✿ From Christianity to Modern Europe: Reformation, Secularism & Liberalism ✿
✍️ Written by: Muhammad Kashif Sheikh
❖ Martin Luther’s Reformation Movement and Its Background
In the 16th century, when Martin Luther initiated the Reformation Movement, the Christian world was under the central authority of the Pope, who held the ultimate power over religious matters. Interpretation of the Bible was considered the exclusive right of the Church, and affiliation with the Church was deemed essential for success in the Hereafter. The governance structure consisted of Roman monarchs and numerous feudal lords occupying various regions.
Against this backdrop, Luther laid the foundation of a new movement by challenging the authority of the Church, which not only brought about religious transformation but also led to political, social, and economic upheavals.
❖ Nationalism: The Rise of National Identity
✔ As a result of the Reformation, the centralized authority of the Pope and the Church weakened, and each nation acquired the right to its own religious interpretations.
✔ The feudal lords grew powerful and began to challenge the authority of the central state.
✔ Religion became fragmented based on national lines, sanctifying local traditions and embedding the ideas of freedom and equality.
✔ Different states emerged, laying the foundation of Nationalism.
❖ The Rise of Secularism
The Reformation instilled the concepts of freedom and equality within society.
✔ The permission for various interpretations of religious commands introduced the idea that all social standards hold equal value.
✔ Every individual and their desires began to be valued equally, and human desires became the standard of judgment.
✔ As a result, Rationality replaced religious foundations, giving rise to a secular system.
◈ Twofold Division of Secularism
① Social Life: Religion was entirely separated, and rationality was elevated as the supreme authority.
② Personal Life: Religion was restricted to personal life, while rationality was sidelined — but this distinction began to dissolve through Liberalism.
❖ Liberalism: The Concept of Absolute Freedom
Unlike secularism’s limited religious allowance, Liberalism introduced the notion of complete freedom in every sphere of life.
✔ Liberalism granted the individual the right to define the rules and principles of their own life, including the standards of good and evil.
✔ The roots of this concept were tied to Christian beliefs, which taught that ʿĪsā (عليه السلام) had atoned for humanity’s sins.
✔ Kant’s philosophy further strengthened this idea, placing equal weight on every individual’s personal desires in society.
❖ Medieval Religious Societies and Their Principles
✔ Religious Leadership and Authority were justified through religion, as explained by St. Augustine in his book City of God.
✔ Division of Religious and Worldly Leadership: The Pope oversaw religious matters, while the King managed worldly affairs.
❖ Deviation in Christianity: The Absence of Fiqh (Jurisprudence)
A major cause of Christianity’s decline was the abandonment of Mosaic Law (Shari‘at Mūsawiyya).
✔ Among the early Christian groups, some refused to abandon Mosaic Law, but eventually, they were forcibly merged into the majority that completely rejected fiqh.
✔ As a result, Christian society was left without a comprehensive legal framework and gradually fell into decline.
❖ Individual Autonomy vs. Church Authority: Luther’s Teachings
Martin Luther challenged the authority of the Church by advocating for the autonomy of the individual but insisted on absolute obedience to secular rulers.
✔ He believed that the world could not function without worldly rulers.
✔ He even referred to the King as “God on Earth”, and considered disobedience to him unacceptable.
❖ Luther’s Teachings and the Foundation of Nationalism
✔ Luther’s ideology gave rise to the divine rights of kings, which laid the foundation for nationalist states in Europe.
✔ In the words of Marx, Luther replaced external religious authority with internal personal belief, which became the basis of modernity.
❖ Decline of Christianity and the Emergence of Capitalism
The collapse of medieval Christian society and the formation of a civil society paved the way for the rise of capitalism.
◈ Causes Behind the Defeat of Christianity
① Distortion of Beliefs: Christianity compromised with European traditions and beliefs, which led to its downfall.
② Resistance from Pagan Groups: Europe always had factions that preferred ancient Greek and Roman traditions over Christianity.
❖ Abolishment of Religious System and Rise of Civil Society in England
✔ In England, the religious system was first defeated in the intellectual domain.
✔ During the reign of Henry VIII, Christian monasteries were dismantled, and their lands were distributed among feudal landlords.
✔ Religion was confined to personal life, and the Church was given a secondary status.
❖ Establishment of Capitalism: The Enclosure Movement
✔ Feudal lords, once politically responsible, now became capitalists.
✔ Land was forcibly taken from farmers, leading to the collapse of villages and widespread poverty and starvation.
✔ With these changes, democracy and parliamentary dominance emerged in England, securing the interests of the capitalist class.
❖ Conclusion: Preconditions for Establishing Civil Society
The requirements for replacing a religious society with a civil society were fully realized:
① Collapse of Religious Epistemology
② Promotion of Greed and Envy
③ Elimination of Religious Institutions
④ Establishment of Popular Sovereignty in Place of Religion
