Final answer:
The National Assembly sought to reform the church by seizing church lands to improve the economy, enacting the Civil Constitution of the Clergy that converted clergy into civil servants and required bishops to be elected by the people, embracing Enlightenment principles, and including freedom of religion in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.
Step-by-step explanation:
The National Assembly made several attempts to reform the church during the French Revolution. Initially, they aimed to address the financial crisis by seizing church lands, which they proclaimed belonged to France, hoping to sell these lands to improve the economy. This move was part of a broader strategy to reduce the church's power in the state and create a more secular political structure. Perhaps the most significant measure they took was the Civil Constitution of the Clergy in 1790, which turned the remaining clergy into civil servants and brought the church under the control of the state. This legislation also mandated the election of bishops by the people rather than by the church hierarchy, a radical departure from traditional practice which alienated many Catholics.
The drive to reform the church was fueled by the Enlightenment notions of nationalism and anti-clericalism, aiming to curtail the influence of the church and redistribute its wealth for the public good. Moreover, the Assembly produced the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen which underscored freedom of religion and mandated adoption of representative government, further reducing the church's traditional role within the monarchy.