During the Reformation in Europe, many changes took place. Among these changes were figures such as Erasmus, Martin Luther, the peasants of Swabia and King Henry VIII. These people brought about some of the most important changes in European history. Without these individuals, Europe would be a completely different country than it is today. During the Northern European Renaissance there lived a scholar named Erasmus. Erasmus was particularly concerned about the corruption within the Church. Because he was so intrigued by the abuses of the Church, he decided to write an essay called “In Praise of Folly.” In this essay, Erasmus describes many hypocritical actions and thoughts on the part of the Church. One was to seek guidance and intersession through statues, relics, specific prayers, idols, and saints. Erasmus did not think this was necessary because it only distracted one from seeking Jesus. One of the things the Church did that Erasmus considered hypocritical was to take Holy Orders. Erasmus considered this hypocritical, because even though you were supposed to be humble and help others, being a part of it usually only made you more self-centered. Most members of the Holy Orders have become consumed by the power and wealth received from holding this position, and have forgotten why they became members of the Holy Orders in the first place. Another problem Erasmus saw within the Church concerned the Pope. The Pope was supposed to be the head of the Church and a complete representation of Christ, but he threw huge parties and spent large sums of money. Erasmus believed that the Church needed to reevaluate what it was doing and use the Spirit as its guide and defense instead... middle of document ...... and questioned the hierarchy of the Church. Since many people were questioning the Church, this led to what people call the Religious Wars. Henry was one of the 16th century kings of France. He was the first Protestant king. He then converted to Catholicism, but continued to let the Protestant people practice his worship, even if it was very limited. This was one of the first times both religions were allowed to be practiced in Europe. Furthermore, Europe changed almost completely from the beginning of the Reformation to the end of the Reformation. Many different people influenced this change. Most of the changes made concerned religion. Although religion may not seem like a huge challenge to a country, it is one of the main building blocks of a country like Europe. Without these changes, Europe would not be the one we know today..