any revolution, in any time period, is to disseminate the key points within the ideology of the revolution efficiently and effectively. The Protestant Reformation, which is attributed primarily to the efforts of the German monk Martin Luther, involved a very large group of people who broke away from the Catholic Church, an institution present 1,500 years before the Reformation. A task as large as this division requires a method to quickly spread ideals, and the need to capture the emotions of the message's intended recipients was also present. Below we will examine the ideals Protestant leaders used to attract converts, the use of innovative printing to enable the mass distribution of pamphlets, and the effects the Reformation had on everyone. From the early Middle Ages to the 16th century, the Catholic Church evolved to dominate all sectors of European life, asthe church grew, just as the power of the hierarchy within the institution grew. With this surge in power, many church leaders drifted away from Jesus' teachings of humility, charity, and faithfulness and slowly began to give way to an unbridled lust for money. One method the church used to appropriate funds was the payment of indulgences. Indulgences were pieces of paper issued by the church, which people purchased in exchange for forgiveness. Many in European society felt alienated by this practice. Especially the poor and mercantile class. These classes saw a church raise large sums of money, while inflation and other economic factors hurt their own cause.1 When Martin Luther undertook his effort to reform the church, the seeds planted in these classes were enough to facilitate a change important. In addition to indulgences, there were many theological points that the leaders of the Reformation sought to reiterate in the Church. In a sermon given by Luther in 1521, he states that the Church has overstepped its biblical authority by claiming the right to atone for sins, Luther indicates that Jesus, and only Jesus has such authority, states: "God has chosen a man, the Lord Jesus Christ". , to crush death, destroy sin, and shatter hell… But papal rule treats us completely differently. It establishes rules on fasting, prayer and the eating of butter, so that whoever keeps the commandments of the pope will be saved" (290), Luther goes on to add that Christians should trust in faith in Christ, not in a Church that does not do what it Bible prescribes. Luther also criticized priests within the Church, believing that the priest had succumbed to the teachings of pagan philosophers and aligned himself with a corrupt, money-hungry papacy. Luther sought to return the focus of the Church to the teachings of faith, charity, and humility as Jesus had originally taught his disciples. The ideals indicated by Luther were aimed at a wide spectrum of people. The elimination of the financial burden embedded in indulgences appealed to the poor, the return to original biblical doctrine stimulated the interests of the educated and wealthy. But the question remained of how to spread these ideas. Reform leaders took two distinct approaches. First the ideals of the Reformation were recorded in the simplest written forms, so that everyone could understand them. Second, a series of woodcuts depicted the doomed church and showed the sanctity of the originally biblical intent for the church. Both of these approaches, combined with the ability to reproduce them in large quantities, thanks to the innovative printing press, allowed Reformation leaders to spread their message in an efficient way that had never before been possible. The simplified ideals of the church were often expressed in poetic verse and then applied to music, so that the ideals that leaders wanted to convey were present in hymn form. This approach allowed the ignorant, who could not read the printed versions of Luther's sermons, the ability to have the themes of the Reformation imprinted in their minds. As we see in the first lines of Luther's hymn, Lord, hold us fast in thy word, Luther did not go lightly in his approach, he wrote: "Lord, hold us fast in thy word, and restrain the vile sword of the Turks, who seek to overthrow from the Throne, Jesus Christ, your only son. a verse, Luther launches a blatant attack on the Church, when this is set music, this verse stays in an individual's mind and keeps that person motivated to continue fighting for the cause. .”(296) Other hymns, though not as powerful