AS History - To what extent was the pre-reformation church in need of reform? - Luthe

In Need of Reform Argument

- Pluralism/Nepotism/Simony/absenteeism prevalent

- Indulgences and relics were being abused if one subscribes to the Lutheran view

- Corruption amongst the papacy- not living in accordance with scripture, monastic houses often less observant than hitherto

- German Humanism particularly from writers like Erasmus were becoming extremely popular and Humanists were increasing their criticisms of the Church- this sort of provides evidence that there was widespread revulsion at the Church's practices.

- Lay-confraternities seems to show that people had to take it upon themselves to access high levels of spirituality, since the Church was not providing it

However...

- Not all monastic houses were unobservant- very few were actually found to have committed serious doctrinal deviations (research this)

- It could be argued that the political, war- laden period where the Papal states were under pressure, required a tough monarch and not a devout, morally upright Papacy. So you could say the Pope's behaviours, or rather many of them were a burgeoning necessity- and not a symptom of a weakened, moribund Church

- For your final point saying why it wasn't, do some research on the huge amount of people still donating money, making bequests etc; if you find it as significant as before, it suggests that people's engagement with the Church was still high and that it was not a moribund institution.