How did johann gutenberg help in the reformation?
Gutenberg was born around 1400 and died about 1468. He invented movable type which meant that books could be printed instead of having to be written by hand. This had tremendous impact on passing on knowledge. For the first time Bibles could be printed and distributed and were no longer owned only by the Church. Until now, the Church had not wanted ordinary people to read the Bible for themselves. They wanted to keep power of the word of God and only let ordinary people know what they chose to interpret for them. With Gutenberg’s invention, Bibles were not only more available to people but then they began to be translated from Latin into the language of people. Again the Church objected. However with Martin Luther, Wycliffe, John Knox and other Protestant preachers Bibles began to circulate in English and German , helping with the Reform of the Church known as the Reformation.
