World History 10/14/26 Test Study Guide

Renaissance

A rebirth of European cultural life, art, architecture, and literature spanning approximately 1300 to 1600, inspired by Classical Antiquity.

Perspective (art)

An artistic technique that creates the three-dimensional appearance of depth on a flat two-dimensional surface.

Renaissance Man

An individual skilled across multiple disciplines, such as art, science, invention, and the humanities.

Indulgence

In Catholic theology, a remission of the temporal punishment due for sins that have already been forgiven.

Martin Luther

German monk whose 1517 protest against clerical abuses and the sale of indulgences launched the Protestant Reformation.

95 Theses

A list of propositions posted in Wittenberg in 1517 criticizing papal authority and the commercial exploitation of indulgences.

Justification by faith alone

The Protestant doctrine that salvation is received solely through belief in Christ rather than through human works or sacraments.

John Calvin

French theologian based in Geneva whose teachings formed Reformed Protestantism and emphasized God's sovereign will.

Predestination

The theological belief that God has eternally determined which individuals are granted salvation.

King Henry VIII

English monarch who broke with the papacy over a marriage annulment and established royal supremacy over the Church of England.

Act of Supremacy (1534)

English legislation declaring the reigning monarch the supreme head of the Church of England.

Queen Elizabeth I

English monarch who restored Protestantism and forged a durable religious settlement for the Church of England.

Huldrych Zwingli

Swiss reformer who led the religious reform movement in Zurich, arguing that Church practice must align strictly with Scripture.

Transubstantiation

The Catholic doctrine that Eucharistic bread and wine become the actual body and blood of Christ during Mass.

Purgatory

In Catholic theology, a state of purification prior to entrance into heaven for souls who die in God's grace.

Counter-Reformation

The 16th-century revival and internal reform movement launched by the Catholic Church in response to the Protestant Reformation.

Council of Trent

An ecumenical assembly (1545–1563) that reaffirmed Catholic doctrines, reformed clergy discipline, and banned the commercial sale of indulgences.

Jesuits (Society of Jesus)

A Catholic religious order founded to defend orthodox doctrine through education, scholarship, and global missionary work.

Ignatius of Loyola

Spanish soldier and theologian who founded the Society of Jesus.

Francis Xavier

Jesuit missionary who traveled extensively across parts of India and Japan to spread Catholic Christianity.

Angela Merici

Founder of the Ursuline Order, dedicated to educating young women and strengthening religious instruction.

Huguenots

French Calvinist Protestants who endured persecution during the French Wars of Religion.

Edict of Nantes (1598)

A royal decree granting French Calvinists limited religious freedom and civil rights.

Thirty Years' War (1618–1648)

A major conflict fought primarily in Central Europe involving religious divisions between Catholics and Protestants as well as political rivalries.

Inquisition

Ecclesiastical tribunals established by the Catholic Church to investigate, prosecute, and punish heresy.

Index of Forbidden Books

A list of publications prohibited by Catholic authorities to protect believers from heretical and immoral content.