Unit 1 Key Terms

Albrecht Dürer

Northern Renaissance artist famous for painting and printmaking

Bible

the holy book of Christianity

Catholic

a follower of the Roman Catholic Church, the traditional church of western Europe

Church of England

the Church created by King Henry VIII when he broke from Rome; also known as the Anglican Church or the Episcopal Church

Edict of Nantes

French law that granted religious toleration to Protestants

Elizabeth I

English queen who concluded the Reformation in England with the Acts of Settlement and was generally tolerant of dissenters

Gospels

the books of the Bible that tell about the life and message of Jesus Christ

Henry VIII

English king who began the Reformation in England by taking control of the Church in that country

Huguenots

French Calvinist Protestants

humanism

a philosophy that places primary importance on human concerns rather than religious concerns

indulgence

a grant by the Pope of forgiveness from punishment in Purgatory still due for sins committed

Inquisition

an investigative court of the Catholic Church used to fight heresy; known for the use of torture

Jesuit

a member of the Society of Jesus, which does missionary work for the Catholic Church

John Calvin

religious reformer whose teachings emphasized salvation by faith and predestination

Leonardo da Vinci

Renaissance artist famous for the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper

Machiavelli

Italian political theorist who wrote The Prince, which focuses on the practical realities of power and governance rather than idealistic notions of morality

Martin Luther

religious reformer who started the Reformation by protesting the corruption of the Church

Michelangelo

Renaissance artist famous for the statue of David and the paintings of the Sistine Chapel

Pope

the leader of the Catholic Church (adjective form: papal, as in 'papal authority')

Protestant

a follower of one of the churches that separated from the Catholic Church

Purgatory

in Christian belief, a place that people go after they die which is between Heaven and Hell where they will suffer to purify themselves of their sins on Earth

Reformation

a movement for reform of the Catholic Church from about 1500-1600 that led to the split of the Catholic Church into multiple religious denominations

Renaissance

the rebirth of ancient Greek and Roman culture in western Europe from about 1400-1600 CE

Spanish Armada

the large Spanish fleet that attempted to invade England in 1588

printing press

a machine for mass-producing books or other written materials

Western Civilization

the civilization of Western Europe and places that derived from it, including the Americas, Australia, and New Zealand; these areas are collectively known as 'the West'.

William Shakespeare

English Renaissance writer famous for his plays and poems