Unit 2 Vocabulary: Reformation and Early Modern Europe

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms, figures, events, and theological concepts of the Protestant and Catholic Reformations and religious conflicts from Unit 2.

convents

Buildings where Catholic nuns live in common.

monasteries

Buildings where Catholic monks live in common.

Christian Humanism

Renaissance intellectual movement that focused on trying to return the Church to earlier and more authentic practice of the faith.

advocate

To argue in support of something.

clergy

The formal leaders of any given religion. Examples of clergy would be priests, bishops, ministers, rabbis, and imams.

layman

A member of a specific religion who is NOT a part of the clergy.

philology

The study of the historical development and origin of language.

Low Countries

Collective term to refer to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

patron

Someone who supports the arts or a specific artist.

simony

The act of buying or selling a religious office, such as the position of bishop.

nepotism

The practice of people in a position of power or influence showing undue favoritism to family or friends.

pluralism

The practice of certain Church leaders holding more than one religious office at the same time.

veneration

The action of showing great respect to a created person, such as the Virgin Mary or a saint.

relic

An ancient item that is associated with a holy figure, such as Christ or a saint.

indulgences

Actions that a Catholic can undertake to earn forgiveness of sins; in the 1400's the Church had begun to sell indulgences angering many.

"Faith and Works"

Catholic teaching that one's salvation is dependent on both faith and good works.

"Faith alone, Grace alone, Scripture alone"

Luther's argument that one's salvation is dependent on faith only (not good works), on God's mercy, and on what is directly written in the Bible.

excommunication

The action, taken by a religious group, that denies someone the right to participate in the church community; to eject someone from a religion.

Diet of Worms

1521 heresy trial of Martin Luther. He was judged by HRE Charles V.

heresy

To hold positions that are contrary to the accepted teachings of a religious community.

vernacular

Any language spoken by the general population of a region, as opposed to Latin, the language of the Church and education.

Scandinavia

The vast region of Northern Europe that includes the nations of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

Protestant

Any person who identifies as a Christian, but who is not a part of the Catholic or Orthodox Christian faiths.

social uprising

A revolt by a specific segment of the population against the ruling authorities.

status quo

The existing state of affairs, especially regarding religion and politics.

secular

Anything that is not religious in character or purpose.

temporal

Relating to worldly as opposed to spiritual affairs; secular.

transubstantiation

Catholic teaching that during the mass (religious service) the communion bread and wine are literally transformed into the actual body and blood of Christ.

consubstantiation

Protestant teaching that during the communion bread and wine are only symbolic representations of the actual body and blood of Christ.

predestination

The Calvinist teaching that God has already determined who is saved and who is damned, even before we are born.

Elect

Calvin's term for those who God had selected for salvation.

seminaries

Schools where clergy are educated in the beliefs of a specific religion.

Huguenots

French Protestants who followed the teachings of John Calvin.

abdicate

The action of a monarch in surrendering their claim to the throne.

Bourbons

The family that held the throne of France from 1589 until the French Revolution.

politiques

Term for those nobles and royal figures who supported religious toleration as a means of restoring domestic peace and strengthening the nation.

Edict of Nantes

1598 royal decree issued by King Henry IV of France that granted religious toleration and control of 200 walled fortified cities to that nation's Protestant minority.

Inquisition

Term for religious courts set up by Catholic authorities in Spain to root out anyone suspected of practicing the Jewish or Muslim religions. The courts could use torture and death to enforce their power.

Spanish Armada

A massive fleet of over 130 Spanish warships that was sent against England in 1588. The fleet suffered heavy losses and was a major disaster for Spain.

Council of Trent

A landmark meeting of Catholic Church leaders, held between 1545 – 1563 for the purpose of developing a response to the Protestant Reformation.

standardize

To make something uniform, the same.

dogma

The official teachings, beliefs, and practices of a religion.

Index

First compiled at the Council of Trent, this was a list of books that Catholics were prohibited to read. The Index was abolished in 1966.

Jesuits

A synonym for the Society of Jesus, an order of well-educated Catholic priests founded by a Spanish priest, Ignatius of Loyola, in 1540.

Baroque

A style of European art, architecture, and music of the 17th and 18th centuries characterized by ornate details and emotional subjects.

Mannerism

A European art movement associated with the late-Renaissance period of the 16th century and noted for its sophistication and artificial style.

Defenestration of Prague

1618 event that triggered the destructive Thirty Years' War. Two representatives of the Holy Roman Emperor were tossed from a high window by Bohemian Calvinist officials.