The Reformation and Wars of Religion

Protestant Reformation

A major religious movement in the 16th century that led to the establishment of Protestant churches.

Indulgences

Certificates sold by the Catholic Church believed to reduce punishment for sins.

95 Theses (1517)

Martin Luther's document challenging Church abuses, sparking the Reformation.

Martin Luther

German monk who led the Protestant Reformation and rejected papal authority.

Justification by Faith Alone

Luther's belief that faith, not works, ensures salvation.

Diet of Worms (1521)

Imperial meeting where Luther refused to recant his teachings.

Peasants' War (1524-1525)

Revolt inspired partly by Reformation ideas; Luther opposed it.

Augsburg Confession (1530)

Lutheran statement of faith presented to the Holy Roman Emperor.

Peace of Augsburg (1555)

Treaty allowing German princes to choose Catholicism or Lutheranism.

Ulrich Zwingli

Swiss reformer who emphasized scripture but disagreed with Luther on the Eucharist.

Anabaptists

Radical reformers who rejected infant baptism and promoted separation of church and state.

John Calvin

French reformer who established a strict theocracy in Geneva.

Predestination

Calvinist belief that God has chosen the elect for salvation.

Huguenots

French Protestants influenced by Calvinism.

John Knox

Scottish reformer who established Presbyterianism in Scotland.

English Reformation

Break of the Church of England from Rome under Henry VIII.

Act of Supremacy (1534)

Law making Henry VIII head of the Church of England.

Elizabethan Settlement

Religious compromise under Elizabeth I that balanced Catholic and Protestant practices.

Book of Common Prayer

Anglican liturgical text established under Edward VI.

Puritans

English Protestants who wanted to purify the Church of England of Catholic practices.

Lollards

Pre-Reformation English reform movement influenced by John Wycliffe's teachings.

Council of Trent (1545-1563)

Church council that reformed abuses and reaffirmed Catholic doctrine.

Jesuits (Society of Jesus)

Catholic religious order founded by Ignatius of Loyola to spread Catholicism.

Ignatius of Loyola

Founder of the Jesuits and key leader of the Counter-Reformation.

Index of Forbidden Books

List of heretical works banned by the Catholic Church.

Roman Inquisition

Catholic tribunal created to root out heresy and enforce orthodoxy.

Teresa of Ávila

Spanish mystic and reformer of the Carmelite order.

Baroque Art

Style promoted by the Catholic Church to inspire faith through emotion and grandeur.

Tridentine Mass

Standardized Catholic liturgy established by the Council of Trent.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Summary of Catholic teachings created after Trent.

Missionary Work

Expansion of Catholicism through Jesuit and Franciscan efforts in the New World and Asia.

French Wars of Religion (1562-1598)

Civil wars between Catholics and Huguenots in France.

St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre (1572)

Mass killing of Huguenots ordered by French Catholics.

Politiques

Leaders (like Henry IV) who placed political stability above religious differences.

Henry IV of France

Former Huguenot who converted to Catholicism and issued the Edict of Nantes.

Edict of Nantes (1598)

Granted limited toleration to Huguenots in France.

Dutch Revolt (1568-1648)

Rebellion of the Protestant Dutch against Catholic Spanish rule.

Spanish Armada (1588)

Failed naval invasion of Protestant England by Catholic Spain.

Thirty Years' War (1618-1648)

Pan-European religious and political conflict centered in the Holy Roman Empire.

Defenestration of Prague (1618)

Protestant nobles threw Catholic officials out a window, sparking the Thirty Years' War.

Peace of Westphalia (1648)

Treaty ending the Thirty Years' War, granting religious freedom to multiple faiths and recognizing state sovereignty.