Abstract
European people were crushed under heavy burdens such as plague, famine, wars and high taxes, especially at the end of the Middle Ages. These people, who were already in a very bad situation economically and socially, were also religiously exploited and oppressed by the Catholic church clergy. The practices of indulgence, inquisition and excommunication, which the church claimed to be in the name of religion, had turned into tools of exploitation and oppression. These practices of the clergy were at the top of the issues that Martin Luther criticized in his 95-item thesis. From this point of view, we can easily say that the effect of religious factors on the realization of the Protestant reform was quite high. In this article, the effects of the practices claimed by the Catholic Church in the name of religion on the reformation will be discussed. For a better understanding of the subject, the Catholic Church's Bible and its authority, which he claims to be based on Jesus, will be outlined. In addition, the emergence of indulgence documents, inquisition courts and excommunication practices and how these practices paved the way for the reform will be discussed. Although there are many economic, social, political and religious reasons for the reform, it is aimed to include only the religious infrastructure in this study. In this study, the conclusion that religious factors played a dominant role in the emergence of the Protestant reform comes to the fore. However, it would be insufficient to mention religious factors as the only factor. Especially in the 14th and 15th centuries, the social, political and economic situation of Europe can be discussed in different studies and contribute to a better understanding of the emergence of the reform.