World Journal of Research and Review (WJRR) ISSN: 2455-3956, Volume-8, Issue-6, June 2019 Pages 01-10 Methods and Models of Spiritual Revitalization of the Roman Catholic Church during the Protestant Reformation: Lessons for the 21st Century Church-Strategy for Revival Garba Henry Marcus since antiquity mainly belongs to the Catholic church, and an Abstract— The study examines the approaches that sparked understanding of the contemporary Christian church requires an institutional transformation of Roman Catholic spirituality a careful reflection of history. Cameron remarks that during the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation was a “Christian history is essential to anyone who wishes to clarion call upon the spiritual decay of the church, and the agitation for the overhaul led many to disengage from the understand the present-day churches, or to assume any Roman Catholic church. However, such a decision led the position of leadership within it, [and] one cannot understand Catholic church to set up machinery for a restructuring within faith working in society unless one sees it with the help of a the institution. This study carefully explores the attempted historical perspective.” 1 Thus, gaining this ecclesiastical ecclesiastical approaches that were adopted to improve and knowledge cannot be one-sided but holistic as it played a return the catholic church to active spirituality. The measures critical role in the rise of modern theology. that were employed brought some transformation that strengthened the spirituality and unity of the church, which has Meanwhile, there is no justification for every activity of the helped the ecclesiastical structure in preserving her spiritual Catholic church as it contributed largely to the fading of heritage. Questions have been asked as to why the Roman Christianity in many regions such as North Africa. Catholic church has developed a sustainable system of Nevertheless, it is such an attitude that challenged the church promoting its spirituality. The contemporary church is craving to advocate for a revival that led to the Reformation, which for a revival, and it is debatable whether the church of the 21st brought spiritual reawakening. Importantly, it contributed in century can learn from the successful approaches of Catholicism. This study does not aim to justify Catholicism or shaping the theology of the church for many centuries. In promote Catholic spirituality but offers a challenge to the practices of contemporary Christianity, the effect of the church today on the need to develop a sustainable approach of Reformation is felt in the Protestant denominations and the preserving and promoting a contextual spirituality that makes Catholic church. meaning to the everyday life of people. Over the years, the understanding of spirituality has changed, and its meaning varies depending on Index Terms— Methods, Models, Protestant Reformation, denominational affiliation and doctrinal beliefs. For instance, Revitalization, Roman Catholic, Spiritual spirituality was seen as the beliefs and activities by which I. INTRODUCTION individuals follow in an attempt to relate to God and the transcendent reality. However, in modern Christianity, The word “Roman Catholic” or “Catholicism” rings spirituality is separated from religion because of the confront negatively in the heart of an average Protestant. This is due to of secularity that drives people to seek different ways to the records of activities of the Catholic church that sparked 2 rediscover the sacred and to deepen their spiritual lives. the Reformation in the 15th century. In the modern study of Noteworthily, spirituality is not the elevating and the church history, theologians, both Protestant and Catholic, are isolation of designated activities, but its impulse animates all amazed as to the sustainable measures that have preserved the of human life. Thus, spirituality is developmental, and it Catholic church for many centuries. There is no doubt that the inscribes how the corporeal relate to the incorporeal. It is a history of the church cannot be complete without a reflection thirst after the things of the Spirit, which is more of an of the contribution of the Roman Catholic church. Also, an engaged spirituality that begins with God in developing the understanding of the Protestant Reformation must be landscape of God‟s people. Spirituality is a relationship of the examined in the light of Catholicism. This consideration human spirit, which is imperceptible to God, who is ignites an appreciation for the revival that took place embodied in humanity evident in an active and lively throughout the Reformation period. It is important to note relationship between contemplation and just action in the life that most theologians that helped shape Christian theology Garba, Henry Marcus Department of Historical Studies, Africa 1 Euan Cameron, Interpreting Christian History: The Challenge of the International University, Nairobi, Kenya/Evangelical Church Winning All Churches’ Past (Malden, MA: John Wiley & Sons, 2008), 1. (ECWA), Kaduna, Nigeria 2 Robert A. Burns, Catholic Spirituality and Prayer in the Secular City (Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America, 2008), 4. 1 www.wjrr.org Methods and Models of Spiritual Revitalization of the Roman Catholic Church During the Protestant Reformation: Lessons for the 21st Century Church-Strategy for Revival of God‟s people.3 unifying factor of all standards, spirituality becomes more In the meantime, historians have focused more on the authentic and biblically grounded. reasons that sparked the Reformation. This viewpoint The development of Catholic spirituality can be indorses partisan historicity that either promote bias in the foregrounded in the Benedictine, Franciscan, Dominican, and presentation of facts or the omission of some objective reality Ignatian spiritualities, which helped shape the theology of the of the whole Reformation story. Also, both historians and Roman Catholic church throughout the medieval era and to theologians have centered on the achievements and failures the time of the Reformation.9 For instance, the action taken that the Reformation effected throughout Protestantism. by the Franconian kings and pope Gregory VII in 1073-1083 Historical narratives of the 15th and 16th centuries‟ that led to the investiture conflict was a motivation to reform Reformation have been one-sided, and the Catholic church the church and re-spiritualize its administration. The presented in the background with the preferment of a Dominican and Franciscan movements in the eleventh and traditional ideological position. However, the modern study twelfth centuries were an attempt to define what real of the Reformation has challenged the conventional and Christian devotion ought to be. Also, the fourteenth and single usage of the word “Reformation;” historians proffer fifteenth-century conciliarist movement questioned the the term “Reformations,” noting that the era experienced veracity of the Christian commitment of certain popes and the multiple reform movements.4 Hudon submits an outstanding legitimacy of maintaining a governmental structure that gives evaluation of the spiritual state of the church.5 He contends the pope alone the power to call councils into being.10 Burns that the challenge that Luther and the other Reformers issued argues that Roman Catholic spirituality grew from and struggled about the fundamental elements of the devotionalism that was hierarchically regulated with printed Christian faith, all had its founding in the vibrant change in devotional prayer guidebooks associated with congregational the economy, political consolidation, religious rethinking, worship.11 Christianity flourished in the Greco-Roman world and the social upheaval, which laid the foundation of the and developed a strong relationship between church and state modern world. 6 Foremost, the historical background that from the time of Constantine. Spielvogel submits: clamored for reformation can be characterized by the call of Christianity in the Greco-Roman society grew because of the both the regular and secular clerics to a higher moral sporadic persecution of Christians in the first century. The standard, adhering to the canon laws and monastic rules. oppression helped strengthened the growth of Christianity and Consequently, the Reformation is significant throughout moved the church towards a centralized organization. It also led to the emergence of a hierarchical structure of Bishopric that modern history; thus, it is right to ask about its effect on the separates the laity from the clergy. Noteworthily the spread of Catholic church whose conditions and practices led to the Christianity can be connected to the quality of the message that Reformation. The question, whether the Reformation had any Christianity had to offer to the Roman world, the promise of impact on the Catholic church is worthy of consideration. salvation. Also, Christianity seems to imbue life with meaning What was the Roman Catholic response to the Reformation, and purpose, and it provided the then world the advantage that and what was happening within the Catholic church? Also, other mystery religions lacked. Above all, Christianity was not what were the steps that the Catholic church adopted in restricted to men but appealing to all, which drew the attention of response to the Reformation? These are substantive questions that require the acute reaction of modern theologians, in 9 which this study provides a synopsis. The Benedictines